WTF! Do I Have to Have the Engine Running to Listen to Audio!

There has to be a trick to listen to the radio without the engine running. Please enlighten me. I've never had a "smart key" vehicle before.

 

Press the start button without your foot on the brake pedal. Once should switch to accessory mode, the next press will switch to ignition on mode. Both will allow the radio to work without the engine running.

 

If you press the start button the vehicle will go into accessory mode. If you hold the brake pedal and press the start button the vehicle will start. It's really quite simple.

 

Welcome. What @HuskyMike said is accurate.

 

I figured it would be simple but I couldn't find anything in the owners manual.

 

Yeah man, RTFM. The answers to your questions can be found in the manual, or by performing a very quick Google search.

 

Basically every answer can be found by a google search... why have forums, right?

 

To keep the radio on when you kill the engine, leave it in neutral when press the start/stop button. That'll also put it in accessory mode. You can then shift into park and the radio stays on. It'll stay on about 20 minutes before it shuts off.

 

I have to try this. I don't like the radio turning off just because I want the engine off. I think just about every vehicle out there shuts off accessory mode after about 20 minutes, which prevents unintended battery death, but sometimes it's inconvenient.

 

This makes me wonder if it’s not a timer feature but perhaps based off a monitored battery voltage?

Might have to break out the ol voltmeter and do some testing…

 

You're not wrong. But, whenever I Googled things about my Tacoma, it led me to Tacomaworld. So, I ended up on there, and then here when I switched back to a 4Runner.

 

Thats why we have forums.. Thanks man! Great simple tip. Never thought of that. I hate that it turns off bluetooth and resyncs/restarts everything when listening to podcasts or music.

 

If you want to leave accessory mode on while your wife picks up tomatoes from the grocery "real-quick", and you don't want to turn the car off and back on, put the car in neutral, then turn off the car, then put it back in park. The car will stay in accessory mode without having to cycle the car off and on.

 

Thank you for this. I hated that every time I stopped but wanted to keep the screen on it would go away and I would have to start over again. Next time
I am in my car I am going to give this a try.