The manual says that the ignition system COULD be damaged if the key is in the ON position but the car isn't started.

Anyone have info as to would this hurt the ignition system? Manual says COULD not WOULD. big difference.

 

maybe because having power going to the ignition coils without ever being discharged could cause a build up and be unnecessary wear and tear on them?

 

so then it's putting the ignition coils to an early death? at least that's the theory?

what kind of symptoms would show if the coils go bad? would a CEL (Check Engine Light) show if the coils did go bad?

 

i would imagine if the coils went bad, you'd maybe have mis-firings or something. idk. enginfineer is always going on about how the coil on plug design by toyota is like the greatest thing since sliced bread and how they are the best you can have, and should last the life of the car. but i don't know what he knows.

but you know, if could be like say leaving a plasma or projection tv on pause for a really long time, it would burn the image into the tv for good and ruin the picture.

 

thanks drax, makes sense. other cars were designed with not leaving the coils energized until the car started. looks like the tC is energized the entire time before starting.

I had turned the car to the on position to close the sunroof and windows. But with your line of thinking it's more like if a person continues to leave it in the on position over and over without starting the car, that is what would wear it down and eventually ruin the ignition coils. Not just once in awhile.

 

Maybe they are counting the battery as part of the ignition system. If you drain the battery you can cause whats called deep cycling. Then when you go to charge the battery again you would only have about half capacity. After deep cycling a battery it will never have its full potential.

 

yeah, who knows, it might just be toyota covering their butts and saying not to do it.

 

haha right. they just dont want to be held liable for dumb stuff.

 

i would be more willing to bet that they mean that the fuel pump would be running the whole time the key was on. causing possible premature failure of the pump

 

in the owners manual it says that the "ignition system could be damaged..." not the fuel system. but interesting point, then again the fuel pump only pressurizes when you turn to the on position, it's job is to create fuel pressure, even when not running and when running. but thanks for the ideas.

 

When you turn the key to the on position your fuel pump only turns on for a split second to build up pressure in the fuel lines and to put fuel to the injectors. The fuel pump will not stay running until the vehicle is actually started.