# Starting Car = Radio for 2 hours?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-car-radio-for-2-hours/211545>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 5, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-car-radio-for-2-hours/211545 "2003-11-05T13:34:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Hat\_s\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@The\_Hat\_s\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hat_s_Rabbit)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-car-radio-for-2-hours/211545/1 "2003-11-05T13:34:31Z")

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At the local drive in movie theater, there was a sign that said listening to your radio in accessories mode is equivalent to starting your car once. Is this really true?

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-car-radio-for-2-hours/211545/2 "2003-11-05T13:40:51Z")

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Depends on volume level.

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**Author:** ![labdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5fc32e/32.png) [@labdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labdude)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-car-radio-for-2-hours/211545/3 "2003-11-05T18:28:09Z")

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It’s a good guess, but it depends upon car engine size, battery size, condition of car engine, starter, battery, size of radio etc…

Two hours of radio time was the number I used back when I was a teenager and would go ‘parking.’ It only failed me once.