Many motorists are under the impression that safety systems connected to their car’s battery will eventually drain it, though this is not the case.
This includes both dashcams and GPS trackers, which are quite common among South African drivers who hope to protect their vehicles from theft or hijacking.
According to Tracker, the misconception is long-standing, and while it may have been true 25 years ago, the belief took hold that if a car wouldn’t start, the tracker was to blame.
The company explains that it became easier for motorists to blame the tracking device than to uncover the real cause of the problem.
Today, cars have more electronics than ever before, making power management more crucial than ever, as there is even less battery capacity for aftermarket security devices.
Tracker notes that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) allow up to 50 milliamperes (mA) usage over 24 hours for all aftermarket fitments, as any more would drain a car’s battery within a few days.
A tracking device should use 2 mA or less in 24 hours when the vehicle is switched off, which is less than a small LED light left on for an entire day.
According to Tracker COO Duma Ngcobo, the company’s units use less than half of that by entering a low-power mode for most of the day.
“The units will only draw more current under certain circumstances, for instance, when detecting unauthorised vehicle movement or when transmitting during stolen vehicle recovery,” he says.
“With a drain of only one mA or less during a 24-hour period, a car battery would last for months, perhaps even years, depending on its size.”
Cartrack notes that dashcams won’t drain a car’s battery either, provided they are high-quality and installed properly.
While a dashcam uses battery power in park mode, or when the vehicle is off, it shouldn’t drain the battery to the extent that the car won’t start after a while.
The real causes behind a dead battery
Security devices like dashcams and trackers will only drain a car’s battery if they are old, cheap, or improperly installed.
“Older dashcams used to drain car batteries because they were typically plugged into the cigarette lighter point of the car,” explains Cartrack.
“They weren’t designed to manage their power supply as well as they do today, and some of these dashcams are still being sold in shops today. Avoid those no-name brand dashcams and opt for a good one.”
Tracker adds that this is the same for a modern tracking unit, as these would only drain a healthy car battery if the tracker is faulty or installed incorrectly.
The company urges drivers to bear in mind that all batteries degrade over time and will eventually reach the end of their service life, and older batteries are less likely to keep their charge.
This could lead to a situation where the car’s radio and lights still function normally, but the battery does not have enough charge to turn the starter motor.
Tracker notes that modern vehicles also have many bits of electronics, many of which are always on, even when the car is switched off, including the clock and the internal memory of engine computers.
Reputable security companies that specialise in installing devices like dashcams and GPS trackers ensure their technicians are well-trained and install devices without damage or interference with electronic circuits.
According to Ngcobo, it is incredibly unlikely that something like a tracking unit would cause a battery to drain, unless, of course, it is faulty or incorrectly installed.
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