One of the main reasons why people have reservations with installing GPS trackers in their vehicle is because of the adverse effect it might have on the battery life of the car. So you always hear them ask: “does car GPS drain battery?” Well, I guess we are about to find out.
Contrary to popular opinion, a car GPS tracker does not drain your car battery. In fact, if your car battery is draining fast, it is less likely that it is the car tracker causing it. The GPS tracker should be the least of your worries. This is because, these GPS trackers have their own built-in battery that they switch to when the car is powered off.
And even if the tracker does not have its own battery, and it depends only on the car battery for power supply, the GPS tracker enters a “power saving mode”, where the drawl on the car battery is minimal when the car is turned off.
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More On Car Gps Tracker Battery and Car Battery
You would have noticed by now that emphasis has been placed on when the car engine is turned off. This is because when the car engine is running, the alternator of the engine charges the battery, so there’s no depleting effect on the battery.
For your car battery to remain intact even when a car GPS is connected to it, the key here is to get a GPS tracker with excellent battery life. Find below is a list of GPS trackers that have good battery life so they can have lesser impact on your car battery when the engine is powered off.
Examples of Car GPS With Good Battery Life
In previous paragraphs, we have already established the fact that the car GPS needs to have extended battery life so as to have little or no power drawl on the car battery. Examples of car GPS with good battery life are given below:
TT-U 730 by CalAmp
This excellent car GPS tracker is sturdy looking and looks like a battle tank. You won’t believe it, but this car tracker has a battery with a five-year plus live span. It works well on 3G and 4G network. It has threaded holes where you can mount them on flat surfaces of the vehicle.
The manufacturers have quite a reputation in the car tracking industry with over 30 years of production. If you get this car tracking GPS device, the health of your car battery would be the least of your worries about the foreseeable future.
Portable Mini GPS Tracker 1000mAH
Emphasis here is on the word “portable”. However, the job it carries out on a huge vehicle is anything but portable. It’s super small you would have to ask where the battery compartment is. The battery lasts for a meager thirty days.
But even at that, you do not have to worry about your car battery because it draws little or nothing when the engine is powered off. What the Portable Mini GPS Tracker 1000mAH lacks in battery size, it makes up for in its waterproof nature. So even if you keep this tracker inside the wheels of your vehicle, on rainy days, you have no qualms at all.
GL500 by Queclink
This is about the best bargain you will get out there. It can even function properly on 2G network. So communication and feedback won’t be an issue even if you are stranded in very remote areas.
Like the TT-U 730 by CalAmp, it has a battery lifespan of about five years and like the Portable Mini GPS Tracker 1000mAH, it is also waterproof. The features of this car GPS tracker is massive for the value you are getting it for.
The GL500 by Queclink has a tamper sensor to know if the system has been rigged or compromised, it has an accelerometer and a built-in temperature sensor.
Best believe it also has Bluetooth. What more can you possibly want from a car GPS tracker. It also can be screwed in or attached magnetically to the vehicle.
This “too good to be true” car tracker comes from the stables of Queclink Wireless Solutions. They are one of the best you can find with lots of years of experience. The GL500 by Queclink, because of its versatility, is good recommendation for transport companies and family use.
GL300 by Queclink
The GL300 by Queclink is the younger brother of the GL500 by Queclink (so to speak). The battery life might not be as powerful as the GL500 by Queclink, but it can last up to a month after full charge. In size, it’s about half its predecessor which makes it effective, yet portable.
One of the most important features of the GL300 by Queclink is that is has a panic button. That means it should be mounted around where you your hands can easily reach it in case of an emergency. For people who want the GL500 by Queclink but are on a lean budget, this car GPS tracker is definitely for you.
JM-LL01 by Concox
The power rating of the battery of this car tracker is a whopping 10,000mAH. That’s some 3 years of battery life. The JM-LL01 by Concox can track and locate any asset.
And like the GL500 by Queclink, it is also tamper proof, so you get an instant notification if the car has been hot-wired or the entire system has been compromised. This device is attached magnetically, so it has to be mounted in the part of the car with metallic body.
Examples of Batteries Used for GPS Car Trackers
There are lots of batteries used for GPS car trackers. We will therefore narrow out search to the three that are most in use.
- § Duracell. This is a non-rechargeable alkaline battery with a power rating of about 1600mAH. It is readily available in the market and can be replaced easily.
- § Energizer. The electrolyte cell is basically made up of lithium ions. It has a power rating of 2500mAH. If this is the type you use, it can be gotten from any store close to you when it burns out. However, you cannot charge this battery.
- § Lenmar. Unlike Energizer and Duracell, this battery is rechargeable. With a power rating of about 1500mAH, it draws minimal power from the car battery when the engine is running.
Other Factors That Affect the Battery Life of a Car
Now, you might begin to wonder. If my car GPS tracker is not responsible for draining my battery, what then is?
Leaving your lamps on
Make sure that when you turn off your engine, all the lights in your car are of. This might require that you make a physical inspection of your car. If the lights are on, especially the headlamp, it could draw so much energy from your battery that there won’t be any left to use to crank the engine.
Battery terminals are corroded
Periodically, do check the negative and positive connections of your battery terminals. Make sure that they are not loosely fit, or corrosion has not taken effect on the terminals. This particular problem can even damage some electronic components of the car. So it should be avoided at all costs.
Failed alternator
Without getting too technical, when the engine is running, an alternator converts the mechanical energy of the engine to electrical energy which in turns power the light, fan, air conditioner, radio and all other electrical/electronic component of the vehicle, as well as recharge the car battery. So, if your battery is easily drained and not being replenished, you might want to check the alternator.
Your battery is old
Now there is no way to sugar-coat this one. If your battery is old, it will have difficulty charging and it will be easily depleted. Just buy a new one already.
Conclusion
So now you have it. You can go ahead and install that car GPS tracker you always wanted. It won’t drain your battery at all. Upon installation, if you notice your battery is being drained, you might want to check some other factors listed here that could have caused it.
