Will Trunk Light Drain Battery? (Solved)

Have you ever looked at the trunk light and admired how useful it is when you are packing or off-loading cargo in your trunk at night or in an area that’s not well-lit?

A while back, cars didn’t have trunk lights. You had to guess where your items were or use a flashlight. Despite being such a unique feature in modern vehicles, it can be the source of your battery troubles.

There are instances when you may not fully close the trunk, thus leaving the trunk light to stay on for hours or even the entire night. When you wake up in the morning, there is a huge chance that the battery may be completely drained.

Without a doubt, a trunk battery light can drain your battery. And it’s not the only culprit. If they are left on, any lights in your car will drain the battery after some hours.

Therefore, if you don’t close your trunk properly and the light is left on all night long, you may wake up to a dead battery.

What is the relationship between the Trunk and Trunk Light?

You may be wondering, why is it that when I leave the trunk open, my battery always dies. This is because of the relationship between the trunk and trunk light.

The latter is a feature that was recently introduced in the car industry. The purpose of this light is to illuminate the trunk area so that you can see what you are doing. Loading and off-loading certain cargo requires precision, more so if it’s fragile nature.

The trunk light is wired to turn on automatically when you open the trunk. It shuts off when the trunk is closed. Should you forget to close the boot or accidentally close it halfway, the trunk light is left on.

This mechanism isn’t smart enough to detect that the boot has been closed or the car owner intended to close the trunk. It will run till the trunk is closed.

As this happens, the light is powered by the battery. Assuming that the car is turned off, the battery isn’t being recharged, and that’s when it starts to drain.

If you realize the trunk is open and the light is on, you can prevent your battery from dying by closing the boot. Unfortunately, if you leave it that way for hours, the next time you enter your car, the battery will not crank the engine.

What Causes the Trunk Light to Drain the Battery?

There are many reasons why the trunk light drains a car battery. The most obvious one is that the battery powers the lights.

Therefore, if left on for long, the light will use up all the energy stored in your battery. This isn’t something that can happen in a couple of minutes or an hour, not unless you are driving around with a very old battery.

The amount of power that the trunk light consumes is relatively low. It would take several hours or even days for it to use up all the power stored in your battery.

How Fast Does the Trunk Light Drain Car Battery?

This depends on the following factors;

• Age of the Battery

If your car battery is in its dying stages, then the trunk light will drain it in a few hours or even minutes. Old batteries can’t hold charge or power.

As a result, if you leave the trunk open, the light will use up the little power in your battery. The battery will be completely dead in an hour or two and may not fire up the car.

On the other hand, a new battery can crank the engine smoothly even if the trunk lights are left running all night long.

If you have a new battery, leaving the trunk light on for a few hours shouldn’t drain your battery. If you wake up to a dead battery and it’s new, don’t blame the trunk lights. Look for other causes.

• Built-in Safety Features

Modern cars have several impressive features. They come with built-in safety mechanisms that switch off interior lights if they are left turned on for a long time.

If your car has these features, the next time you leave the trunk and trunk lights on, they will be switched off automatically. But if your vehicle doesn’t have these features, you are in for a huge shock in the morning.

Will a Battery Saver Circuit Be of Any Help?

One of the perks of having a battery-saving circuit is that in such situations, it will turn the trunk light off after a couple of minutes (30 to 45 minutes).

For cars with a properly functioning battery, this duration is too short for the light to drain the entire battery.

However, if the battery is in terrible condition, a battery-saver circuit won’t help. Because when it kicks in after 45 minutes, the trunk light will have drained the entire battery.

Will My Car Start Without Complications If I Leave the Trunk Lights On?

This also depends on the condition of your battery. Cars with good batteries should be able to start just fine even if the trunk light was on an entire night.

The amount of power consumed by this light isn’t very high. And if your battery is in good condition, it should have an adequate charge to start the next morning.

You are advised to replace an old battery when it starts to show signs of wear because of these issues.

If you are dealing with such a battery, there is a good chance that it won’t start the next morning if the trunk lights are left on. You will have to jump the battery.

After jumping the battery, you don’t have to worry since driving a car recharges it. As long as you don’t leave the trunk light on while off-loading cargo from the trunk.

Is It a Good Idea to Leave the Trunk Lights On?

It’s not a good idea to leave any lights in your car on when not using them. Lights are designed to be switched on and off.

The one in your trunk is to help you see the car boot as you load or offload goods. Once you are done using those lights, close the trunk, and they should immediately go off.

When you leave the trunk lights on, a couple of things can happen. One, you can drain your battery, which will leave you stranded if you don’t have a battery jumper.

Two, if the trunk lights are on, the trunk isn’t closed. This means that burglars can easily break into your car and steal valuable goods or even the vehicle itself. Leaving the trunk lights on is therefore unsafe, more so if you don’t park your car in a garage.

Should I Replace Trunk Lights with LEDs?

LED lights have many benefits, and that’s why car owners often use them instead of those that come with their vehicles. LEDs do not consume as much power as incandescent bulbs.

If you replace the trunk light with an LED, even if it’s left on for long, it shouldn’t drain the battery as fast as its counterparts do.

Also, with LEDs, you have more customization options. You can choose a color that enhances your mood. However, switching to LED lights doesn’t mean that you should leave your trunk open. Doing this lowers the safety features of the car.

Can I Permanently Remove the Trunk Lights?

Sure you can. All you have to do is open the housing and remove the bulb inside. It’s that simple. However, this is a very extreme measure. You shouldn’t get rid of the trunk light just because it’s draining your battery.

It makes more sense if you learn to be careful enough and ensure your trunk is closed. Alternatively, you can invest in a new battery that a trunk light wouldn’t easily drain.

If you are driving around with an old battery, the trunk light should be the least of your worries. An old battery can die on you at any time, leaving you stranded.

Secondly, you should always perform a quick inspection after exiting your vehicle or leaving it in the parking lot.

Check if the doors are closed, inspect the tires for flats, and if the body is in perfect condition. By doing this, it would be easy for you to realize the trunk light is on. You can immediately remedy that situation by closing it right away.

Why Isn’t My Trunk Closing?

After a while, the trunk locking mechanism can malfunction. This can cause it not to close in.

This can significantly affect your battery life since if the truck isn’t closing, then the trunk light will never go off, and your battery will always be draining. Let’s not even get started with the level of risk involved.

If your trunk isn’t closing as it should check if debris is blocking the locking mechanism. This is the most common cause.

In cars that have gone for more than several thousand miles, the trunk locking mechanism might have worn out because of extensive use. You should have that replaced right away.