Recently, an article was published where a reader shared his story about his tracking unit damaging his car. While it is possible for a tracking unit to drain a battery, this is not something drivers should be concerned about if they follow the correct steps.
The Managing Director of an electronics company, Itumeleng Matshego, says there is a fallacy that the product is most often the reason for the drainage of a vehicle battery life. “There are very limited instances where this can happen. Provided you choose a reputable tracking company and perform the necessary maintenance on your unit, a tracking device should not drain a car’s battery.
“A tracking unit only uses one mA or less during the course of a day. The units engage ultra-low power mode for most of the day. It is only in specific circumstances that a tracking unit will draw more current such as during the perceived illicit movement of a vehicle or when transmitting signals during a stolen vehicle recovery situation.”
The design of a high-quality tracking unit prevents it from drawing too much power. “All tracking units have microprocessors and algorithms built into the units. These enable it to control their power use and charge theirown backup battery.
“When the vehicle alternator charges the vehicle’s battery while driving, the unit’s automation allows it to become more active and, thus, use more power. It goes back into low-power mode as soon as the vehicle is switched off.”
So, if it’s not the tracker, what could it be? “Bear in mind that all batteries degrade overtime and eventually reach the end of their service life. This makes it less likely to keep its charge so, while everything else functions normally, the unit’s battery might not have enough charge to enable the vehicle to start