Locked cars drain battery less. True?

Only thing I can think of is that the alarm system is active with the doors locked and thus there will be a current draw, probably in the milli or micro watts (mW, uW) though.

Inside your own garage more then likely doesn't need to be locked, I don't know of anyone myself who locks their vehicles inside the garage. Outside of that I'd surmise that the insurance companies have a clause about locking it in public spaces vs not.

 

Given the propensity for Ferrari's to drain their batteries while they sit, I think the LAST thing you want to do is park it in your garage locked.

there's nothing more fun than trying to get into some of the newer ferraris with a dead battery. As I recall, my 360 did not have an external lock on the doors, and would only open with the key FOB.



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A lot of modern cars ecu's stay active when the vehicle is unlocked, drawing current. When locked, certain ecu's don't draw current, thus the drain is less when locked. You can easily check it yourself with a mulimeter on the battery to measure current draw.

 

That's the first to hear this.

 

My advice is to leave it unlocked and with the charger attached (if not driven daily). If the battery goes dead and it is locked it could be impossible to get into the car.

 

Depends on the car I would think.

However, if you are going to lock the car and leave it, find out beforehand how to get to the battery or jump terminals with the power off.

A big potential issue with my M3 is that the transmission will not shift into neutral (to maneuver the car) unless the car is fully powered and the transmission ECU is fault free or you want to start taking the transmission apart by the side of the road. Presumably F1 transmissions are similar.

 

Whether it had a lock or not, if the battery is dead on a 360, the window will not roll down to open the door, which would be a problem too...

 

nothing new here. However, locked or unlocked should not make a difference. The car should "sleep" after 20 minutes or so. If not, then there is an issue.

 

My 911 does go into sleep mode quicker when door is locked. After 10 days or so, the car remote stops working to save battery even more. In your own garage, if the car is driven at least once a week, you don't need to lock it. If it isn't driven much, I would get a tender. If you park it for weeks at a public lock, you'd lock it anyways and that would minimize battery draw.

It isn't an urban legend.

 

It is not a myth. I've had different makes and models towed in with this issue, especially when the battery has been run down low many times. The 1st question i ask is if the car is in the garage unlocked. Connect the multimeter and test for current draw. Re test when locked and watch the reading over a few days vs unlocked. Saab, when the battery voltage is below what the ecu thinks is acceptable, will disable the starter until voltage is restored, even though the voltage in the battery may be enough to start an older vehicle. Such are the perils of progress.

 

-depends on the vehicle
-aftermarket alarms and head units etc can play a factor

In general, you don't want to leave a key in the ignition or a keyless fob in or close to the car. The difference between locked and unlocked should almost be immeasurable in the grand scheme. Consistent battery tending and security would be the deciding factors for me.

 

My car is locked in the garage. And the battery tender is connected. Even with the tender connected, you can close the doors. I think this is the best way to park it.


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Not sure about when it's parked for long term but there could be a slight difference when first parked. I know on my Cayenne all the interior lights stay on for something like 30 seconds even after shutting the door. But they turn right off if I lock it.

 

Best reason not to.


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Run the cable out the top of the frunk. You can even place the quick disconnect just outside the frunk and keep it closed. The cable will compress around the weather stripping, but not enough to deform it. Been a while but that's my vague memory on these. We've had a few in the garage.