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What happens if you leave car lights on?
Sometimes, after I shut off my car, I like sitting there a little longer with the lights still on. I don’t think it’s long enough to make a difference, but I’m not sure what happens when that is the case. What happens if you leave car lights on too long?
Melanie Mergen · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Sometimes it can be more convenient to turn on your car’s lights without running your engine. However, if you leave your car lights on too long, you could drain your battery after a certain amount of time. This could prevent you from starting your car the next time you try to do so.
How long you can leave your car lights on before your
battery
drains depends on your battery’s capacity and how much power your lights draw from it. A newer battery might be able to power vehicle lights for a little more than a day. Still, its capability will dwindle as it ages. If your car doesn’t start after you left your car lights on, you might need to use jumper cables and a second vehicle to jump start it. If the battery’s been completely drained and won’t hold a new charge, you might have to replace it.
Batteries generally need to be replaced every few years.
Does your current
car insurance
policy leave you feeling drained? The Jerry
app can help make searching for the right amount of coverage at the best rate easier than ever!Once you download Jerry, just answer a handful of questions that will take you roughly 45 seconds to complete and you’ll immediately get car insurance quotes for coverage similar to your current plan. Jerry customers save an average of 800+ a year.
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- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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