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Will leaving something plugged into my car’s cigarette lighter drain the battery?

I’m going to be away for a few days and I just realized I left my phone’s car charger plugged in—will leaving something plugged into my car’s cigarette lighter drain the battery in my car?

avatar
Andrew Biro · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
If your car automatically shuts off power to any accessory items when the ignition is off, leaving something plugged into the cigarette lighter will not drain the battery.
In the event your vehicle does not automatically shut off power to the cigarette lighter, leaving something plugged in could drain your battery, but it would have to be plugged in for a very long time.
Since it’s just a regular phone charger that you’ve left plugged in—without a phone connected to it—and you only plan on being gone for a few days, your battery should be fine.
Hopefully this eases your mind!
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