Do lights/lighter drain battery to death?

[zzzhuh]

I just happend to go to my car and discovered that I had left one of the the overhead lights on. (One of the pair attached to the compass/thermometer.)

If I had not discovered it would it have: turned off by itself? or: drained the battery until it is dead?






And another question:




There are two cigarette lighter type plugs:

One seems to turn off when the ignition is turned off, but the other seems to stay on even without the key.

If you plug something into the one that seems to stay on and leave it plugged in, will it: turn off by itself? or: drain the battery until it is dead?





Thanks.

[MX-5]

Both will drain the battery.

The OEM interior lighting is controlled by the body control module. It will turn them off after about 45 minutes to keep the battery safe.

[THier]

MX-5,
I notice mine turn off much quicker than that 15min or so, of course it may be different having the hatch open, rather than leaving them on. BUT either way, if you have a decent battery and they didn't turn off, over night shouldn't be too much af a problem in all but the coldest area. The lighter stays hot all the time, but I never unplug my radar detector, and don't have any problems. One of the signs of you battery comeing up to the end of its service life is not being able to support dome light aleast over night, or it could do what mine did and be completely dead just all of a sudden[xx(] Bad cell.
Tom

[quicksilverdon]

quote:Originally posted by MX-5

Both will drain the battery.

The OEM interior lighting is controlled by the body control module. It will turn them off after about 45 minutes to keep the battery safe.

That true for the "map lights" also? The ones you tap to turn on? I think that's the one's he talking about. The interior lights that come on when you open a door time out - map lights too?
As to sockets, depends what you plug in as to how much drain there will be. A radar detector doesn't draw much "juice".

[Gary04GT]

quote:Originally posted by quicksilverdon

...That true for the "map lights" also? The ones you tap to turn on? I think that's the one's he talking about...

The interior lights turn off automatically but the map lights (when turned on manually) from my experience DO NOT.

[MX-5]

quote:Originally posted by quicksilverdon

That true for the "map lights" also? The ones you tap to turn on?

That's what I was explaining. Maybe I wasn't clear.
The map lights are turned on manually (tap them with your finger). There's no way for the BCM to override a manual switch. The map lights will drain the battery.

[KingKole02]

I know if you leave the doors open for too long the lights will eventually shot off.

[zzzhuh]

Thanks for the replies. I wish the "map lights" did turn themselves off, but it sounds like they don't.

When turning on a light, 9 times out of ten, it'll be the "map light", and then when you open the door, they turn on again, so you can't easily tell if you remembered to turn them off, which kinda sets you up to not realize that they'll stay on.

I use the cigarette lighter for my cell phone, and wasn't really concerned that it would drain too much juice overnight, but, if it was left over a long period of time, it could have an adverse effect.




Thanks.

[MX-5]

Just keep your fingers away from the cieling.

Twist the dimmer on the stalk to the second notch, that will turn on all the interior lights.

[KingKole02]

I do what MX-5 recommends all the time.

Course with all the stuff in my PT I often can't find what I need and have to turn on all the lights anyways .