One of the parts of a car that car owners hardly ever notice are the windshield wipers. That’s because they only do one job and that there aren’t a lot of things you need to do to maintain your wipers. In fact, they are often so unnoticed that some car owners may end up leaving the windshield wipers on whenever they turn off the car. But can leaving windshield wipers on drain your battery?
Laving your windshield wipers on will not drain your car’s battery because they won’t be moving at all when your car is turned off. However, we cannot say the same when your car is turned on even when the engines are off because the windshield wipers should be moving in such a situation.
Normally, windshield wipers aren’t going to end up draining your battery if you leave them on. It’s going to be a different story, however, if they happen to be moving. In any case, there are other things you should be worry about aside from your windshield wipers when it comes to draining your car’s battery.
Can leaving windshield wipers on drain battery?
When you own a car, there are plenty of different things you need to be wary of especially when it comes to when they are turned on or off. That’s because anything you leave on can easily drain your car’s battery to leave you stuck where you are because you can’t even start your car. In that sense, it is highly important for you to always keep an eye on the different peripherals and accessories on your car.
While experienced car owners are quite aware of what they need to turn off before they turn their cars off, the most unnoticed peripherals tend to be the windshield wipers. What that means is that it is quite common for people to hardly notice that the windshield wipers actually exist unless it is raining or snowing.
In that regard, it is quite easy to forget that you turned on your windshield wipers when it was raining or snowing. And if you forgot that you turned your windshield wipers on, you will most likely forget to turn it off. Even the most experienced car owners often forget to turn their windshield wipers off especially if they live in an area where rain or snow are considered to be rare.
So, what will happen if you leave your windshield wipers off? Will it drain your battery when you leave it on for extended periods of time?
Well, the one thing you need to know is that, when your car is turned off, your windshield wipers will no longer move as well. That means that, when they are not moving, they will not end up using your car’s battery unlike when you leave the lights off even when the car is off. As such, your car’s battery will not be drained if you leave your windshield wipers on when your car is off.
Meanwhile, it would become a different story if you left your windshield wipers on while your car is on. If your car is on and you leave the windshield wipers on while you are away from your car or while you are waiting for someone while you are in your car for an extended period of time, there is a good chance that your wipers will end up draining your car’s battery.
The key here is when the windshield wipers are moving because, if they are not moving, the wipers won’t end up draining your battery even when they are turned on. However, when they are moving, logic would tell you that they will end up draining your car’s battery regardless of whatever the situation may be.
However, just to be sure, you should turn off all of the accessories of your car because there might still be a chance that they would end up draining your battery. Never forget to turn your accessories, including the windshield wipers off, before you leave your car.
What can drain your battery?
So, now that you know that the windshield wipers are not going to end up draining your battery when your car is turned off, what will end up draining your battery? Here are some of the main culprits:
- Headlights
Your headlights are the main culprits when it comes to draining your car’s battery as they are the most common reasons why some cars end up discharging especially when the owners leave them for an extended period of time. Even the most experienced car owners often leave their car batteries on. That’s why you have to develop a habit of turning your headlights off before you leave your car because it is quite common for a lot of different car owners to leave their headlights on.
- Extreme temperatures
Extreme temperatures such as when you are under an extremely hot summer sun or an extremely cold winter night can easily drain your battery because of how the temperature can affect the chemicals inside the battery. That’s why, whenever it’s summer or winter, it would be a wise choice to keep your car shaded to keep it from extreme temperatures.
- Car door left open
When you leave your car door open, there is a good chance that the lights turned on when a car door is left open will end up draining your battery. Never ever leave a car door open if you want your car battery to stay in top shape. Always check when the cabin lights are on or off so that you can assess if all of the doors have been closed properly.
Sources:
https://drivinglife.net/windshield-drain-battery/
https://blog.firestonecompleteautocare.com/batteries/things-that-drain-car-battery/
