Battery drainage prevention (door left open) -- heads up

[plain OM]

Not sure of the other years, but MY 05 -09 has a "feature" that will turn off the interior lights if a door is left open for more than 10 minutes. I found out (the hard way) it's not as reliable as it seems.

My 07 Owners Manual, on page 2-6, says:

"Battery drainage prevention function

"When a door or the rear gate (Station wagon) is not completely closed and the dome light, ignition switch light, and door open warning light remain illuminated as a result, the lights are automatically turned off by the battery drainage prevention function after 10 minutes of illumination to prevent the battery from going dead."

Well, it didn't work quite that way for me.

Yesterday (Sunday), after the car had been parked in my garage for a couple of days, the battery was dead. I found that the rear gate was only partially latched (I had unloaded groceries on Friday and probably didn't ensure the gate was completely closed). The garage has windows and is naturally lit during the day, so any interior light operation wasn't apparent when I was in the garage later in the day.

After slowly recharging the battery (and I hope it survives the deep discharge although I appreciate it might have lost some longevity), I did some tests of the battery saver feature. I found:

• If the driver's door is left open ("open" also includes not fully latched), so that the cabin ceiling light, key ring, and door open warning light are on, they all go off after 10 minutes. However, the lower light on the door (lower rear corner) does not go off!
  
  
• If a passenger door is left open, so that the cabin ceiling light and door open warning light are on, they all go off after 10 minutes. (The key ring lights only if the driver door is opened.) But if it's a front passenger door, again, the lower light on the door remains on!
  
  
• If the rear gate is left open, the cabin ceiling light and door open warning light will go off after 10 minutes, but the rear cargo area light remains on!

When I first read this part of the manual I thought it was a great idea. Not that I thought about intentionally leaving doors open, but "just in case, as a back-up". Well, it's not all that it appears to be.

[Zibercat]

It happend to me a couple of times. The first time my next door neighbor was already up, (5:55am) taking the dog for a walk; she helped me jump start my car. The second time nobody was home (roomates/neighbors) so I had to walk all the way to auto parts store to get a battery charger. The third and last time I left the map light on all night and drained my battery. So I replaced all the interior lights (the ones that came on without inserting the key) with leds. To test them I left the map light on all night, next morning my car started without problem......... Better safe than sorry.

[EdEz]

Hey Zibercat, I just bought a used 2000 Outback and have had to jump it twice already and i still don't know what is draining it overnight. Could you please tell me where all of these bulbs are in the car (I've sat in the car and can't see alight on after turning off the key) and maybe what bulbs to ask for at the auto store to get right LEDs? Thanks in advance, hope you check this thread!

[xvimbi]

Originally Posted by EdEz

Hey Zibercat, I just bought a used 2000 Outback and have had to jump it twice already and i still don't know what is draining it overnight. Could you please tell me where all of these bulbs are in the car (I've sat in the car and can't see alight on after turning off the key) and maybe what bulbs to ask for at the auto store to get right LEDs? Thanks in advance, hope you check this thread!

Silly question perhaps, but have you checked the health of the battery (and maybe even the alternator)?

[BoarderM]

There's a little unit called PriorityStart that shuts the power off if the voltage falls below a certain level. At that level, there is still enough juice to start the car again. PriorityStart - Stop Dead Batteries on Cars & Boats [Priority Start! Battery Protector]

[EdEz]

Originally Posted by xvimbi

Silly question perhaps, but have you checked the health of the battery (and maybe even the alternator)?

1 new battery and 1 different used so far. 14 volts show at battery while car running after jump. Car left sitting after dealer drove it back. Battery dead next morning. Has been bitter cold (Nebraska).

[Euchre]

Bitter cold in Nebraska?
Battery may be frozen solid. Don't work too well that way.

[plain OM]

I've sat in the car and can't see alight on after turning off the key)

If all the interior lights are off, then changing to a lower wattage bulb, such as an LED, won't correct a battery drain down problem. In the cases above, the problem was that a light was left on, and would have been visible if the car had been checked.

In your case, if there's no lights on inside, then that's not the problem.

Check that there's no lights on outside -- especially the parking lights. The special parking light switch on top of the steering column is often inadvertently switched on.

Beyond that, have the battery charged up using a charger, then connect it to the car. A fully charged battery should measure around 12.7 V. Wait for a while and check the voltage. If it has dropped significantly, you will have to troubleshoot the wiring and equipment (that is, if there's no lights on). Perhaps post your problem in a new thread and others might be able to help.

[rldoutback]

Have a 2012 Outback. I plan on sleeping in back on camping trips, with hatch open, so decided to test this. After 10 minutes plus, I found the dashboard hatchback ajar indicator did indeed go off. All my interior light switches (doors and hatch) were set to off.

[subiesailor]

Originally Posted by rldoutback

Have a 2012 Outback. I plan on sleeping in back on camping trips, with hatch open, so decided to test this. After 10 minutes plus, I found the dashboard hatchback ajar indicator did indeed go off. All my interior light switches (doors and hatch) were set to off.

What year?