Can Glove Box Light Drain Battery? Though often overlooked, the glove box compartment is an ideal storage space. It is big enough to hold averagely sized items. It is strategically located in the car’s dashboard.
And it comes fitted with a light that can improve your visibility when looking through your belongings at night. Older car models didn’t have a light in the glove box, but most recent ones do.
The glove box light illuminates the storage area. And we can all agree that we would have a difficult time if it weren’t there. However, this light can cause many problems if it begins malfunctioning.
The light in your glove box is designed to switch off automatically when you close it and vice versa. When the light stops going off when the glove box is closed, this can drain your battery.
Experts argue that the amount of power consumed by that light is too little for it to drain a battery.
But if you are driving around with an old battery, if the glove box light is left on all night long, there is a good chance that your battery will be dead by morning.
Also, it is not advisable to gamble with your battery life because a small issue such as a malfunctioning glove box light can cause a lot of distress.
Can Glove Box Light Drain Battery?
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How Can a Glove Box Light Drain Battery?
After a while, the glove box light may stop functioning properly. That is, it can either stop working altogether or, it can remain on even when the glove box is closed.
To determine whether your glove box is misbehaving, examine how it behaves when you open and close it. If the bulb doesn’t automatically switch off, it could be the culprit as to why you are always waking up to a dead battery.
If the light is still on and the glove box is closed, you should be able to see the light coming from the edges of the glove box.
Leaving lights on when the car engine is switched off is inadvisable. This is the biggest cause of drained car batteries. Almost every car owner has experienced this. You accidentally leave the lights on and wake up to a dead car battery.
Back to how a glove box can drain a car battery, what happens is, when the light is left turned on, it keeps on consuming power.
Depending on how strong your battery is, it can draw all the energy from the battery, leaving it dead with time.
On a good battery, this can take a couple of days or even weeks. But if your battery is on the verge of death, you won’t be able to crank the engine by morning.
What Causes a Glove Box Light to Misbehave?
There are two main causes; the switch and the fuse. Glove box lights are controlled by a switch that is strategically placed inside the glove box compartment.
This switch turns on when the glove box is opened and off when closed. This is why every time you open this storage area, the light turns on automatically.
After a while, this switch becomes faulty. That is when the bulb either goes off completely, or it never turns off. If the switch is the source of your woes, you just have to replace it.
In case it’s a blown fuse, you will have to change it as well. Fuses located in the fuse box are responsible for a wide range of electrical functions.
When a fuse gets damaged, that electrical component can stop working, or it can begin misbehaving.
If the fuse responsible for the glove box light is misbehaving and causing it to stay on for abnormally long hours, you will have to replace it.
Refer to your manual on where the glove box light switch is located. At your dealer, you should be able to get a replacement.
How Do I Prevent Glove Box Light from Draining My Battery?
There are a couple of things you can do.
- Remove the bulb
This is the quickest fix if your glove box light is draining your battery.
Understandably, this bulb plays a key role in enhancing visibility in your glove box. But if it’s causing your battery to die, the ideal solution is to remove it. This will offer you temporary relief from this problem.
- The second method is to fix the faulty switch
Assuming that your switch was the cause of the glove box light staying on, replacing it should solve this problem. To replace the switch, you will have to buy a replacement, open the glove compartment, and replace it.
Considering that your mechanic is more experienced with such, they can perform this procedure in minutes.
- The final option is to replace a blown fuse
As mentioned earlier, these fuses also contribute to the malfunctioning of the glove box light. If the fuse is why your glove box light doesn’t go off, it will need replacement, or you will struggle with a dead battery forever.
How Long Will It Take for Glove Box Light to Drain the Battery?
Depending on the condition of your battery, this could be anywhere from a day to weeks. Batteries that are in completely great shape won’t die because the glove box light is left on. This light draws very little power.
However, that doesn’t mean it won’t drain a dying battery faster. You need to be always aware of the current condition of your battery so that in case such issues as this one arises, you know what to and not to do.
Anyway, you can rest assured that leaving the glove box light on for an hour or a couple of them will not drain your battery.
Is the Glove Box Light the Only Culprit?
There are tons of culprits when it comes to the list of things that can drain a car battery. Therefore the glove box light shouldn’t be the only issue you should look out for.
When finding out the cause of a dead battery, you must rule out everything. If you have already noticed that the glove box light doesn’t go off, that is excellent. Check out the following as well;
- If you left the headlights or cabin lights on as well. These two lights consume a lot of power, and if left on for several hours, they will completely drain your battery.
- Corroded or loose connections at the battery terminal can also prevent your battery from being properly charged when the car is on. Always clean the battery terminals and ensure the connections are secured.
- A faulty alternator can also affect how your battery gets charged.
- Extremely cold or hot temperatures can weaken battery performance and cause it to die faster.
If you have realized that your battery is draining faster than usual, check out the above factors. It’s not only the glove box light that can drain your battery.
And you need to find the underlying cause as this is the only way to get a permanent solution to your problems.
Can Glove Box Light Cause Parasitic Battery Drain?
Yes, this is one of the things that can cause a parasitic battery drain. If your glove box light never goes off, and unfortunately, you never find out about this.
Every time you switch your car off, the battery will be drained. If your battery is old, this parasitic draw can suck up all the juice from your battery and make it impossible for you to crank the engine.
Why Won’t My Glove Box Light Go Off?
Earlier, we have already explained why this happens. There are two main causes; a faulty switch or a blown fuse. These are all very easy to replace and fix.
Therefore, if your battery is being drained by a glove box light that won’t go off, you need not suffer any longer.
Other than the glove box light, even other interior lights can also have the same problem. If any light in your car isn’t going off, check the status of the switch and fuse. You should be able to resolve these issues.
Depending on the model of your car, reaching the switch and the housing of the glove box light can be quite tricky.
Some manufacturers hide the switch behind the dash and not in the glove box itself. If this is the case, you will have to open the entire thing.
Your manual can help you identify where the glove box light housing is located. If you aren’t used to engaging in such, we advise you to take your car to a mechanic.
They will have the tools and knowledge needed to fix a glove box light that never turns off.
How is the Glove Box Light Switch Failure Related to Battery Drain?
If the switch is faulty, the glove box light will never go off. If you switch the engine off, the battery is in discharge mode.
The longer that light stays on, the more power will be drained. Should you leave your car in this state for days, it will completely drain the battery.
Can I Change the Glove Box Light?
Sure you can. A lot of people do not like the dim lights that come from the manufacturer. And you can switch to a fancier and brighter LED glove light.
Source: Cherish Your Car