Is it okay if the car lights were left on overnight?
4 Answers
Leaving the car lights on overnight may cause the car battery to drain, making it difficult to start the car the next day, and the battery will need to be recharged. Here is some relevant information: 1. Types of car lights: The headlights of a car have the highest power consumption. Generally, halogen headlights have a power of around 60 watts, while xenon headlights are slightly lower, with most xenon headlights on the market consuming around 40 watts. LED lights have the lowest power consumption, with a set of bulbs consuming around 20 watts. 2. Precautions: When turning off the engine and exiting the car, check whether the light switch on the dashboard is turned on to avoid draining the battery.
A couple of days ago, I also forgot to turn off the headlights, and the next day the car wouldn't start at all. I had to call a friend to come jump-start it, but the battery was already severely drained. The mechanic said such deep discharge can damage the internal structure of the battery, and even if it gets charged this time, its lifespan might shorten from the original three to four years down to one or two. It's even worse in winter, as the battery is more likely to completely fail in low temperatures. Besides the battery issue, leaving the headlights on all night can also cause overheating—halogen bulbs can easily burn out their filaments, and while LED lights dissipate heat better, the lamp housing still gets quite hot. So now I make it a habit to check the dashboard before getting out of the car. Many new cars come with automatic headlight features these days, and for older cars, adding a reminder device is also an option.
Leaving car lights on all night is most harmful to the battery. Car batteries are designed for short-term high-current discharge to start the engine. Continuous low-current discharge can cause deep discharge, leading to sulfation of internal plates. This is similar to completely draining a phone battery before recharging, which permanently reduces capacity. Additionally, prolonged bulb operation can cause halogen lights to reach temperatures over 100°C, easily melting filaments; LED lights have fewer heat dissipation issues but still increase power consumption. If battery voltage drops below 10 volts, you might not even be able to lock the doors. If discovered, avoid repeatedly attempting to start the engine; instead, use a professional charger for a 12-hour slow charge at low current. Next time you park, consider turning on the reading light—the change in brightness when exiting can remind you to turn off the headlights.
This kind of situation is really troublesome. My colleague forgot to turn off the car lights last week, arrived two hours late for work the next day, and spent 300 yuan on emergency assistance. Deep discharge of the battery may directly render it useless, and replacing a new battery costs at least 400-500 yuan. If this happens frequently, the electrical system can also be damaged, with wiring harnesses aging faster and increasing the risk of short circuits. Although modern cars have low-voltage protection, the battery still gets damaged when it automatically cuts off power below 11 volts. The remedy is to jump-start the car as soon as possible and then drive continuously for at least half an hour to recharge the battery. Usually, you can stick a note on the steering wheel to remind yourself, or place the car keys and headlight switch together so you turn off the lights when taking the keys.
