Will a Brake Controller Draw Enough Power When Not in Use To Drain a Car Battery
Published 12/01/2009
Question:
Hello! If I connect the brake controller directly to the battery, is there no risk to drain the battery? What is the stand-by current consumption?
asked by: Magnus F
Expert Reply:
The brake controllers available now either are only on when they are activated, or a have a timed shut-off or idle state after a certain time period. Some of the older brake controllers never shut-off, but they did not drain battery power as the only component that would be on is a low amperage LED indicating that the controller has power or whether or not it was connected to a trailer.
As long as you have a healthy battery, you should not have a problem. Since your car is only 2 maybe 3 years old, your battery should be fine. It you were to use a brake controller like a Tekonsha P2, part # 90885, you can disconnect the wiring at the back of the brake controller to make sure that none of the battery charge is consumed by the brake controller while off.
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