Do you wonder if putting your car in valet mode will drain its battery? Well, don't worry. We did comprehensive research to answer your question.
Leaving your car in valet mode for a long time can drain the battery. A car's valet mode disables all the features, leaving only the lock, unlock, alarm, remote start, and trunk release features active. Power from the battery allows the car to maintain such features during valet mode.
Continue reading to discover how the valet mode and other car components consume a battery's energy. Additionally, we'll share other reasons your car battery might be draining.
Will Valet Mode Drain My Battery?
Valet mode is often activated when you leave your car. But it retains the security features, so you don't have to worry when you lend your car to someone or when you're away.
However, the car needs a source of energy to allow the valet mode to continue until you deactivate it. For the period you leave the car in valet mode, it slowly consumes or drains the battery.
When To Use Valet Mode
Understanding when you should put your car in valet mode is essential. So, consider the following situations.
Test Driving
Some car manufacturers allow test driving, where the customer drives the car before buying it. Here, a car in valet mode minimizes access to the advanced features depending on the model.
Valet Parking
When you park in a particular place, that's just regular parking. Valet parking pertains to the service, especially in establishments where the site owner asks you to put your car into valet mode and allow a staff member to park it in their area.
Activating the valet mode ensures the parking staff cannot access features other than parking the car.
How To Activate Valet Mode
The steps for activating the valet mode will differ depending on the model of the car. It's a good idea to read your owner's manual for the exact steps. Below are the steps for activating the valet mode of some modern vehicles:
- Go to the dashboard and find the settings on the screen.
- Under the settings, click VALET or VALET MODE, depending on what shows on the screen.
- Enter your desired password. Take note of the password; you'll need this to deactivate the valet mode.
- Re-enter the code to confirm the lock.
- The car should now be in valet mode. Type the password to undo the valet mode.
You can watch this video for a demonstration.
What To Do When You Forget Your Valet Mode Password
If you forget the password for your valet mode, below are some ways to fix it:
Password Recovery Option
Most modern cars have a password recovery option, allowing you to recover and reset the password. You have to find such an option in the settings.
The system will ask you to provide some unique information to verify that you are trying to recover the password. The credentials might vary from your email, contact number, and other sensitive information to prove your identity.
However, someone who knows your personal information might access the system to unlock the valet mode. You should not use obvious passwords as part of security measures. Still, it depends on the security level of your car.
Call The Manufacturer
Of course, you can call the manufacturer to fix this issue. They can help you recover your password or restart the system to unlock the valet mode.
Reasons Why A Car Battery Drains
If you're concerned about the car's battery, you'll want to assess it further. There might be other issues causing the battery to drain. Refer to the reasons below:
Loose Battery Connection
Batteries are connected to the engine via cables. A loose connection can result in a waste of battery power. You should check the battery connections to ensure that the negative and positive terminals are tightened in their respective positions.
Faulty Alternator
An alternator is a component that functions by converting chemicals into electrical energy, causing the electrical features, such as headlights, to power up while the engine is running.
A faulty alternator can impact the battery life once it loses control over energy conversion and transmission.
Parasitic Drain
A parasitic drain means the battery still distributes energy to keep components such as the clock, lights, and computer system active.
For instance, turning off your car without checking if other features are still turned on causes a parasitic drain. You can prevent this from happening by manually turning off such components.
Click here to see this car battery on Amazon.
Can You Store A Spare Battery In A Car?
Although bringing a battery with you is practical, it's safer to store the car's battery at home. You'll want to check the battery first, even before driving, especially when driving long distances. Doing so will prevent you from running out of battery power.
The temperature inside the car tends to get high due to hours of driving. It might damage the battery. When you keep the battery in the garage or at home, you can control the room temperature.
However, you can choose a safe place to store the battery inside the car. Avoid contamination and keep liquid elements and food from the spare battery.
Also, ensure that the battery will be stable in place to prevent unnecessary movements while you drive.
How To Replace A Battery
Your car accepts only a particular type of battery, depending on the model. It may not work correctly if the wrong type of battery is installed.
You can ask the manufacturer for a recommended battery replacement to avoid incompatibility. However, if you think your car needs battery replacement, follow these steps:
- Find a safe place to park and make sure it's not raining. Wear protective gloves.
- Turn the car off, open the hood, and locate the battery.
- Using a wrench, loosen up the negative terminal first and secure the cable with a tie.
- Repeat the previous step for the positive terminal.
- Pull the battery out.
- Using an old cloth or rag, clean the terminals to eliminate corrosion.
- Insert the battery replacement into the bracket.
- Apply some grease to the terminals to resist corrosion.
- Get the wrench and connect the positive terminal first, then the negative one.
- Turn the car on.
Ways To Prolong Battery Life
If you're worried about the car's battery life, here are some ways to prolong it.
Clean The Battery
Use a soft brush to clean the battery so dust doesn't accumulate. Dirt can damage the battery. Also, clean the elements near the battery, including the cable wires, bolts, and other similar parts.
See this car battery cleaning kit on Amazon.
Drive The Car
Avoid keeping your car unused for an extended period. It's smart to let a car rest after a long drive, but you should use the vehicle frequently. So make a schedule for intervals between driving and resting.
On the other hand, do not overuse the car, as it can damage the internal components like the engine. Overusing a car can cause its temperature to rise, exhausting the motor.
Minimize The Use Of Electronic Systems
Most modern cars have advanced features for entertainment. But if you want to save your battery, it's not good to watch your favorite show in the car with the engine turned off. You can harm the vehicle, as it uses energy to power the electronic system.
Can Valet Mode Damage The Engine?
Changing modes has an impact on a car's transmission in the long run. That's why slowing down or stopping the car allows the engine to process energy transfer.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned the basics of valet mode and its potential impact on a vehicle's battery. We also discussed related topics such how to prolong battery life and when to use valet mode.
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