[Answered] Does Cruise Control Drain Battery?

You may have noticed that the battery of your car is draining fast while using the cruise control. You may think whether cruise control is the culprit for this issue or not.

Well, it doesn’t matter if you are driving an electric, diesel, or petrol car, cruise control is supposed to save the fuel of your car. It is because the cruise control keeps the driving speed corelative with the maximum fuel efficiency.

However, cruise control can drain the battery if you’re driving on uphill roads. Let’s see whether the cruise control drains the battery or not below.

Things to Know About Cruise Control

Before we move to the point, you need to know some facts about cruise control. You can find this feature in lots of modern cars. This feature allows drivers to get a constant speed without adjusting the throttle manually.

You may already know that; you can save fuel if you can drive at a correlated speed. The cruise control feature does the same exactly. It saves fuel by keeping the vehicle speed constant according to the gear.

So, it is basically related to the fuel, not the battery. However, keeping a constant speed may sometimes need more energy than usual. So, can the cruise control drain battery for this reason? Let’s learn below.

Does Cruise Control Drain Battery Quickly?

So, the short answer is NO, it doesn’t. In fact, using cruise control can actually help both – to conserve fuel and save battery power.

This is because the cruise control system is designed to maintain a constant speed of a vehicle which helps to reduce the need for frequent acceleration and deceleration. As a result, it reduces the amount of fuel and power consumed by the engine.

So, cruise control doesn’t drain the battery; In fact, it prevents the battery from draining quickly. However, there can be some scenarios when cruise control can drain the battery. Let’s discuss this below.

So, When Does Cruise Control Drain Battery?

Here are the situations when cruise control can drain the battery:

1. If the battery is too old to supply enough power to the electrical system of the vehicle.
2. If the alternator of the vehicle is faulty or not functioning properly.
3. If you are driving on hilly or mountainous terrain like an uphill road.
4. If you are driving on a road with heavy traffic where you have to stop and go frequently.

Basically, your battery will drain quickly in these situations no matter whether you’re using cruise control or not. But as cruise control uses more engine power to keep the vehicle’s speed stable, it may use more engine power and as a result, it can drain the battery quickly.

Bonus Tip: How to Minimize Battery Drain While Using Cruise Control?

If the battery of your car is draining rapidly while using the cruise control, you can follow the steps below to minimize this issue:

• Step 1: Check the alternator of your car and ensure it is in good condition.
• Step 2: Make sure the battery is fully recharged before going on a long drive.
• Step 3: To minimize battery drainage quickly, avoid driving on hilly or mountainous terrain.

Frequently Asked Questions And Answers

What Can Drain a Car Battery When The Car Is Off?

The battery provides power to many components of a car including the clock, radio, and alarm system even if the car is off. These components can drain the battery during the car is off. Again, interior lights, door lights, and faulty relays can also drain the car battery while the car is off and the lights are turned on.

Should I Have Cruise Control on Or Off?

You can enable cruise control while driving on a long road with low traffic. It will save the fuel and energy of the engine of your car. But if you’re driving on a heavy traffic road, then it is recommended to keep cruise control disabled during those situations.

Does Cruise Control Use More Energy?

Cruise control saves energy most of the time. It only uses more energy while driving on an uphill road or a heavy traffic road. It is because the cruise control allows the engine to keep the speed stable on an uphill road which consumes more energy. And as the car needs to stop frequently it needs more engine power to make the speed stable for the cruise control. Thus, it can use more energy.

Conclusion

The cruise control does not directly affect the battery of a car, but there are circumstances where it could indirectly drain the battery. But basically, the system reduces battery and fuel drainage. We hope now you have got the answer to your question after reading this article. If you have any other questions regarding this topic, feel free to ask in our comment section below. Thanks for reading.