Can Using Power Tailgate Drain Battery?

kokopop on 29/05/2022 - 11:25
Last edited 29/05/2022 - 12:10

Hi all

Please excuse the noob question. I searched on Google and couldn’t find anything definitive.

We have a Kia Sorento (2016) that has want I think they call a “power tailgate” where you press a bottom on boot or inside car or on remote to open the boot.

My question is more about opening and closing boot while the engine is not running.

I’m assuming while the engine is off that opening and then closing the boot uses the battery?

Can opening/closing the boot in this situation too often drain or flatten the battery?

Hoping that makes sense

Thanks
KP.

PS. not sure if the right word is tailgate, or boot or something else.

EDIT: thanks everyone who responded nicely and otherwise. Appears it’s not something I need to be concerned about.

Automotive

Comments

  • GooseLord on 29/05/2022 - 11:36
    +5

    no, do you know how many times you would have to open the boot to have any effect on your battery?

    • Muzeeb on 29/05/2022 - 12:02
      +5

      No. I give up. How many times?

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 29/05/2022 - 12:26

        Thanks for asking, cheers.

      • EightImmortals on 29/05/2022 - 12:36
        +3

        42

      • GooseLord on 29/05/2022 - 13:41
        +1

        For sure at least 5 times

      • iDroid on 29/05/2022 - 21:14
        +1

        12v battery at 300aH = 12 * r/16 * 300 * 2.8774

        = 288.3

        • Muzeeb on 29/05/2022 - 21:34
          +2

          Sorry. I accepted the first answer - 42.

          • iDroid on 29/05/2022 - 21:37

            @Muzeeb: A simple number that is the answer to all questions is not superior to one that uses a longer notation…

            … or is it?

            Can't we just keep this simple?

        • theguru1 on 30/05/2022 - 07:55
          +1

          The battery won't be 300aH.

  • dbz88 on 29/05/2022 - 11:38
    +3

    How many times are you using it to warrant even worrying about it? You'd having to be using your boot space as a bedroom to start keeping an eye on the battery:)

  • Hybroid on 29/05/2022 - 11:41
    +3

    This is not a scenario you need to worry about.

  • c64 on 29/05/2022 - 11:47
    +6

    pfft. first world country problems of a hitman …

  • websterp on 29/05/2022 - 12:18
    -1

    You can install a latch and a padlock and keep it permanently locked so this won't be a concern to you any longer.

  • Venustrap87 on 29/05/2022 - 13:04
    +1

    It won’t drain that much so don’t worry too much. If you had the head lights on half a day then will sure drain the battery faster

  • Euphemistic on 29/05/2022 - 13:15
    +1

    Yes. It will drain the battery. Don’t ever open the tailgate, listen to the radio or operate your headlights with the car off. It’ll never start again. /s

    My concern is with modern ‘smart’ alternators that the battery isn’t getting a decent charge half the time which shortens the battery life, and might mean you get stuck with the tailgate open and can’t start the car at some point. One would hope that the cars electronics are clever enough to disable those features if the battery is low enough that the car might not start.

    • skillet on 30/05/2022 - 09:06

      It usually old battery with higher internal resistance that's too weak to handle high load during engine starts. They don't show weakness when powering tailgate or stereos.

  • JIMB0 on 29/05/2022 - 15:37
    +3

    Maybe it has regen braking on the way down and charges the battery.

    • skillet on 30/05/2022 - 09:08

      It's a 2016 Sorrento no Hybrid yet so no regen.

  • GordonD on 29/05/2022 - 18:09
    +6

    It uses the battery, so using it "too many times" one after another with the engine not running and recharging the battery would run it down.

    Looking at a couple of cars with power tailgates I find that feature has a 15A fuse. So it may use up to 10A. You car probably has a battery with about 50 amp hour capacity. So continuously power opening and closing the tailgate for more than a few hours would flatten the battery, and doing it for more than a couple of hours could deplete the battery enough to make the car hard to start.

    I can't guarantee other cars with power tailgates may not use more power, but its not going to be way way way more. Its not going to deplete the battery as fast as cranking the starter motor to try to get it to start.

    • skillet on 30/05/2022 - 09:09
      +1

      The motor would overheat first before anything else.

  • Ade99 on 30/05/2022 - 07:50

    …about the same as the diameter of a ball of string!

    • Euphemistic on 30/05/2022 - 08:30

      But only if the string is twice as long as half of it.

    • doctordv8 on 31/05/2022 - 20:22

      ok…but what is the ball radius?

  • skillet on 30/05/2022 - 08:57

    There's a module tha controls the opening and closing of the tailgate. This module stops working when the voltage drops to certain level. So no it will not fully drain your battery and no you should not try to drain the battery with the power tailgate if you are bored. The stereo and air fan at fullblast is a better at draining the battery.

  • spurf on 30/05/2022 - 09:05

    Your car battery will die at some point and less predictably than they use to be. Invest in a compact lithium battety jump starter that you can keep in your gloves box before this happens.

    • skillet on 30/05/2022 - 09:17

      Or go to your local auto electrician or battery shop and have your battery load tested every year. It takes only a few minutes and usually 'free' with some persuasion to get you buy new battery.

    • [Deactivated] on 31/05/2022 - 07:52

      But if you use the jump starter, won't it drain the charge from the lithium battery?

      • GordonD on 31/05/2022 - 16:50

        Yes, using the jump starter will drain the lithium battery in it. But its a lithium ion battery. Its rechargeable. Each time you use it, and about every month or two if you don't, you recharge it so it always charged up in case you need it. And that's what can catch you out if you only need to use it very occasionally … that it has self discharged over the time you haven't used it, and its flat too. So its smart to get one that has other uses, like a torch, or to recharge other devices, because then you're more likely to have remembered to charge it than if it was siting hidden in the back of your glove box.

        • [Deactivated] on 31/05/2022 - 20:12

          LOL was my sarcasm not obvious enough

  • Ryk on 30/05/2022 - 09:45
    +1

    If you also have the lights on, and carplay charging your phone and playing spotify, and the a/c heater/fan running, and then opening and closing the boot multiple times while the kids are at footy, soccer, whatever, all will eventually contribute to a flat battery, yes.

  • TransportPosters on 30/05/2022 - 13:01

    All the power convenience items use the battery power when the engine is off. Car batteries are designed to provide full 12 volts power for a length of time before they start to lower in voltage and you'll start experiencing slow starting. If you use your car regularly then you'll be fine to open and close your power tail gate multiple times with the engine off. Modern cars have a large number of power items now so they are fitted from factory with the appropriate batteries to provide for them, at least in my experience.

  • Leo Getz on 03/06/2022 - 22:43

    Yes, yes it does, but not so much on a Sorento with only power tailgate.
    Have a Diesel Platinum Carnival and it can get sluggish to start if the kids go back and forth opening and closing the sliding doors and/or boot.
    Takes quite a few times but it can happen.

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