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Power consumption & low power sleep modes

Will my GPS tracker drain my car battery? Learn how sleep modes protect your battery.

Will the tracker drain my car battery?

No! Your Track My Ride tracker automatically goes to sleep after your car has been parked for 30 minutes. This means it uses very little power and won't drain your battery.

We also monitor your battery for you. If your car's battery drops below 12.0V, we'll send you an email and app notification automatically.

How much power does the tracker use?

While driving: The tracker uses a tiny amount of power (about the same as a phone charger). Your car's alternator easily handles this while the engine is running.

While parked (after 30 minutes): The tracker goes to sleep and uses very little power – much less than your car's alarm system or clock.

What are sleep modes?

Sleep modes let the tracker save even more power when your car is parked. Think of it like putting your phone on airplane mode to save battery.

You can change your sleep mode in your vehicle settings. Here are your options, from least to most power-saving:

Disabled (Always On)

  • Tracker never sleeps
  • Uses the most power
  • Choose this if: You use your car multiple times every day

GPS Sleep ⭐ Recommended for most people

  • Uses very little power
  • Still connected to mobile network
  • Wakes up once per hour to check in
  • Choose this if: You drive your car at least once a week

Deep Sleep

  • Uses even less power
  • Disconnects from mobile network
  • Wakes up once per hour to check in
  • Choose this if: You don't drive often, or your battery is old

Online Deep Sleep

  • Similar to Deep Sleep but stays connected to mobile network
  • Uses slightly more power than Deep Sleep
  • Choose this if: You want a balance between Deep Sleep and GPS Sleep

Ultra Deep Sleep

  • Uses the absolute minimum power
  • Doesn't wake up or check in until you start the car
  • Choose this if: Your car sits unused for weeks or months at a time

Will my battery go flat?

Short answer: No, not if you drive your car at least once a month.

Why? Even in sleep mode, the tracker uses so little power that a normal car battery can last for months. Plus, every time you drive, your car's alternator recharges the battery.

If your car sits unused for long periods: Connect it to a battery maintainer (trickle charger), or set your tracker to Ultra Deep Sleep mode.

How do I check my battery voltage?

Your tracker monitors your battery automatically. To see your current battery voltage:

  1. Log in to your Track My Ride account
  2. Go to the Vehicles page
  3. Look at the Power column – your voltage is shown there

What the numbers mean:

  • 12.8V or higher = Fully charged ✓
  • 12.0V to 12.8V = Partially charged (normal)
  • Below 12.0V = Battery needs recharging ⚠️

If you see below 12V, drive your car for 20-30 minutes to let the alternator recharge it.

Can I change how often the tracker wakes up?

Yes! By default, your tracker wakes up once per hour when sleeping to report its location (we call this the "heartbeat").

You can change this to every 2, 6, 12, 24, or even 48 hours to save more power.

To change it:

  1. Go to your Vehicles page
  2. Click Edit on your vehicle
  3. Find Deep sleep heartbeat
  4. Choose your preferred frequency

Note: If you're using Ultra Deep Sleep, the tracker doesn't wake up at all until you start the car.