Car tracker questions

Does a Car Tracker Drain Your Battery?

How much power a tracker really uses, and what to do if your battery keeps going flat.

Updated 30 September 2026 · Tracker Prices South Africa

Tracker Prices SA is an independent comparison site. This guide gives general information for South African drivers; your own provider, insurer or the police have the final word on your situation.

Quick answer: A properly installed hardwired tracker draws very little power and should not drain a healthy battery in normal use. Drain problems usually come from a faulty unit, poor installation, an old battery or a car left standing for weeks. Wireless units such as Beame run on their own battery and use no car power.

Why most trackers don’t drain the battery

Hardwired trackers go into a low-power sleep mode when the ignition is off and wake to check in. The draw is small compared with the car’s own electronics.

When drain can happen

The car stands unused for several weeks
The car battery is old or weak
The tracker is faulty or wired incorrectly

If your battery keeps going flat, ask your provider to test the unit and an auto-electrician to test the battery.

Does a tracker work without the car battery?

Many hardwired units have a small backup battery for a short time. Wireless recovery units like Beame run entirely on their own battery, which lasts up to three years and is replaced free.

Our top picks: Matrix, Beame and Matrix Vision

Across the plans we compare, Matrix offers the widest choice for South African drivers: Beame for low-cost, insurer-approved recovery, Silver and Gold for live tracking, and the new Matrix Vision dashcam for video telematics.

Matrix Beame – insurer-approved wireless theft recovery, R99/month. Get a Beame quote
Matrix Vision dashcam – road-facing ADAS and in-cab AI cameras, R359/month (Vision Pro R399). Get a Matrix Vision quote
Matrix Silver and Gold – hardwired live tracking from R219/month, with driver analytics and a panic button on Gold. Get a Matrix quote