# I-pad charge drain battery **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537 "2011-08-31T01:51:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eclecticlz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eclecticlz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Eclecticlz)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537/1 "2011-08-31T01:51:44Z")
can you charge an i-pad for 2 or 3 hrs. without having the car running. Will it drain the battery if you do? ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537/2 "2011-08-31T01:55:19Z")
If your battery was on its last legs, it could push it into the grave. Other than that, I don’t think it would hurt the battery. ---
**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537/3 "2011-08-31T01:54:22Z")
As long as your battery is reasonably healthy, this will not drain the battery in your car. That charger probably draws 3-5 amps, while your car battery carries 550-750 amps, and your starter draws less than 200 amps. No worries unless your battery is already knocking on death’s door. ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537/4 "2011-08-31T03:15:18Z")
It shouldn’t hurt anything, but I wouldn’t necessarily try it when the outside temp is -10 degrees. A note: Amperage (cold cranking amps) is a measure of how much power the battery can deliver all at once at a specific temperature. It is not a measure of how long it can deliver power. If you draw 2A from your battery for long enough, it will be dead. There is no time unit included in amperage. That is why your electric bill is measured in watt hours and your car battery capacity is measured in amp hours. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537/5 "2011-08-31T12:54:07Z")
**It shouldn’t hurt anything, but I wouldn’t necessarily try it when the outside temp is -10 degrees.** You don’t want to leave a LCD display outside in -10 anyways… ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537/6 "2011-08-31T13:49:20Z")
As a general rule, if you expect your car to start when you get back, don’t leave anything on that could drain the battery. Why can’t you charge it while driving the car, or indoors using an A/C outlet? Even IF mark9207 is right, why take the chance? ---
**Author:** ![patrick24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a587f6/32.png) [@patrick24](https://community.cartalk.com/u/patrick24)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537/7 "2011-08-31T15:42:39Z")
Some after-market car chargers can reduce the life of cell phone batteries. Something to do with voltage regulation, maybe. You can google it and find out. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 11:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-pad-charge-drain-battery/67537/8 "2011-09-02T11:49:23Z")
I have to be reminded that the battery in a car is a starter battery and does not like to be drained very far w/0 charging. But, like leaving a small light on for two hours, everything except proper storage is hard on a battery and our economy is based upon replacement. So, for light loads, short times and recharging soon after (driving), there should be little concern in moderate temps and a battery in good shape. Besides, working I pads are more indispensable it seems then working cars these days.