[gizmo686]

I'm amazed at how easy it is to kill the battery on modern cars. I would think that they would monitor the batter and shut-off all non-ignition systems when it gets low. Or at least turn off the headlights when the car is off.

[paulfurtado]

FWIW audi does do this rather effectively in my 2011 audi A4 and it also comes with a huge battery compared to other cars I've owned. You can tell if your battery is near EOL by the fact that the entertainment system starts taking 30s to come on after starting the car, but it also shuts off most other electronics as the battery dips lower as well.

When a battery was on the edge of failure, I was also amazed at how many days it continued to be able to start for, driving a mere 3 miles per say and starting it twice. The voltage gauge on an accessory I had would show the battery under 10 volts, I'd push the ignition button and silence would follow, then seconds later the faintest sound of an engine would start. Every day, for nearly an entire month of winter.