ESP32-Based Car Battery Drainage Detection and Selective Load Control System with GSM Alert Mechanism
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Battery depletion in stationary vehicles is one of the most common reasons for automotive breakdowns worldwide.When a vehicle stays parked for long periods, the cumulative current drawn by control units, telematics modules, alarm systems, and other always-active electronics can quietly drain the 12 V leadacid starter battery to the point where the engine cannot start.Current solutions-such as dashboard voltage gauges, Bluetooth-connected monitors, and proprietary OEM telematics-are mainly passive; they observe and report but do not actively stop the discharge process.This paper presents and experimentally validates a fully integrated, microcontrollerdriven battery protection system based on the ESP32 system-onchip and the SIM800L quad-band GSM module.The system continuously monitors battery terminal voltage using a precision resistive voltage-divider circuit and applies a dual-threshold detection algorithm.An SMS alert is sent via the cellular network when the voltage drops below 11.8 V; when the voltage reaches 11.2 V, a staged relay-based load-disconnection sequence is triggered.The ESP32 operates mainly in deep sleep mode, consuming only 48 µA when idle.Prototype tests on a 45 Ah flooded lead-acid battery showed an RMSE of 0.038 V, average SMS delivery time of 4.3 seconds, and successful staged relay load disconnection.Following load shedding, functional battery life was extended 4.7×.Total component cost is approximately ₹1,850 (US$22), making this solution affordable for retrofitting in conventional vehicles.
Institution: MIT Art, Design and Technology University
Language: English
Subfield: Automotive Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7203824547