Car SatNav turns itself on

[Alienka]

It's really weird. I have a SatNav for my car (TomTom), which I use very rarely. Usually I get it from the shelf in my house before going somewhere unfamiliar, and then I have to plug it in (before inputting the address) as it's usually totally discharged being on the shelf for weeks or months. After a few days of being unused, it has no battery power left there whatsoever.

But on few occasions throughout the last couple of years, it turned itself on. Usually in the evenings, and after being unused for a couple of months. I know when it's on because the satnav female voice says something like 'You have reach your destination!'. I have to say, I nearly jumped on my bed when I've heard that!! I was glad that I wasn't on my own in the house those times!!

How is that possible?! The batteries were supposed to be flat!!!

[Spirit Seeker]

Any electronic device can still hold a charge, even a minute one. A TV set that has not been powered on for years can still hold a slight charge in its capacitor and can still shock somebody who opens the TV for repair.

A digital camera flash capacitor can hold a charge for a long time after the batteries have been taken out. You can find repair blogs warning people about trying to repair their cameras. They tell them that if you accidentally touch the capacitor, you can get a nasty shock and show you how to discharge the capacitor. Same with the TV example.

Your TomTom still might have had some little bit of charge left in it someplace, even though it has not been used in a long time. I wouldn't rule out something possibly paranormal, but I would consider a natural explanation first. Unless other strange things are happening in the house.