craig_vette

So it got a little chilly today, I don't know if that's a coincidence or what, but it seems like my luck always goes bad when the weather dips. When I went to start my 2000 C5 FRC up during my lunch break, the radio turned on for a nano second and then everything went dead. I wasn't sure what was wrong so I popped the hood and wiggled the battery terminals and I noticed the hood light flickering. Grabbed the only set of pliers I had and tighted the connection a little. Now the car starts but it appears the connection, no matter how much I tighten it, is loose.

Guess I'll have to get a new battery. Any recommendations? Isn't it a consensus around here about gel batteries b/c they won't leak onto something or another?? I planned to just drop by a local O'Reilly's or Advance Auto on my way home from work.

dbgoodwin

Replace the bolts before you replace the battery. They commonly get stripped on side post batteries.

Also torque them properly with the new bolts.

ZigZag

You didn't say how old the battery is. Plus you can get it checked out at most autozone's for free. Why just replace the battery without doing some investigating first. Pliers for tightening your cables isn't any good. They sell the cable nuts separate and I'd start with those things first.

craig_vette

I have a set of battery pliers at the house but had to use needle nose while stuck in the parking lot.

If I choose to replace the battery, since it's likely a few years old anyways, should I look for a particular type/brand?

dbgoodwin

If you go the route of the new battery, you will almost definitely still need new bolts too.

If I were looking into a new battery, I would look at autozone simply because they have a nation-wide warranty system with no need for a receipt, just a phone number.

That said, I have a yellow top optima in my vette, just because my dad had one in his car that went 9 years without issue until he sold the car. Before this I had a red top optima that would never charge past 50%, even though it cranked the car fine despite leaving my lights up every time I went into a store, sometimes for excess of 30 minutes.

Vetteman Jack

If the side terminal on the battery is bad, then yes a new battery is in order. Just be sure it is not the screw that sscures the cable to the battery - make sure it is not stripped and therefore won't tighten.

I am running a Sears DieHard Platinum battery in my car and it has performed flawlessly for the past six years. I do not think they make that particular battery anymore, but they do make others in the DieHard line that should work just fine in your C5.

c4cruiser

Definitely inspect and clean the terminals. While most side-terminal batteries don't get a lot of corrosion because of how they seal, all that you may need to do is a cleaning. The bolts on the cable ends can be replaced but check the female ends on the battery to make sure the threads are not stripped. If they are stripped, you may be SOL even if the battery is good.

With new bolts and finding the threads on the battery side are OK, carefully thread the bolts in place and tighten to the correct torque (11-12 ft-lbs). Do not over tighten the bolts!! The female threads are a soft lead-type material while the battery bolts are steel. It might be a good idea to keep a small wrench (8mm or 5/16) in the car just for the battery bolts should you ever have to replace the battery or disconnect a cable.

Cutlassmaster

If you are buying a new battery then buy t online from Advance Auto and use code TRT30. That will give you 30% off up to $50 off. Also i thought I saw some sort of deal on the Optima batteries from them. I bought new batteries for Vette and Traverse from there and when with their AGM batteries. With that discount ckde and some of my rewards discounts i onky paid $120 for each one. Good luck!
Chris

DDaaryl

I replaced the battery in my 2002 vert last month. There are only a few companies that make car batteries in this country. I suggest Walmart, most others are higher price due to marketing hype. (trust me, I didn't make this up)

Gordy M

If you are going to invest in a new battery, make sure it is an AGM battery. There have been numerous threads, in this forum and many others, on why an AGM type. When I was checking this summer, I found K Mart of all places had the best prices on the Corvette size.