Vettesic

I'm sure many have already read this article in the CF April 05 issue, p#56. It's kind-of alarming. It basically states that if the battery starts to leak out of the terminal it coudl wipe out some seriously important modules, connectors and harness damage resulting in thousands in repair bills! I'm giong to remove the orig batt, tray and search for leaking fluid damage, even though I see no evidence of this. I had planned on replacing the battery anyway this spring.
Is anyone familiar with the gel-cell batt technology? Can it be charged or boosted as a conventional battery? What about winter storage? According to the article, CF recommends the Optima or Exide versions.

Dr. Dan

I thought that this was common knowledge.

Wah

Click Here

Vettesic

Thank You Wah.

ptdrummer54

Optima will get the most votes here...(78/34 size) There was just a post from someone who discovered this in his car - it is the batteries themselves that are the problem, they leak in other GM vehicles too.

GrayC5

Beginning in the 2001 model year, GM started installing an AC-Delco Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery in the Corvette at the Factory. AGM batteries are less prone to leaking and if your car is a 2001 it should have came from the factory with the AC-Delco AGM battery. In model year 2004, GM discontinued use of the AGM batteries and went back to a top post sealed lead-acid type battery due to a high number of pre-mature failures with the AC-Delco AGM batteries. The following from C5 Tech Tips should help you determine if you car has an AC-Delco AGM battery installed:

1997 - early 2001 Battery Acid Leakage Issue

I have not read the CF article, but the Optima Red Top and Yellow Top and now the Excide Select Orbital and Select Orbital® XCD batteries are often referred to as gel cell batteries. However, according to their respective web sites these batteries too are Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries and there is a difference: All you ever wanted to know about AGM and Gel Cell batteries.

The Optima Red Top and Yellow Top and the Excide Select Orbital and Select Orbital® XCD batteries all use spiral cell technology. Here's a few links that will tell you more about these batteries:

OPTIMA® RedTop & YellowTop Batteries
Exide Select Orbital

Exide Select Orbital® XCD

Hope this helps.

GrayC5

Beginning in the 2001 model year, GM started installing an AC-Delco Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery in the Corvette at the Factory. AGM batteries are less prone to leaking and if your car is a 2001 it should have came from the factory with the AC-Delco AGM battery. In model year 2004, GM discontinued use of the AGM batteries and went back to a top post sealed lead-acid type battery due to a high number of pre-mature failures with the AC-Delco AGM batteries. The following from C5 Tech Tips should help you determine if you car has an AC-Delco AGM battery installed:

1997 - early 2001 Battery Acid Leakage Issue

I have not read the CF article, but the Optima Red Top and Yellow Top and now the Excide Select Orbital and Select Orbital® XCD batteries are often referred to as gel cell batteries. However, according to their respective web sites these batteries too are Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries and there is a difference: All you ever wanted to know about AGM and Gel Cell batteries.

The Optima Red Top and Yellow Top and the Excide Select Orbital and Select Orbital® XCD batteries all use spiral cell technology. Here's a few links that will tell you more about these batteries:

OPTIMA® RedTop & YellowTop Batteries
Exide Select Orbital

Exide Select Orbital® XCD

Hope this helps.

C5XTASY

Exide is the company that originally engineered and developed the glass mat technology. Optima then copied it. Both are good batteries, but, as of late, there have been many posts of premature Optima failures. I've had an Orbital for four years now and not a whimper out of it. I'd buy another Orbital in a heartbeat.
Ed

ptdrummer54

[QUOTE=C5XTASY] Both are good batteries, but, as of late, there have been many posts of premature Optima failures. /QUOTE]

To keep this in perspective I think I have seen less than a dozen posts about Optima failures, some of which were recounting stories of them failing a few years ago (war stories). Those few posts are getting a somewhat inflated in my mind - all batteries are prone to failing and without considering how many failures are occuring as a percentage of the number of them installed, I'm not ready to declare them unfit in any way.

Vettesic

Gray,
Good tech info. Thanks. I'll check those p/n's against the batt I have. My car is an 01, so there is a possibility I have the AGM version. I do have the GM extended warranty on the car so if I see leakage I can bring it to the dealer for that issue. Also on the brass washer spacer, is that a GM part, or will any washer do? Thanks, Again.

Turbo5

I moved my Delco battery from my Vette to the Bonneville. It was a far safer place for the possibility of a leak. Well after 2 years the Delco started leaking. It made a mess, but that is it. I replaced it with a glass mat battery in the Vette. Thanks Guys. You saved my car.

Turbo5

GrayC5

As for damage from any leaking OEM installed batteries, my understanding from past Forum threads is that the original factory warranty while in effect would cover this. However, the GM and other extended warranties would not. You may want to confirm this with your extended warranty provider. If your current battery is the AGM type though, I wouldn't think you would need to worry about it leaking any more so than with the Optima or Excide AGM batteries.

As for the brass washer/spacer, all I really know is what I read in the C5 Tech Tip. I would think though that any brass washer or spacer that would fit would work. Sorry I couldn't be of any more help on this.

Good luck with the battery!

Glennm27

Buy yourself an Optima battery!

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...fig/brand.html

Vettesic

That's what I love about this Forum. Where else can one get such valuable info when needed. Turbo's quote proves that!

Gray....Gottcha on the washer.

Glenn...Yep, Thats where I'm probably gonna go with this. I just haven't been able to uncover the vette to check the old batt type I now have due to this lovely NY spring snow storm that has hit us since yesterday. Hopefully it will stop by tomorrow. Did your car require the height adapter? Thank's for the link. Got the p/n from it.

gmosley

i need a part number for the exide batteries used in a 2001 vette
i checked the app guide in sams and they listed nothing for the corvette so what is everyone using in their vettes in the exide brand with part numbers please

MAC5

The only Exide I'd install in the C5 is the Exide Orbital. It is a glass mat battery (AGM). I put one of these in my 98 a couple of years ago and have had no problems. Use the 78DT model. It has about 990 CCA.

Here is the link:

http://www.exideworld.com/products/a...t_orbital.html

trophystock

For what its worth I had one of those little Dynabats in my drag car. I had no problem cranking a 13.5to1 motor with, it never let me down.

DRR

If you get an Optima get the Red Top as it has a 36 month free replacement warranty vs 12 months on the Yellow top. I found out the hard way when the Yellow top I bought for my daughters Civic failed at 13 months. The Yellow top is the only 56 size model they make for the Civic. This is the first failure I have had out of the 3 Optimas in my vehicles. Doug

flash134

Optima Red Top Here, no problems