66ss396

I have a 2009 Z06. Occasionally I go off for more that a week for car shows. When I return the battery is dead. Is this common? I now keep a battery tender on it when I go out of town. This keeps my battery charged. But, I don't feel like I should have to do this. I have old muscle cars that I leave for a month at a time and and the batterys will stay charged.

Stevenyc777

Defenetly not common I sometimes have my Z06 off for 2-3 weeks and it starts right up..

RicK T

Old muscle cars don't have a computer system drawing "some" power 24/7.

It's a pretty common issue in the C6 and no it shouldn't be but.......? Could have the dealer do a draw test on the system when everything is "supposed to be" shut down. It's possible there is something drawing more power than it's supposed to, that has been seen before. A Battery Tender is the common recommendation anytime the car won't be driven for more than a week, just to be safe.

Good luck.

Vette_DD

The C6s seem to require more juice to start them than most cars. If you don't drive it 2 or 3 times a week, you'll have to keep a battery tender on it just about all the time.

However, there's also the possibility that you've got a battery drain somewhere. I'd get someone who knows what they're doing to check for that.

66ss396

Thanks for the replies. I will have the dealer check to see if something is draining the battery. Until then, I will leave the battery tender on it.

ProudAmerican

Do you have on-star?

Knob Jockey

Generally speaking every time you run the battery flat, it never comes all the way back and eventually it won't hold a charge very long.

Your car may have some parasitic draw that is not 'normal'. You can check with an amp meter after about 20 minutes +/- when the computer/systems have shut down and gone to sleep.

Battery Tender is required if you are parking the car for a couple weeks or more. Just the way it is.

Having said that, I left my car off the tender and parked for 3+ weeks and it started with no problem. '06 with OEM Delco.

Go figure.

Gary '09 C6

I used to sometimes go 3 - 4 weeks in between driving my '09 A6 coupe (travel schedule)...never used a tender and never had a problem (garaged in TX).

But I leave the '10 ZR1 on a tender almost 24/7 [and leave the shifter in reverse when parked, leave the M2W setting in "wild" (open) mode, and make sure everything else is "off" before shutting-down the engine].

after reading everything about battery drain here on the CF, I consider myself to have been warned...!

LMB-C6

Not common to go dead after a week, more like 4 weeks. What's the history of the car (did you buy it used or new)? Like **** said, if you (or the previous owner) continually let the battery go dead and then charged it back to life, eventually it's not going to hold a charge as long.

RedVette84

We were getting about two weeks off the tender.

z51vett

I bought a 2009 Z0 6 in March 09 from califorina that was produced in Aug 08. I've had a lot of new vetts and never experience batt problems until this car. Long story short bought new GM battery no more problems.
z51vett

Globeman

I leave my '06 without a Tender for weeks without a problem. The previous only put 5k miles on it in 4 years and never used a Battery Tender, not even when it was stored over the Winter.

StanNH

The most obvious, and simple, source of the problem would be a bad battery. A new battery would be the first thing I'd try.

C6ToGo

4.5 years on my original Delco, sits weeks at a time, always starts right up. It is hard to believe there is so much inconsistancy in these cars' ability to keep a charge. They are all the same computers...they should all draw the same amount of juice.

How do you tender guys access the plug in? Is it hanging somehwere easy to connect or do you have to pop the hood every time you park it?

I certainly wouldn't be happy if I had to do the latter. Or the former for that matter.

Delbert

Here is one suggestion to check......there are many of us who have installed the mild to wild switches on our NPP equipped cars. If you plan to not drive your car for awhile, be sure to switch the system to the "OFF" position. If you leave it ON, there is a drain there.

The WTM wireless switch I installed has a notation in the installation instructions concerning this. Hopefully, this may resolve some of your problem?

Thrash

Did you install M2W? As that can drain if not wired correctly. Or maybe you left one of the rear-view mirror lights on? Something is draining the batt ...

Ketchum

My 2006 kills the battery in 5 days It kills it dead. Won't even jump start. I use a battery tender. My car is also going in on Tuesday to Maxie Price Chevrolet. To look into this. They are have several certified Corvette techs. Mine is totally stock car. It has a history of battery replacements. Your 2009 Z06 has a issue. They don't build them to go dead in a week. I have 2009 Dodge truck somewhat loaded and a fully loaded out 2010 Mercury Gran Marquis. Both have passive alarm systems etc.same as the vette. Both these cars with go 90 days and start. Done it with both. I'd think a late model. Corvette would at least go 30 days on a healthy battery with out issue.

Gary '09 C6

you can use a cig light/auxillary power adapter in the car and run the wire out through the notch in the rocker panel
under either door...very easy.

I just connect directly under the hood to the fuse-box lead (positive) and the alternator bracket bolt (negative).

The wire easily fits in the gap in front of the hood between the same and the rubber gasket behind the front fascia,
when the hood is closed.

either way is not problematic...

johnodrake

I keep mine on a tender all the time when it is in the garage. An added benefit is it makes the battery last longer. Importantly, with our batteries, when they become near fully discharged, they never fully recover. The more that happens, the sooner they loose their charge.

KenHorse

AFAIK, that was only necessary on an '05