jptonks

I had a new 2008 Corvette convertible and had to keep it on a battery tender all the time. PITA for a $55,000 car.

I am now considering a 2010 or 2011 Corvette coupe, and was wondering about this batter tender issue. Is a tender still needed if you don't drive the car for two weeks?

About factory recalls- are there any recalls on these cars and what is the best way to determine that recalls were done if your buying from a private party and not a Chevy dealer?

Thanks for your help.

John T.

Never-Enough

ACDelco batteries suck. Just put a good battery in & worry not.

Rebel Yell

John, there's no recalls that I know of in the regular US states, but California has one for their smog crap. It's always a good idea to keep your Vette on a tender, no matter what battery, no matter the model. All draw on the battery. Your manual (like mine), recommends the car be driven some every 21 days. Sometimes that not possible for some, so the tender is a must.

4SUMERZ

There is a Low Beam Headlight recall due to a ground wire expansion issue that cuts the power to the low beams if it expands and loses connection.
Attached is a recall letter. It states for a 2005-2007, but it affects all years.

BTW, you can find out a lot about a C6 by getting a GM VIS Report from a GM dealer or someone that has access to the system.
PM me and I can give you a lead if you want a report run.
The report gives you any outstanding recalls, TSB's, the options of the car, and all maintenance done at any GM dealer during it's OEM warranty period.

blittle

I have a 2012 GS.....It has sat for as long as 6 weeks in the summer without a tender and then started just fine. The winter ( assuming a northern climate ) i'm not so sure any vehicle ( 10yrs or newer ) should sit for a couple of months without a tender....there is just so much electronics in play that can have a significant draw on the battery, which is already lazy because of the cold. So....winter storage....mine is "tendered!"

jrose7004

Mine can sit for 2 weeks and not need a tender, it can't sit for a month though. I just keep that in mind and make sure I drive it at least once a week.

TheJimer

Modern day cars have so much electronics in them be it a $55K car or a $255K car that constantly draw from the battery. I just don't see it as being a big deal to put charger on it!

I have installed a remote water proof AC plug on my Vette and another seldom used sports car so I can plug my C-teck battery charger in without popping the hood. You may want to consider that to make it a little easer for you.

Jim

KyJim

mine can sit for about 2 weeks without a tender, but I hook it up to the tender and keep it on at all times in the garage.
The tender will extend the life of the battery.

fred D

Like most people say,"tenderize it". I do mine all the time when not in use. It's a 2008 Vert A6.

RJRSW

I have only used AC Delco batteries in all my vettes and have had really good luck with them. I sometimes have two or three vettes at a time so sometimes one will sit for a month or longer without starting or driving it and never ever have used a battery tender and never had one fail to start.

The AC Delco battery in my 2007 convert is 5 years old and was $85 out the door at my local Chevy dealer and still going strong, I had one in my 86 pace car convert last me 10 years and was still going strong when I sold the car.

Not So Fast

3 weeks here and no start one time, now it gets trickled every 2 weeks

Cost of owning one of these fan dangled cars
NSF

cclive

The only reason that a Corvette needs a battery tender any more than any other car is that people don't drive them like a normal car. Try finding a five year old Tahoe with 3,000 miles on it...almost impossible. With all the electronics these days, any car that is allowed to sit for weeks at a time will need a tender. No one buys a regular car to sit in the garage and get polished often, they drive regular cars...almost every day. Do this with a Vette and it will not need a tender either.

JohnR2000

Give us some stats to back up your claim. I've had no problems with Delco batteries.

dryadsdad

Did you ever check to see if there was a parasitic draw when parked?

For example, if you have a M2W switch and park with the baffles closed, you create a parasite which will eat your battery down in a few days if no tender.

Never-Enough

Common thing w/these cars. Search

Don-Vette

As soon as I'm done driving my car, the tender goes on.

Tonylmiller

I have traveled out of town for 2 weeks at a time and never had a problem without a battery tender. Mine is a 2006 automatic. Unless there is some kind of short somewhere, I'd get a new battery if it couldn't go 2 weeks without a tender.