Battery issues related to top not secure?
02-19-2017, 11:15 PM
#1
Battery issues related to top not secure?
Hi there, maybe someone can help me out here.
I have a 2014 C7 Convertible and battery problems again.
End of last year after a week or so without driving car wasn't starting bc battery didnt have enough power. I brought it into the shop and they ran the computer and told me the top wasn't secure and this was the reason that the battery was drained alot more than usual. this surprised me because im not a retard and when i close the top i wait until i here the beep and computer tells me that top is secure.
fast forward to last week, since it's winter i wasn't driving for around 12 days and when i tried to start it again the battery was too empty. i got somebody to kickstart it and afterwards it was fine. took it for a spin couple of days later without any issues. now yesterday (like a week later) same issues. car doesnt start and i also got the message "top not secure" while sitting in it (overall electricity was still working). now im like 100% sure that i properly closed the top (even though there could be the slight chance the last time before i had it at the dealer that i made a mistake of not properly closing the top there is zero chance i didnt close it properly before the actual incident).
anybody experienced something similar or knows what is causing this? maybe the computer is incorrectly calibrated and assumes the top is closed when it actually isnt? Gonna get it to the shop the coming days but wanted to ask here if somebody maybe knows more? Could it be a battery problem? Im not driving often in winter but at least 3-4 times a month and normally this shouldnt be an issue i would think?!
Are there also other options for me like a battery charger or something else which keeps the battery abit more fresh that i don't need somebody to kickstart it every time i wasnt driving it for a week?
another issue i wanted to ask about is when it fails to start and i press the start button again to shut everything down it doesnt work?! all electricity stays on. tried it like 10times with pressing the button but it doesnt turn everything off like it usually does. so even worse here the car doesnt start and afterwards i have no chance to turn everything off - is there a trick? even if i go outside and lock it everything stays on. so essentially battery gets completely emptied without anything i can do? or is there some sort of switch i dont know about for next time this happens.
Would be glad for any input, thanks alot in advance and kind rgds from Austria
ps: since im new here and this is not the appropriate subsection pls move accordingly. ty
I have a 2014 C7 Convertible and battery problems again.
End of last year after a week or so without driving car wasn't starting bc battery didnt have enough power. I brought it into the shop and they ran the computer and told me the top wasn't secure and this was the reason that the battery was drained alot more than usual. this surprised me because im not a retard and when i close the top i wait until i here the beep and computer tells me that top is secure.
fast forward to last week, since it's winter i wasn't driving for around 12 days and when i tried to start it again the battery was too empty. i got somebody to kickstart it and afterwards it was fine. took it for a spin couple of days later without any issues. now yesterday (like a week later) same issues. car doesnt start and i also got the message "top not secure" while sitting in it (overall electricity was still working). now im like 100% sure that i properly closed the top (even though there could be the slight chance the last time before i had it at the dealer that i made a mistake of not properly closing the top there is zero chance i didnt close it properly before the actual incident).
anybody experienced something similar or knows what is causing this? maybe the computer is incorrectly calibrated and assumes the top is closed when it actually isnt? Gonna get it to the shop the coming days but wanted to ask here if somebody maybe knows more? Could it be a battery problem? Im not driving often in winter but at least 3-4 times a month and normally this shouldnt be an issue i would think?!
Are there also other options for me like a battery charger or something else which keeps the battery abit more fresh that i don't need somebody to kickstart it every time i wasnt driving it for a week?
another issue i wanted to ask about is when it fails to start and i press the start button again to shut everything down it doesnt work?! all electricity stays on. tried it like 10times with pressing the button but it doesnt turn everything off like it usually does. so even worse here the car doesnt start and afterwards i have no chance to turn everything off - is there a trick? even if i go outside and lock it everything stays on. so essentially battery gets completely emptied without anything i can do? or is there some sort of switch i dont know about for next time this happens.
Would be glad for any input, thanks alot in advance and kind rgds from Austria
ps: since im new here and this is not the appropriate subsection pls move accordingly. ty
Last edited by Tim Stone; 02-19-2017 at 11:21 PM.
02-20-2017, 08:45 AM
#2
Burning Brakes
First off, if you are going to leave the car sitting more than a few days, a battery tender is a must. The computers on the car are awake looking for info all the time(about 20) computers in the car.Plug in back of car where a battery tender can be plugged in & left until you drive the car again & and battery will last & you will have a full charged battery.
As far as your top issue, when battery voltage gets low, computers get unhappy. On my Vert, battery got low once and set the "Top Not Secure" message. Had to remove negative battery cable, let it sit for a bit, & in the meantime replace the battery, problem resolved. You can also get top motor overheat message if battery is low. To fix that problem, remove negative battery cable for about 10 minutes. After hooking cable back up, you will have to cycle top to clear the message. Just nature of the beast because of so many electronics. A tip top charged battery is a must, or you will have problems. By the way, do not buy a cheap battery, by the best with the most reserve capacity & cranking amps you can get. I am partial to the Odyssey AGM battery, expensive but has more reserve capacity & cranking amps than OEM, as well as no acid to slosh around in your trunk if it should leak.
As far as your top issue, when battery voltage gets low, computers get unhappy. On my Vert, battery got low once and set the "Top Not Secure" message. Had to remove negative battery cable, let it sit for a bit, & in the meantime replace the battery, problem resolved. You can also get top motor overheat message if battery is low. To fix that problem, remove negative battery cable for about 10 minutes. After hooking cable back up, you will have to cycle top to clear the message. Just nature of the beast because of so many electronics. A tip top charged battery is a must, or you will have problems. By the way, do not buy a cheap battery, by the best with the most reserve capacity & cranking amps you can get. I am partial to the Odyssey AGM battery, expensive but has more reserve capacity & cranking amps than OEM, as well as no acid to slosh around in your trunk if it should leak.
02-21-2017, 07:09 AM
#3
perfect, thanks alot. will definitely have a look for a battery tender and might get a new one as well, kind rgds
short follow up rgd the tender: i have the car in a public garage so wont have any access to a power source. are there tenders you can possibly pre charge and then recharge at home once you were driving? whats my best action here (apart from driving the car more often but im not really keen on driving it a -10C° and snow which is the main reason it is standing alot atm)
short follow up rgd the tender: i have the car in a public garage so wont have any access to a power source. are there tenders you can possibly pre charge and then recharge at home once you were driving? whats my best action here (apart from driving the car more often but im not really keen on driving it a -10C° and snow which is the main reason it is standing alot atm)
Last edited by Tim Stone; 02-21-2017 at 07:19 AM.
02-21-2017, 11:30 AM
#4
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Dec 2012
Location: St. Louis Metro East IL
Posts: 2,988
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Your car and battery are 3+ years old. Sometimes the easiest fix to electrical issues is to just buy a new battery. I replace a battery the second time I have to jump a car unless there is a very obvious problem like some accessory left plugged in or if the battery is "old."
No problems yet with my 2014 - but there have been other threads where owners have already replaced their batteries. Battery life appears to be unpredictable. I have had batteries last 4 years or over 7 years on daily drivers...
No problems yet with my 2014 - but there have been other threads where owners have already replaced their batteries. Battery life appears to be unpredictable. I have had batteries last 4 years or over 7 years on daily drivers...
02-21-2017, 01:48 PM
#5
Moderator/Tech Contributor
Member Since: Jun 2001
Location: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
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2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
Rarely a day goes by where I do not drive my car. Even using the car like this, I always slap on the battery maintainer (C-TEK) on the car when I park it in the garage. I got the car 05/14 and I'm on the original battery. Working flawlessly so far.
Elmer
Elmer
02-23-2017, 04:32 PM
#6
Race Director
Your car should be able to sit three weeks and not need a tender. I only had a tender on my 2014 once, we had a snow storm and the car sat four weeks. My 2017 has not had a tender on it yet, has sat for two weeks, no problem. Have your dealer check your car's electric system static draw.
02-26-2017, 06:02 PM
#7
Hi there, maybe someone can help me out here.
I have a 2014 C7 Convertible and battery problems again.
End of last year after a week or so without driving car wasn't starting bc battery didnt have enough power. I brought it into the shop and they ran the computer and told me the top wasn't secure and this was the reason that the battery was drained alot more than usual. this surprised me because im not a retard and when i close the top i wait until i here the beep and computer tells me that top is secure.
fast forward to last week, since it's winter i wasn't driving for around 12 days and when i tried to start it again the battery was too empty. i got somebody to kickstart it and afterwards it was fine. took it for a spin couple of days later without any issues. now yesterday (like a week later) same issues. car doesnt start and i also got the message "top not secure" while sitting in it (overall electricity was still working). now im like 100% sure that i properly closed the top (even though there could be the slight chance the last time before i had it at the dealer that i made a mistake of not properly closing the top there is zero chance i didnt close it properly before the actual incident).
anybody experienced something similar or knows what is causing this? maybe the computer is incorrectly calibrated and assumes the top is closed when it actually isnt? Gonna get it to the shop the coming days but wanted to ask here if somebody maybe knows more? Could it be a battery problem? Im not driving often in winter but at least 3-4 times a month and normally this shouldnt be an issue i would think?!
Are there also other options for me like a battery charger or something else which keeps the battery abit more fresh that i don't need somebody to kickstart it every time i wasnt driving it for a week?
another issue i wanted to ask about is when it fails to start and i press the start button again to shut everything down it doesnt work?! all electricity stays on. tried it like 10times with pressing the button but it doesnt turn everything off like it usually does. so even worse here the car doesnt start and afterwards i have no chance to turn everything off - is there a trick? even if i go outside and lock it everything stays on. so essentially battery gets completely emptied without anything i can do? or is there some sort of switch i dont know about for next time this happens.
Would be glad for any input, thanks alot in advance and kind rgds from Austria
ps: since im new here and this is not the appropriate subsection pls move accordingly. ty
I have a 2014 C7 Convertible and battery problems again.
End of last year after a week or so without driving car wasn't starting bc battery didnt have enough power. I brought it into the shop and they ran the computer and told me the top wasn't secure and this was the reason that the battery was drained alot more than usual. this surprised me because im not a retard and when i close the top i wait until i here the beep and computer tells me that top is secure.
fast forward to last week, since it's winter i wasn't driving for around 12 days and when i tried to start it again the battery was too empty. i got somebody to kickstart it and afterwards it was fine. took it for a spin couple of days later without any issues. now yesterday (like a week later) same issues. car doesnt start and i also got the message "top not secure" while sitting in it (overall electricity was still working). now im like 100% sure that i properly closed the top (even though there could be the slight chance the last time before i had it at the dealer that i made a mistake of not properly closing the top there is zero chance i didnt close it properly before the actual incident).
anybody experienced something similar or knows what is causing this? maybe the computer is incorrectly calibrated and assumes the top is closed when it actually isnt? Gonna get it to the shop the coming days but wanted to ask here if somebody maybe knows more? Could it be a battery problem? Im not driving often in winter but at least 3-4 times a month and normally this shouldnt be an issue i would think?!
Are there also other options for me like a battery charger or something else which keeps the battery abit more fresh that i don't need somebody to kickstart it every time i wasnt driving it for a week?
another issue i wanted to ask about is when it fails to start and i press the start button again to shut everything down it doesnt work?! all electricity stays on. tried it like 10times with pressing the button but it doesnt turn everything off like it usually does. so even worse here the car doesnt start and afterwards i have no chance to turn everything off - is there a trick? even if i go outside and lock it everything stays on. so essentially battery gets completely emptied without anything i can do? or is there some sort of switch i dont know about for next time this happens.
Would be glad for any input, thanks alot in advance and kind rgds from Austria
ps: since im new here and this is not the appropriate subsection pls move accordingly. ty
03-31-2020, 05:28 PM
#8
Navigator
First off, if you are going to leave the car sitting more than a few days, a battery tender is a must. The computers on the car are awake looking for info all the time(about 20) computers in the car.Plug in back of car where a battery tender can be plugged in & left until you drive the car again & and battery will last & you will have a full charged battery.
As far as your top issue, when battery voltage gets low, computers get unhappy. On my Vert, battery got low once and set the "Top Not Secure" message. Had to remove negative battery cable, let it sit for a bit, & in the meantime replace the battery, problem resolved. You can also get top motor overheat message if battery is low. To fix that problem, remove negative battery cable for about 10 minutes. After hooking cable back up, you will have to cycle top to clear the message. Just nature of the beast because of so many electronics. A tip top charged battery is a must, or you will have problems. By the way, do not buy a cheap battery, by the best with the most reserve capacity & cranking amps you can get. I am partial to the Odyssey AGM battery, expensive but has more reserve capacity & cranking amps than OEM, as well as no acid to slosh around in your trunk if it should leak.
As far as your top issue, when battery voltage gets low, computers get unhappy. On my Vert, battery got low once and set the "Top Not Secure" message. Had to remove negative battery cable, let it sit for a bit, & in the meantime replace the battery, problem resolved. You can also get top motor overheat message if battery is low. To fix that problem, remove negative battery cable for about 10 minutes. After hooking cable back up, you will have to cycle top to clear the message. Just nature of the beast because of so many electronics. A tip top charged battery is a must, or you will have problems. By the way, do not buy a cheap battery, by the best with the most reserve capacity & cranking amps you can get. I am partial to the Odyssey AGM battery, expensive but has more reserve capacity & cranking amps than OEM, as well as no acid to slosh around in your trunk if it should leak.
03-31-2020, 05:31 PM
#9
Moderator/Tech Contributor
Member Since: Jun 2001
Location: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
Posts: 18,192
Received 3,812 Likes
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2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
Learn from your owners manual the location of your ECM/TCM fuse(2014 is #52 in Engine Bay Fuse Box), unplug it for a few minutes and you should be fine. Disconnecting the battery negative terminal achieves the same result, but it is a bit more time consuming.
04-02-2020, 08:02 AM
#10
Drifting
When I disconnected and re-connected the battery on my '15, I got the same message. To draw a parallel, it appears the top needs to be 'indexed' similar to the indexing of the power windows after a battery disconnect. After powering the car up, I held the power top switch in the down position (about 5 seconds) until the message disappeared and all was fine.