Another battery failure
#1
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Another battery failure
Mrs. Patches called me at work this morning to inform me her C5 wouldn't start. She was getting the classic clicking sound when she engaged the starter. I, of course, knew the battery in her C5 (the AC Delco the PO had the dealer install when his original battery died last year) had gone kaput and told her as much.
I had been planning on replacing it soon as I'd gotten the "Charge System Fault" a couple of times in the past couple of months in her car and knew the battery was on it's last legs but the Missus and me were both recouping from nasty colds so we'd been laid up all weekend and didn't bother trying to start her car.
So I picked up the best available battery I could after visiting every parts store I could before closing after work today - an Optima 34/78 Redtop. Not my first choice but, beggars can't be choosers. So in it went when I got home and, of course, it wouldn't start when I tried it. The starter was turning the engine over strongly but no joy. PCM was being cranky so I disconnected the neg. terminal and went to eat dinner. These cars can be a bit picky when it comes to batteies, no? Hooked it up after 30 minutes and it fired right up, of course.
I've got a 75/35 Redtop in my other C5 that has been fine for 5 years although I only drive that one occassionally and it's on a tender otherwise. It'll be interesting to see how this 34/78 fares on a daily driver. I chose this model other the newer due to the higher CA and CCA ratings. Plus it has a 3-year replacement and an 84 month pro-rated warranty so it's not as good as the AC Delco 50-month Pro model but not bad.
Just another day in the C5 realm . . .
I had been planning on replacing it soon as I'd gotten the "Charge System Fault" a couple of times in the past couple of months in her car and knew the battery was on it's last legs but the Missus and me were both recouping from nasty colds so we'd been laid up all weekend and didn't bother trying to start her car.
So I picked up the best available battery I could after visiting every parts store I could before closing after work today - an Optima 34/78 Redtop. Not my first choice but, beggars can't be choosers. So in it went when I got home and, of course, it wouldn't start when I tried it. The starter was turning the engine over strongly but no joy. PCM was being cranky so I disconnected the neg. terminal and went to eat dinner. These cars can be a bit picky when it comes to batteies, no? Hooked it up after 30 minutes and it fired right up, of course.
I've got a 75/35 Redtop in my other C5 that has been fine for 5 years although I only drive that one occassionally and it's on a tender otherwise. It'll be interesting to see how this 34/78 fares on a daily driver. I chose this model other the newer due to the higher CA and CCA ratings. Plus it has a 3-year replacement and an 84 month pro-rated warranty so it's not as good as the AC Delco 50-month Pro model but not bad.
Just another day in the C5 realm . . .
Last edited by Patches; 10-15-2007 at 10:05 PM.
#2
Race Director
Member Since: Apr 2007
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St. Jude Donor '09 & '12, '14
Mrs Patches didn't inquire why your uber battery was Yours and the "beggers cannot be choosers" battery is hers?
I suggest a swap out and give her the better battery.
While your at it, Turn over all mods to her car as well.
I suggest a swap out and give her the better battery.
While your at it, Turn over all mods to her car as well.
#3
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Actually, the 34/78 is the better battery - as I mentioned above, it's CA, CCA and reserve are all better than my 75/35 which is the new callout for the C5 as far as Optima is concerned. That's why I opted for the 34/78 for her car - it's a better battery than mine. I only said it wasn't my first choice of all the batteries available out there- I just had no better choice because I needed one tonight so the wife could have the use of her car tomorrow morning. No biggie.
#4
Le Mans Master
Hi Ed, I hope you put a battery mat under the new one. The General should have done that considering what's under it.
#6
Le Mans Master
Hope you'r both feeling better. Give the dogs a pat for me.