OK, I know I will get flamed for this, but really is there anything special about a vette battery? I have seen posts and ads where people acted like there was a preference in batteries for a vette other than the obvious for every car (Brand Quality) Thanks to those who enlighten me.

Austin

 

Just that the C5 has the computers and climate control and a bunch of other unimportant stuff right under the battery. (Just kidding about "unimportant.") The important thing is to get a battery that won't leak (AGM, gel) or an acid absorbent pad to keep acid from leaking onto that stuff.

I like the Exide Orbital battery. Others like the red tops, AC Delco AGM batteries, Wally*World yellow batteries, Costco batteries, it's a religious argument.

But protecting the components under the battery box isn't a religious argument. It's a real concern, and can be a costly mistake.

Cheers!

 

I use the Optima RT FWIW

 

These cars make a steady drain on the battery even when not running and just sitting in the garage. It's all the electronic gizmos. So a good (read $$) battery is a must. Now put on your flame suit

 

Just this week my ORIGINAL '(98) AC Delco finally gave up. After reading MANY threads throughout the years, I've come to the conclusion any decent battery will work. Heck, I paid $63.00 for one at Costco this week. I'm sure it'll work just fine.


BUT, to each their own.

And as far as discharge when the Vette is setting.....a friend of mine has a new BMW M5 (and this is a $90,000 car!) and he can't let it set for more than 2-3 days without the battery completely discharging. BMW says that's just the way they are. Most new cars will have a slight drain on the battery when not in use. Just hook 'em up to a Battery Tender when not in use.

 

I'll chime in on this one. I agree with just getting a good quality battery. The important thing is getting the gel or at least a mat to absorb any spill. When I checked the originial battery in my 2000 coupe it was beginning to leak. If I did not change it there could have been severe damage to the computer and wiring. You will find all kinds of arguments about different batteries. Protect the computer and get a battery tender of some sort for when you do not drive the car for awhile.

Good luck.

 

Way down in Florida my battery usually last for 1.5 years at best due to the heat. Had the Vette for 8 years and had 5 batteries. I use an AAA battery now and have them change it on warranty every time it even looks weak.

 

Good idea using AAA.

Most people don't know that heat will destroy a batter a LOT faster than cold.

 

How long does one of those last you?

 

I have a spiral cell battery in a sealed case. The original batteries in the early C5's were simple Delco series 75/35 side terminal batteries. The early cars experienced leaking cases, that some felt was due to over-torquing of the battery cables. The PCM as well as the main wiring harness runs directly under the battery.



In 2001 - Corvette switched to an AGM (Absorbant Gas Mat) battery due to it's lighter weight and better leak resistance. But those batteries had many cases of reports of pre-mature failures. In 2004 - Corvette switched again to a top terminal battery.

The issue as was mentioned is that these cars with their multiple computers have a constant draw on the battery. If the car is left to sit for even a couple of days - the batteries get to a point that they will not start the car. Of course there are several other factors that come into play - one of the biggest is high ambient temperatures along with high underhood temperatures. In the southeast and southwest where high temperatures are common for several months (almost every year Phoenix has over 100 days of 100 degrees or more), battery life is about two years.

If the car is going to sit for a week at a time and is not a daily driver, it is a very good idea to obtain a smart battery charger - like a Battery Tender or the CTEK charger that a couple of our supporting vendors sell.

In my case - I attached ring terminals to my battery and I plug my car in to a CTEK charger and forget about it. The car ALWAYS has a fully charged battery now and I never worry or wonder if the car will start when I want to drive it.

Bottom line is this - regardless of what battery you buy and where you buy it - get one that will not leak. When you install it - don't over-tighten the terminals, and get yourself a smart charger. You'll be much happier and we won't have to have this conversation, ever again!!!!

 

When I got my car it had a WallMart battery in it. It worked fine and the car could sit for 2 weeks and fire right up winter or summer. I replaced it with an optima red top just because I believe it is much less likely to leak. So far it has worked well and never failed to start the car even after a couple of weeks of sitting. Batteries are cheap, replacing the PCM and wiring harnesses is not. Just my .02.

 

when I got my c5 it had a rural king battery I changed it out for a optima

 

It is very important to ensure that the battery you put in the car does not leak. I've had an Optima in mine for better than 6 years and have been happy with it.

 

Which Optima did you buy?

 

actually its 90,000.00 divided by 2 because the dollar is worth half as much as it was a mere 6 years ago. So that stinking BMW is really only a 45000 car, much less than a similarly equiped Vette

 

Just to clarify a major misconception floating around that no one should ever by a standard lead acid battery because it will leak and ruin thousands of dollars of equipment......

Timeline: 1997-2000: The AC Delco lead-acid batteries that were installed during this time period did have a tendancy to leak at the positive terminal. The likely cause was excessive stress at the side-mounted post - probably from either over-torqing the cable screw/clamp or a no-slack cable that was constantly pulling on the post.

Timeline 2001-2003: AC Delco switched to its newly-designed AGM (Glass Mat) battery, which, like the Optima Red top could not take deep drains and/or insufficient charges due to short drives. Like the Optima, many batteries died apremature death due to the above-stated reasons. However, those who drove far and often enough (like myself) enjoyed up to 7 years of battery life.

Timeline 2004-present: Scrapping the AGM battery, AC Delco made darn sure that their next generation lead acid battery case was redesigned and strengthened significantly at the terminals. Although top-post batteries were installed in new C5s, the side post version benefited from the same much-improved design.

Result: The 2004 and newer AC Delco Professional batteries have NO history of leaking and now carry a 50-month free-replacemnet warranty, which is better than any other battery out there, bar none. The remaining 3 years (total of 7 years) are pro-rated.

Somehow, people STILL believe that anything other than an AGM battery WILL leak eventually. This is like saying that unless you drive on runflats, your tires WILL fail and leak air enough so that you will have a flat, probably within a short period of time.

Folks, the big threat is gone! There may be a .0001% chance of a new, non-AGM battery leaking, but that means that you really shouldn't worry about it. I just bought a new AC Delco Professional battery and I have NO doubt that it will remain leak-free for as long as it remains in my C5.

Hopefully, I have cleared up some of the mistaken comments that are noted quite often around here.

Dave

 

I'd say that you've had some good advice on this one.

I'd agree with most of the posts that its not the battery generally in the case of the Vette its more the drain from the car. There are plenty of good choices out there but I'd always go for an AGM for peace of mind. But my logic's the same with runflats and plenty of members run non RFs quite happily. In the end its your choice. One thing I would say is that you've made the best decision already in that the biggest risk out there is to the members with the older AC Delcos which definitely have a leak problem. I've had one of those

I took some time out to put down my thoughts on this topic recently. You may want to have a read FWIW.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...battery+thread

Best of luck with your choice

 

I like the anaology to runflats...
The gel type gives some insurance against an acid leak...
BUT if you ensure proper cable length and correct terminal torque do you need the insurance???


It comes down to your risk aversity and how much of a financial hit you could absorb.....
- We run regular tires, not runflats.
- We have $1000 deductible on our insurance for home and autos
- We use a normal side post battery.

 

Knowing the temperment of the C5 animal and its appetite for electrons, I deal with the fact of connecting a battery minder charger periodically.

Actually what persuaded me toward the Optima RedTop was no acid spill, less corrosion and no outgassing. ( outgassing is less likely with AGM but still possible). I use the Optima in trunk locations for my GN , Saleen and C3. I've never had any problem with the Optima as long as I keep them charged.

 

Thanks for all the great battery information.