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another battery post

Old May 31, 2010 | 09:04 AM
  #21  
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I use the simple system,,just drive it on a VERY frequent basis!! A LOT more fun than a tender!!I do have quite an assortment of chargers an tenders from heavy duty Schumacher 2/15/125 AMP through a CTek,to harbor freight tenders!! Use them on my old shark,motorcycle and lawn tractor. Gotta say I forgot the lawn tractor this past winter,,hooked the CTech to it for a day or so and has been firing right up since with no attention!!
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Old May 31, 2010 | 09:18 PM
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So when C5s were new and had the dated Delco batterys did they go dead after a few weeks?If so I imagine GM had a lot of fun explaining that one.I'll still never buy another Optima but I've heard the Yellow Top being a deep cycle battery works better.
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Old Jun 4, 2010 | 11:22 AM
  #23  
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After going thru a couple of batteries because I didn't have a tender, I've finally purchased one along with my latest new battery. My question is since my car had been sitting in storage for quite some time and I have used a battery starter to jump it on several occasions, will this affect other components of the vehicle? I have noticed that the last time I started it and drove it for about 15 mins, the radio and AC would not work and as soon as I turned it off, it was dead and there was a clicking sound coming from the fuse box. Also, when I first started it, the 'Service column lock' message came on, but it didn't the second time when I jumped it to limp it over to my mechanic. Do I need him to look into more than just the battery replacement?
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Old Jun 4, 2010 | 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by hotwheels57
How do you add water to a "red top" (OPTIMA?)
threw me off too
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Old Jun 4, 2010 | 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by hotwheels57
How do you add water to a "red top" (OPTIMA?)

If it really is an OPTIMA battery, you should only apply low amp input per OPTIMA or damage the internals. Most OPTIMA batteries can be re-charged with a slow input charge. The BATTERY TENDER PLUS (DELTRON CORP) inputs only 1.25amps. The CTEK US3300 has two settings of (if I recall correctly) .8amp and 3.3amps.
As per the Johnson Controls website, : Optima Red top battery has to be charged by hooking your Red Top in series with another good battery, (wet cell or not) and then hook the battery charger to the first battery, give it about ten hours and your Red Top should be recharged.

Having said that, A Optima Red Top is an excellant battery, BUT it doesn't take to being completely discharged and then recharged. You can contact the Optima folks, but in most cases you can recharge them , But I'm not really sure of how good the battery will be going forward. I've had mine for years, but I never let the car sit for more than ten days without hooking it to a special Optima/ Odyssey built battery charger I bought.
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 06:10 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by capevettes
I'm not a big fan of Optima batteries. Once they are discharged like yours they are no good. In my opinion, an AC/Delco 7 year Professional Series battery coupled with a C-Tek battery tender is the ticket to forgetting your battery troubles.
Is the battery you mentioned above a AGM or wet cell?
TIA
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 08:24 AM
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Originally Posted by killain
As per the Johnson Controls website, : Optima Red top battery has to be charged by hooking your Red Top in series with another good battery, (wet cell or not) and then hook the battery charger to the first battery, give it about ten hours and your Red Top should be recharged.

Having said that, A Optima Red Top is an excellant battery, BUT it doesn't take to being completely discharged and then recharged. You can contact the Optima folks, but in most cases you can recharge them , But I'm not really sure of how good the battery will be going forward. I've had mine for years, but I never let the car sit for more than ten days without hooking it to a special Optima/ Odyssey built battery charger I bought.
The guy in the Johnson Controls website clearly says "wire the batteries in parallel", he does not say in series. Series won't work. You have to hook positive to positive and negative to negative and then hook the charger to the second battery.

Last edited by 65GGvert; Aug 22, 2010 at 08:42 AM.
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:24 AM
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Originally Posted by General Lee
Is the battery you mentioned above a AGM or wet cell?
TIA
The AC/Delco 7 year Professional Series battery is not a gell battery. It is a wet cell but is a superior design to the old AC/Delcos that some had leakage problems with. I currently have them in 3 of my cars and have had no issues at all.
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:32 AM
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Have a NAPA Orbital never have had a charger on it. Take it out every winter and store it in the house. Fourth year for it.
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 09:43 PM
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Originally Posted by capevettes
The AC/Delco 7 year Professional Series battery is not a gell battery. It is a wet cell but is a superior design to the old AC/Delcos that some had leakage problems with. I currently have them in 3 of my cars and have had no issues at all.
Thanks, so just to understand the batterys that come factory installed are wet cells?
And at this point i like the idea & benefits of AGM but not the price,
like the price of wet cell but not neccesarialy the technology or lack of it
So im still researching pricing and in general driving myself crazy for a 6 year life(hopefully) investment.
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:13 PM
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You should had bought a Diehart.
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:24 PM
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Originally Posted by talon46
looking for some thing I need to look for. I will be exploring the grounds on the front of the car and other associated areas.
Read up on Bill Curlee's excellent thread dealing with electrical issues. Page 30 post 589 & 590 in particular
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=896875
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 10:24 PM
  #33  
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Get a good "Smart Charger" (Ctek, Battery Tender Plus) and use it on a quality battery!!! You'll probably find alot of your electrical issues will stop
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Old Aug 23, 2010 | 04:12 AM
  #34  
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Take a minute, read down in this post to the battery section and follow the link to the video where C4C5Specialist (Paul K.) discussed the battery requirements for the C5. A lot of problems (colum lock, dead batteries) can often be traced back to installing a battery with a lower reserve capacity. Originaly they recommended RC 90 as DG said above but C4C5 recommends 100>. Only reason I mention it is the guy is a world class certified corvette guy and he's well respected in the community.

The C5 eats batteries if you let it sit, I use a Die Hard Platinum and have it on a CTec 3300 when not in use

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...ls-errand.html
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Old Aug 23, 2010 | 07:08 AM
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Old Aug 23, 2010 | 07:11 AM
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Originally Posted by 65GGvert
The guy in the Johnson Controls website clearly says "wire the batteries in parallel", he does not say in series. Series won't work. You have to hook positive to positive and negative to negative and then hook the charger to the second battery.
I'm sorry 65ggvette,, I meant 'Parallel' not series. Sorry for the mis-statement. Your right, I'm wrong !
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Old Aug 25, 2010 | 11:31 PM
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Originally Posted by killain
I'm sorry 65ggvette,, I meant 'Parallel' not series. Sorry for the mis-statement. Your right, I'm wrong !
No problem, I just didn't want to add any more problems to his trials.
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Old Aug 26, 2010 | 12:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr.Bill
Let you in on a little secret.. On a C5 any battery will need a tender if it sits for more than 2 weeks. You killed the battery leaving on the lights.
2 weeks is about the limit. And once you completely drain a battery, I don't care what brand, it will only come back to about 50%. Drain it a second time ... go get a new battery.
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Old Aug 27, 2010 | 12:07 AM
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Had to take it in and get a steering sensor replaced but other then that life is good. Still owe the forum pics of tires that went bad on it from a lowering job that went wrong it is now back at stock height much more comfy, it also has a new DNX 6160 with a DD din mod in it, looking at getting a radar detector holder and later send off the driver side visor to have a home link system put in it. Then maybe an organizer or that shelf thing to help keep things close to the front where I sit. will be installing heated seat kit before winter sets in down here in the south. By the way nothing quite like

a 60 mile round trip day every work day in the vette> very very nice
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