Two days ago I bought a used 2002 Z06. Evidently the battery was very used! I was cleaning up the trunk gas struts this morning and had the trunk lid open for about half an hour. The drain from the trunk light and my inadvertently setting off the car alarm was enough to drain the battery to the point that the car won't start. I've had it on a Battery Tender for 8 hours and it's still dead as a door nail. In short, I need a new battery. The only local auto supply store is a NAPA and they carry Interstate batteries. I'm wondering if the quality of these batteries is equal to the ACDelco that came with my car. Also I need advice on some numbers. The battery in the car is rated at 700CCA and only 95RC. I'm wondering if 700CCA is adequate and I'm pretty sure that 95 RC is not. I think I could use more reserve capacity. Maybe 110 or 120. I think this car may have been set up for racing and a lighter battery was seen as an advantage. I'm assuming that the more reserve capacity the heavier the battery. Since I don't plan to race any time soon, I would prefer a battery that could run a trunk light for more than 30 minutes without going dead. Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kim

 

I know the feeling. I just drove 5 miles to get my mail yesterday, and had to call AAA for a jump, come to find out, the Neg cable was loose, not loose enough for you to finger tighten, but with an 8mm wrench, was able to tighten almost 1 complete turn! So my Vette battery has been on the Tender for a few hours and still no green yet. If I can just get it to 80%, I'll drive it into Titus Will Chevrolet for Mark. Getting back to your delima, have you tried doing a Google on C5 Batteries ? I googled, and found the following for my zip:
http://www.interstatebatteries.com/c...470-2147384906 I drilled down to make and model, and it brought up High accessories use.
you can also search in the Forum here to find excellent "How to" instructions.

 

Others will no doubt post, but my advice is to do yourself a favour, pay the premium and get an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery that will not leak - take a look at the wiring and the computer module under your battery and imagine the consequences of sulphuric acid soaking into the nerve centre of your car. I have a Deka AGM; there are many other good brands

 

Thanks for the advice and links guys. I think I will go with an AGM battery. I'm still confused about how much reserve capacity I need and getting a battery that will fit my car (side terminals instead of top). I don't mind spending money for a good battery but I'd like to do it only once for a few years.

Kim

 

I know that the c5 draw at least 2ma when sitting and a battery with 120 reserve capacity is the recommended choice. Mine is a 04 and uses the 86 series but the earlier ones take the 75 or78 series.

 

Thanks for the input, coia. Do the series numbers relate to fitment in a particular car? My owner's manual is useless as far as battery replacement is concerned. Will a retailer like NAPA be able to determine what I need based on car, year, and model?


Kim

 

Any auto parts store should be able to look up your vehicle and recommend batteries for you that are equal or better than stock. I wouldn't worry too much about what name is on the outside of the battery since all car batteries are only made by two companies. Like the others said get an AGM and you'll be good to go.

 

No matter where you go to buy a new battery, they just need the year model, etc and they can lead you to the correct battery...btw, did you say you put it on a battery tender? that just for maintaining when fully charged...why not try using a battery charger for an 8 hr slow charge and see what happens?

 

Not to disparage any battery but I put a new Interstate in our motorhome (engine only) a few years ago and it went dead almost immediately. The replacement went dead about as soon as the first one. The motorhome had NO electrical issues and I was shocked to get two batteries back to back defective. I went with another brand and have had no issues with it going on three years now.

 

Optima red top no problems ever

 

Battery problems was a hot topic here a few years ago. The early AC Delco batteries had a poor design and if overtightened when fitting, the posts fractured and leaked. Many of us went for AGM to avoid that risk. Those bad AC Delcos are long gone.

As you say the shop manual quotes the GM spec for the Vette which requires a Cold Cranking Ampage (CCA) of 500A and a reserve capacity of 80 minutes. The stock battery model numbers are:

97-00: 78-7YR
01-03: 75P-7YR (part number 19002277)
04: 86-7YR (top-post battery)

There are plenty of choices that meet that spec. I'd go with more CCA personally and 700 should be fine IMHO. I've run a Yellow Top for many years and it performs well. AGM batteries cost more but wont leak. They are, however, more difficult to recover if you fully discharge them. Lead acid batteries are cheaper and I'd say the redesigned lead/acid batteries will give you good service. You can buy mats that sit on the tray and soak up any leaks as a precaution if you wish.

Changing the battery is straight forward.

Disconnect the negative cable first
Disconnect the positive cable
Remove the battery hold down retainer bolt (13mm IIRC)
Lift out the battery
Clean the terminals before reconnecting
Reattach the positive cable and torque to 15 N-m (11 lb ft)
Reattach the negative cable and torque to 16 N-m (12 lb ft)
Reinsert the battery hold down retainer bolt and torque to 18 N-m (13 lb ft)
Don’t forget that if you have a stock radio, turn the security feature off before you disconnect or the radio will lock up.

 

Its a while since I posted this so it might help others:

Identifying Battery Problems
The C5 eats batteries unless you take some regular precautions. If your battery continually dies its either the battery which is on its last legs or something on the car.

You also need to look at how you use the car. Is it a daily driver? If so the battery should be getting a good top up every day so you may have a problem.


Is it a DD but you do short trips? If so you'll be taking a lot out of the battery every time you start. For a short trip, say less than about 20 mins, you won’t top it off properly. Eventually it'll drain.

Is it a weekend car. If so, this takes a lot out of your battery. There’s a 20MA drain even dormant. If you don’t drive the car for a reasonable time every week or so, it'll kill the battery. In this case you really do need a battery tender.

You’ll know when your battery is bad. As it gets low you may get strange electrical indications (random warnings and U fault codes). As it gets lower it may drop the memory settings or defaults such as HUD settings. Eventually you’ll get the dreaded chattering relays in the footwell and eventually the lights on the IPC will disappear.

Most batteries can be recharged quite successfully, although AGMs are harder. Start by checking the charge on the battery. Don’t read the DIC when the car is off. The value you see on the DIC is alternator output when the car is running. It will always measure an inaccurately low voltage on the battery when the ignition is off and figures of 11.0V to 11.9V is normal in this case. With the engine on, the voltmeter should show between 13V and 14.5V. You need to measure voltage across the battery terminals using a digital multi meter if possible. A fully charged battery measures 12.7V and a fully discharged battery measures 11.9V. Partially discharged batteries will give a reading somewhere in between.

If the battery is low give it an overnight charge (or put it on a battery tender until you get a fully charged indication) and retest it. A true test is under load and Autozone will do that test for free.
If you have an AGM battery like the Red Top and it has been deeply discharged it's harder to recover it. This might help:

If you’ve recharged it and it still runs down, then you need to start looking for excessive drains. Bill Curlee posted a good method for checking:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1567522286-post590.html

There are some common faults which are well known for causing problems:

First to check is the interior lighting rotary switch on the drivers panel. It’s possible for that to be turned on as there’s a setting (fully clockwise) which bypasses the auto off function. Turn it fully counter clockwise and check after about 30 minutes (preferably in the dark) that the interior lights have gone off.

If it’s not the lights something has failed or is badly installed.

Have you fitted an after-market device which draws current? Typically it’s a cellphone charger, radar warner or a similar device that’s the problem.

If still no joy, you need to start pulling fuses to identify the problem.

The power seat switches on the side of both seats are notoriously unreliable. The switch becomes sticky with use and can stick in the “on” position. You shouldn’t damage the motors as they are thermally protected. The fuse may blow so worth checking (Fuse 36 20A in footwell).

The driver’s lumbar motor can also cause issues so check this too (mini fuse 3 15A in footwell). The seat controls connect under the seat. Pull the connector and if the drain stops that’s your problem.

Less common but not unheard of are failures of the headlight motor control module the alternator and the Bose Amplifier under the dash on the driver’s side.

 

I have one in all my vehicles

 

Like this one here?
http://www.optimabatteries.com/us/en...ideposts-only/

 

I have not tried Optima but have used several other brands over the years and like Delco the best so far.

 

There are several 'brands' of batteries, which guys on this forum have had good luck with, and recommend. I've had good fortune with the big Die Hard.
But; most importantly, you need a big powerful battery, for C5. Basically you need the biggest battery (most CCA's) you can get. This car needs juice, lot's of it. DON'T try to save a few dollars, here.

As I said, I think several makers have good batteries. Get the most CCA's you can find, that fit our C5 Corvette. If you find (depending on sales or discounts) that a few more CCA's cost a few more dollars; get the most powerful reserve capacity battery available, that fits.

 

There are many quality adequate batteries. It comes down to personal preference and availability.

I personally have had good luck with oreilly max start batteries.

 

I just put an Autozone battery in...cost was $135. All kinds of improvements to the car right away. I don't understand it but the radio comes in clearer, the car starts quicker, lots of little things seem to be working better (fobs). Even though my old Redtop was ok, it was 'tired' after 8 years.

 

I cant say the same thing. The red top has been the worst battery to date. After only 6 months my red top has to stay on the tender all the time. If I leave it off for 1 day the battery is completely discharged. I wouldn't waste my time or money on an Optima battery ever again.

 

I went to a seminar at Funfest a few years ago. I think it was a Paul Koerner one, but I don't remember. One of the topics was the amount of current draw while the C5 is shut off.

The conclusion was that many of the problems seem to come from a battery that is not good enough. His recommendation was at least a 120 reserve capacity rating.

My local stores will always suggest a battery, but many times they can not tell me what the reserve capacity is or what my car requirements are. I would recommend that you decide what specs you want and make sure the one they recommend meets them, or go somewhere else.

Good luck.