New Battery Now Or Wait Till Spring
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
He said the battery is shot, so yes he should take it out and buy one in the spring so he has a fresh one, not a 5 month old battery if he bought it now and let it sit in the car all winter.
If he is putting the car away it makes absolutely no sense to buy a battery now.
If he is putting the car away it makes absolutely no sense to buy a battery now.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,200
Likes: 4,187
From: Kannapolis NC
You have a problem with fires at your house? When you put a car away for long term storage the battery should be removed. It is the recommended procedure. If you plan on starting it or driving it once in a while then by all means leave a battery in it. Of course that does make it easier to steal.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
I never mentioned fires. There are a lot of reasons I don't want a dead unmovable car in my garage. In a storage facility, maybe. I also don't store a car, never have and never will. If I can't use it when I want to, I'll sell it and get one I can use. I also never said no one should remove the battery from their car for storage, I said I wouldn't.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,200
Likes: 4,187
From: Kannapolis NC
I get that he never said storage, he said "set". I said not in my garage. Do you get that is my opinion whether you like it or not? We're giving opinions here, not stating scientific facts.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
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From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
I would not leave the car in an non-drivable condition. 6 months now or wait six months? for what. Batteries last 7 or 8 years. You may need to move the car or have the ability to take it out on a clear crisp day. Nothing like cold dense winter air to make your C5 run like a different car.. I am on my second red top in 14 years. I replace the Delco in the first year, then my first red top lasted 8 years, never put it on a tender. I replaced it because it was eight years old not because I had a single problem with it. IM on my second red top optima, im five years into my second red top and I never use a battery tender in the winter. its will sit for most of the three months except for a few nice days I may want to drive it.
I would not try to save the cost of three or four months of battery use to save a few bucks down the road, then those few bucks saved could cost you a lot more in problems or fun you could be having.
Just my opinion.
Bill aka ET
I would not try to save the cost of three or four months of battery use to save a few bucks down the road, then those few bucks saved could cost you a lot more in problems or fun you could be having.
Just my opinion.
Bill aka ET
Advanced
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: Summerville South Carolina
i would def buy a red top... i leave on deployment for six months a year and never disconnect the battery. the last three years i have come home and it has cranked like it is brand new. there is a reason optima batteries have a great reputation. but if it were me i would def not leave an older battery in your car given the chances of the battery leakin onto the electronics and causing problems... this is a well known issue in c5's but if you think it would be a good idea to leave it in it might be a good idea to pull the caps and top off the water in the battery and put a trickle charger on it and check it from time to time to make sure it isn't leaking.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,200
Likes: 4,187
From: Kannapolis NC
It must be quite a burden going through life being the only person who's opinion is the only one that could possibly be right. Try your reading comprehension classes out and go back and read. I didn't tell him to do anything or give advice. I only told him that I didn't want a disabled car sitting in my garage. And I still don't, even though it pains me greatly to disagree with your advice to him, which obviously is the only advice anyone should listen to. I also can tell that it disturbs you that I am not willing to change my opinion just because you think it's wrong. I apologize for causing you any anguish by not seeing things your way.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
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From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
A lot of people take the battery out for the Winter. So why buy a battery just to have it sit for 5+ months? Put it in in the Spring... maybe you'll catch a good sale before you put it back on the road.I would never put myself in a position to not be able to move my car if the need arose in case of emergency.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,200
Likes: 4,187
From: Kannapolis NC
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
You have a problem with fires at your house? When you put a car away for long term storage the battery should be removed. It is the recommended procedure. If you plan on starting it or driving it once in a while then by all means leave a battery in it. Of course that does make it easier to steal.
At GM we have sometimes 30,000 cars in one region that sit for six months. There are no issue with cars sitting for six months , in fact we encourage all cars to be factory ready at any time. There is no recommended procedure to remove a battery for three or four months. Of course there are long term storage procedures ( a year or two ) where batteries are removed and plugs are removed and cylinders are oil charged, suspension is relieved and tires are removed... but we are talking three or four months here. AS a GM engineer Ill give a piece of your own advice.. " BAD ADVICE IS WORSE THAN NO ADVICE. Having the ability to start the car once a month and let it run to operating temp is a thousand times better than allowing a ring to rust itself against a cylinder wall and crack. Recirculating the oil through the engine every month, is good advice, you cant do that with the battery out of the car.
Of course this is just my very educated opinion.
Bill aka ET
Last edited by Evil-Twin; Nov 24, 2013 at 11:53 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
You have a problem with fires at your house? When you put a car away for long term storage the battery should be removed. It is the recommended procedure. If you plan on starting it or driving it once in a while then by all means leave a battery in it. Of course that does make it easier to steal.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 21,473
Likes: 356
From: Palmdale, Ca----- 2009 Cyber Gray 4LT A6 F55 452 RWHP 422 RWTQ- RIP 1998 C5 734 RWHP & 585 RWTQ-----
I say new battery and a battery tender hooked up over the winter and all will be good for spring! 
Thanks,Matt
Thanks,Matt
Racer
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 422
Likes: 4
From: Cypress TX
Can anyone recommend a battery charger/tender/minder?
I looked for mine last week and it seems some "mutt" warehouseman seems to have removed mine. I'm glad he left get trailer tag that was sitting next to it; I guess he was being smart as that would have involved the DPS!
I looked for mine last week and it seems some "mutt" warehouseman seems to have removed mine. I'm glad he left get trailer tag that was sitting next to it; I guess he was being smart as that would have involved the DPS!
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 25,060
Likes: 1,265
From: Virginia
St. Jude Donor '11
Heres my 
The guy(
) who stated he had 2 red top batteries in 14 years is correct...just go ahead and get a battery(red top)and put it in for the winter and go on with your life...
The guy(
) who stated he had 2 red top batteries in 14 years is correct...just go ahead and get a battery(red top)and put it in for the winter and go on with your life...