Didn't Charge Battery
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 80
Likes: 2
Didn't Charge Battery
I put a new battery (from Costco) in my 2002 about six months ago. I didn't connect the battery tender and didn't start the car for five months.
I checked the voltage level before charging and it was slightly under three volts.
The battery seems to have taken the charge and now has a no-load voltage of a tad over 13 volts.
My question is, even though it charged back up, did I take life off the battery?
I checked the voltage level before charging and it was slightly under three volts.
The battery seems to have taken the charge and now has a no-load voltage of a tad over 13 volts.
My question is, even though it charged back up, did I take life off the battery?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 7,215
Likes: 1
From: Orlando FL
I am not an expert..but
IMO a quality battery that gets fully drained one time like in your case 
not such a big deal. I am sure that you could calculate something that might show a very minor effect on the life cycle of the battery but it would be small.
1- I would not do that as a matter of routine. (get a tender)
2- Drive the car
not such a big deal. I am sure that you could calculate something that might show a very minor effect on the life cycle of the battery but it would be small.1- I would not do that as a matter of routine. (get a tender)
2- Drive the car
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,479
Likes: 36
This should be a lesson for you. If you don't drive your car, make sure that the battery is hooked up to a quality battery maintainer. Doing this will actually extend the life of your battery.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,258
Likes: 543
From: Appleton WI
An important question is where do you live and did the battery experience freezing temperatures? A battery with low charge can freeze. If it froze, you may have cracked the case or leaked from a seam.
The C5 battery is above the ebcm and if the acid leaks, it has the possibility to fry your computer.
If it didn't experience a freeze, the battery life degredation is likely minimal due to battery age.
The C5 battery is above the ebcm and if the acid leaks, it has the possibility to fry your computer.
If it didn't experience a freeze, the battery life degredation is likely minimal due to battery age.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,507
Likes: 9
Car batteries are NOT Deep Cycle batteries like Marine batteries. Deep cycle batteries are designed to survive complete discharge and be able to be recharged. This will not be good for that battery. I keep all the "toys" on battery tenders when I'm not driving them. Makes batteries last a LONG time if you do this, I have a battery in my motorcycle that's 6-7 years old, I might change it just "cause" this year but it seems to fire the bike right up still, the battery in the Vette is probably that old.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,835
Likes: 302
From: Columbia SC
If you charged a battery that low using a Battery Tender you shortened it's life a lot more than the battery. I bet you could have cooked eggs and bacon on it. They are not designed to charge batteries, they are used to maintain a charge.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 80
Likes: 2
I live in a warm climate and the car is in a temperature controlled garage so it didn't freeze.
I charged it with a battery charger (not the tender).
Not knowing how much life I took off it, I'll replace it.
I charged it with a battery charger (not the tender).
Not knowing how much life I took off it, I'll replace it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,507
Likes: 9
Not true, many Tenders these days have charge mode then fall back to maintain mode.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,643
Likes: 167
Before you just go and replace it, why don't you have it load-tested first to see how it's doing now that it's been recharged back up to full voltage? No sense in replacing a battery that doesn't need to be.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
I thought the EBCM is under the passenger floor panel behind the battery tray. Isn't that what was causing the problems when batteries leaked? The acid ran down the frame and shorted out the wiring to the EBCM?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 80
Likes: 2
Update: I load tested the battery and it was shot. I took it back to Costco to use for the core charge and when I explained what happened they insisted on giving me a new battery free of charge.
I felt like I was stealing so I made sure they knew I ruined it and I didn't think it should be replaced free, but they insisted.
I felt like I was stealing so I made sure they knew I ruined it and I didn't think it should be replaced free, but they insisted.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 111
From: Fredericksburg Virginia
Costco free replacement is no questions asked for so many years (can't remember how many). Then it's prorated after that point. They are pretty good batteries and excellent warrantee's.
Chris
Chris
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,315
Likes: 17
From: Near Jacksonville Fl.
Update: I load tested the battery and it was shot. I took it back to Costco to use for the core charge and when I explained what happened they insisted on giving me a new battery free of charge.
I felt like I was stealing so I made sure they knew I ruined it and I didn't think it should be replaced free, but they insisted.
I felt like I was stealing so I made sure they knew I ruined it and I didn't think it should be replaced free, but they insisted.
I always keep a tender on mine if not driving it for more then a week, and I just put the 3rd Delco in my 98 little over 1 year ago.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 419
Likes: 39
From: Helena Alabama
Thats the PCM and the Tach Control Module under the battery. The EBCM is in front of the engine except for the early C5's and on them it's in the rear. I think the BCM is in the passenger foot well. There's a lot of electronics on these cars.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
Early year C5's (97 and early 98) had the EBCM in the back of the car on a bracket behind the differential.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1585062983-post11.html
Later year cars Later 98's through 2004) have the EBCM on the frame on the drivers side of the car below the alternator.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1585063005-post12.html
All year C5's have the PCM below the battery on the passenger side of the car. That is what the acid flows down onto usually damaging the wiring to the PCM.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1585062983-post11.html
Later year cars Later 98's through 2004) have the EBCM on the frame on the drivers side of the car below the alternator.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1585063005-post12.html
All year C5's have the PCM below the battery on the passenger side of the car. That is what the acid flows down onto usually damaging the wiring to the PCM.
BCM is in the passenger footwell behind the toe kick. Large aluminum box to the left of the IP fuse box is the BCM.
Last edited by JR-01; Jan 17, 2014 at 05:19 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
It was the BCM that was getting ruined, right?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
NO. The BCM is INSIDE the car. The PCM is outside the car. The battery acid leaks down onto the wiring of the PCM if/when the battery pukes acid. It would have to be one hell of a battery acid leak to get inside the car to the BCM. The BCM is often wetted by the wiper well drains getting plugged up and either rain water or car wash water backing up into the passenger foot well where the BCM lives. BCM can also get wetted by the AC drain plugging up and AC condensate backing up into the passenger footwell:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ak-checks.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ak-checks.html