You should be fine. The Red Top is pretty resilient so, if you're able to charge it sufficiently to get the car started with it, the battery is most likely in good shape.
killed my optima red top
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
killed my optima red top
My stupid azz left my key turned in the ignition for 2 days and now my optima is dead. when i disconnected the negative terminal there were some sparks and my head lights came up for some odd reason. Did i mess up something? in addition to that i dropped the terminal screw into the abyss under the battery and now I can't find it.
Right now I'm charging it and any ideas how much damage i've done to my car and the battery itself?
Right now I'm charging it and any ideas how much damage i've done to my car and the battery itself?
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,208
Likes: 2
From: Rochester MN
CI 5-6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
NCM Ambassador
[QUOTE=FallenWhun] in addition to that i dropped the terminal screw into the abyss under the battery and now I can't find it.
[QUOTE]I would suggest you find that screw - there are lots of nasty things it could short out on down there. Maybe you could go 'fishing' for it with a magnet...
[QUOTE]I would suggest you find that screw - there are lots of nasty things it could short out on down there. Maybe you could go 'fishing' for it with a magnet...
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
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 8
From: spring Grove illinois
I suggest you remove the battery! then you can remove the battery tray, which will give you access to the abyss so you can find the terminal screw!! If this doesnt work you can remove the tire and the panel in the wheel well, this will also give you access to the abyss 
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 16,398
Likes: 0
Draining the battery all the way down and charging it up will not harm it one bit. Just make sure you charge it all the way or your battery will develop a "memory" of the weaker charge. It will never hold more than that much juice again.
You, your battery, and your car will be fine!!!!!
You, your battery, and your car will be fine!!!!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,119
Likes: 0
From: Spring Branch Texas
[QUOTE=ptdrummer54][QUOTE=FallenWhun] in addition to that i dropped the terminal screw into the abyss under the battery and now I can't find it.
Sounds good, except for the magnet thing. Computer chips, circuits and electronics don't like magnets! 
I would suggest you find that screw - there are lots of nasty things it could short out on down there. Maybe you could go 'fishing' for it with a magnet...
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,294
Likes: 24,776
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
You should be able to just recharge the battery and be fine. Probably didn't do any damage. Take it out for a nice drive often to keep it well charged.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
Thanks
Thanks all for the feed back. I charged the battery and its practically good as new but it left a lot of history codes on the DIC.
I left it on, on accident because I was rushing home upon receiving a call from my bro that my mom was in diabetic shock. So during those two days I was in the hospital keeping my mom company.
Thanks for the replies I was a little bit worried there that I might have screwed my car/battery up, but I was even more worried about what was happening to my momma.
I left it on, on accident because I was rushing home upon receiving a call from my bro that my mom was in diabetic shock. So during those two days I was in the hospital keeping my mom company.
Thanks for the replies I was a little bit worried there that I might have screwed my car/battery up, but I was even more worried about what was happening to my momma.
Last edited by FallenWhun; Sep 30, 2004 at 12:49 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,466
Likes: 0
From: GARDENA Ca, State Of Konfusion
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by lvvette777
Draining the battery all the way down and charging it up will not harm it one bit. Just make sure you charge it all the way or your battery will develop a "memory" of the weaker charge. It will never hold more than that much juice again.
You, your battery, and your car will be fine!!!!!
You, your battery, and your car will be fine!!!!!
No political slogans allowed!!!This about Corvettes
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 10,222
Likes: 344
When I installed my Optima recently, I dropped a screw also. My friend had a magnet that looked like a portable radio or old cordless phone antenna. I used this to go straight down below the battery and catch the screw. I'm sure these aren't new items, but my garage is pretty spartan and I'd never seen one.
Good luck with your Mom...compared to the battery that's the important issue.
Good luck with your Mom...compared to the battery that's the important issue.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
The codes that you saw after you got your battery back to life were because the computer modules stop functioning properly when they drop below 9 VDC. Once the battery is properly charged, clear the codes and you should be god to go!
Did you ever find the terminal screw?? If not I would recommend removing the battery and searching and or removing the removable access panel behind the passengers front tire and taking a look.
BC
Did you ever find the terminal screw?? If not I would recommend removing the battery and searching and or removing the removable access panel behind the passengers front tire and taking a look.
BC
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
I went out and bought a new screw but i do plan on taking out the passenger side wheel to look for it. I didn't want to use a magnet because I was told that I could screw up the computer.
Any possiblities of it falling out or staying in there and screwing something else up?
Any possiblities of it falling out or staying in there and screwing something else up?