Sinister-one

Just picked up an Advance Auto Titanium Battery. 3 year direct replacement with 84 month pro-rated, $92.99.

I was happy it wasn't the alternator or the starter !!

danziger

I've used that same battery and was very pleased with it!

Shylor

My Z06 is a full on garage queen with barely over 3,000 miles. The OEM AGM battery won't start my car anymore, it was even on a Sears Battery Maintainer (like a Battery Tender). It has not started before and then I just used my regular battery charger to get it to a full charge. But now the battery will no longer hold a full charge, at least not enough to turn over the engine. I guess I let the battery die one to many times prior to using the Battery Maintainer. So five and half years out of the OEM battery is pretty good, all things considered being a garage queen and all.

Reading over the threads I very confused on what replacement battery to get. I have had an Optima Red Top on a 96 Corvette (another garage queen) and it lasted well past its warranty period. So for my 03 Z06 I have been thinking about an Optima Yellow Top but my local Costco only has the 34/78 in stock for around $160. I am not willing to spend that much for a battery. Aren't there any battery deals going on?

dieseldave56

I have many cars and most are in the stand by mode with battery tenders maintaining life support. For the longest time I have used the Red and /or Yellow Optima but since I now reside mainly in the higher altitudes of central Oregon where it snows from Nov to June. The AMG type batteries are not as resilent and I have turned to the Napa's premium wet cell batteries , 70 plus month, 625 cca for better than half the price .

Bill Curlee

Just go directly to WALMART and get their battery. It will last 5+ years also! Thats my NEXT battery. I too was a OPTIMA fan but,,you can purchase 3 Walmart batteries for the price of an optima. By the way,,,optima is also a lead acid battery. The optima in my Z is good but,,,not worth the cash you need to shell out for one when other batteries have similar warranties for a whole lot less cash.

AU N EGL

When AC Delco battery died, I foolishly bought an Optima Red top. Thought it was the Battery to get. Well if you dont leave the Red Top on a battery charger it dies very quickly.

So now on my third Optima Red Top and I do leave it on the battery charger when the car is not in use. Auto Zone warrentied all three so no additioanl out of pocket expense.

IMO, dont buy any Optima Batteries. They must be something better out there. and as Bill mention go to Wally world.

My Wife's 04 vette has the OEM AC Delco. we also keep that on the battery tender and that battery has been great.

rws.1

Wallmart cheapest with a great warranty...

Shylor

Why didn't you try an Optima Yellow Top instead?

Dave68

...a word of caution about some Walmart batteries......

Sometimes, their size is not exactly correct. I bought one that was listed as being the right size for my Mazda. Unforunately, it was a bit larger and I had to have my hold-down strap welded to compensate.
This is why I like the AC Delco Professional - exact fit, exceptional life (7+ years), and it looks like it belongs there when you have the hood open. Yes, it does cost a bit more, but over the 7 years that it's in there, that extra $60 represents only $9/year.
I do use Walmart batteries for my other cars, just not the C5, but I agree that they can last 5 years if charged regularly.

Chevy Guy

Unless you car is a daily driver, Optima batteries are the most over hyped, under performing batteries on the planet. Any battery that you NEED to buy a tender for, is not a properly designed battery.

Shylor

That is a very uninformed statement. Any battery will eventually die when used in a garage queen, as the C5 draws current when it is shut off. If the car is rarely started then the battery rarely gets charged up and thus causing a discharged state. A battery tender prevents this from happening.

A daily driver on the other hand, should never need a battery tender type device and if it does then you would be correct.

Chevy Guy

It's spot on actually.

Optima batteries (AGM batteries in general) are way below par in any application that sits for any amount of time, and lets not talk about their insane cost. Any low grade lead acid battery is a much better choice in any car that doesn't get driven daily.

Any computerized car car draws current when not "on". Fact is the C5 doesn't have any more draw on its battery than any other car of its vintage. Do some research and you'll see for the money, the Optima is loser in anything other than a daily driver.

The issue of the OE lead acid batteries leaking really isn't an issue anymore as the original battery design flaw has been revised. When my car is ready for a battery it will definitely be a Delco.

I've got a $45 walmart 3 year battery in my car that was in it when I bought it. My car has occasionally sat for ~4 or more weeks at a time and it has never died on me. Try that with a Red Top.

Shylor

Well lets see, several years ago I had a brand new Optima Red Top battery and my car sat for two months without running and it started up right away. The issue is continued run downs of the battery and its age....any battery for that matter. As my Optima got older and had continued run downs (didn't own a battery tender type device then), it went less and less without having to be charged up. This same thing happened with my OEM AC Delco AGM battery. Pretty soon I couldn't go two weeks without the battery not being able to start the car. Once I hooked up a battery tender type device things were fine, well until those previous runs downs took its toll on the battery life and it now won't start the car at all, even with the tender.

I have not disputed lead acid battery cases being much better than they used to be. But I still prefer a battery that doesn't have liquid acid in them.

Now to a statement you made eariler..."Any battery that you NEED to buy a tender for, is not a properly designed battery." As I said before this is an uninformed remark. I say this because all batteries will benifit from a battery tender device "if" the vehicle is not driven daily. This discussion has been about garage queens.

Chevy Guy

Not at all, take a look at the majority of the experiences here on the forum. Most Red Top owners/purchasers will state that it requires a tender or you will have problems with them, even if they sit for as little as a few days.

I had a Red Top in my GTO, returned it within 2 months for a Delco. Worst battery ever, especially when purchase price is considered. This is the "hood seal" of batteries.

A lead acid battery doesn't "require" a tender, not at all.

I am certainly not trying to change your mind, but there are so many better, more economical, better performing choices in batteries that I had to comment in the thread.

Shylor

A few days? Hardly! Maybe a few weeks but not a few days.

No battery "requires" a tender, but all batteries benefit from one.

Oldvetter

How are you guys using a torque wrench on the battery? There is not enough room for me to use one!

Shylor

Why?.....Who?

drctrc

Dee Gee, I have a battery question that I hope you might help me with. I own a 2000 convertible. I currently have a battery that is rated CCA 700 and RC 100. When I bought it, the dealer said that it did not have enough CCA. The website jgdarden.com/batteryfaq (which has a wealth of technical info on batteries) indicates that a V8 needs CCA of 750-850. Your post states that the requirement for the C5 is CCA of 500A. What is the 'A' after the 500? My battery is almost 3 years old and has been fine and I do drive just enough in winter to not have an issue. I was thinking about getting a new battery with a higher CCA...what is your opinion?

Dave68

Just in case DeeGee doesn't chime in, you should know that AC Delco's recommended batteries for your C5 range in CCAs from 675 to 800. The "A" is probably just "amps". CCA stands for Cold Cranking Amps.

Therefore, your 700A battery is fine as long as it's not the original battery, which would mean it's 10 years old.

Bill Curlee

I'll chime in also.
Your cold engine NORMALLY at first starter engagement and the first few fly wheel rotations or so, only pulls 350-400 amps for a millisecond or so. As the engine continues to cranks that current draw reduces down to 200-300Amps.

Your battery is fine. Dont let the dealer brow beat you into spending money on something that doesnt need replacing.

BC