Battery drain
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 984
Likes: 32
From: Atlanta GA
Battery drain
Looking at used C5s & C6s and wanted some feedback about how long will the battery last between drives....I often go over a week without driving my "fun" car due to weather/travel etc.....
but some weeks I will drive almost every day.....
I know a tender can cure the prob, but much of my driving is just running around close to home and the hassle of hookup and unhooking will def effect my decisions as to whether I just jump in and zoom out for a few minutes......
And are there certain models that are better? as in, did the C5s drain the same as the c6s, and did the later versions of the C6 have any better results........
thanks.....
but some weeks I will drive almost every day.....
I know a tender can cure the prob, but much of my driving is just running around close to home and the hassle of hookup and unhooking will def effect my decisions as to whether I just jump in and zoom out for a few minutes......
And are there certain models that are better? as in, did the C5s drain the same as the c6s, and did the later versions of the C6 have any better results........
thanks.....
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,568
Likes: 594
From: Jefferson City Missouri
If you are driving the car at least every two weeks you should not have a problem. If the battery is fairly new, it could sit for more than two weeks without a battery maintainer. At the end of three weeks you would definitely want to hook it up.
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 45,273
Likes: 8,545
From: Rochester, NY
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,131
Likes: 12
From: Houston Tx
It seems the cold weather drains my battery. Its brand new and got it around the end of summer and had no problems with letting it sit a few days. Now if I let it sit more than a day in the cold the battery doesn't have the juice to start the car.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 984
Likes: 32
From: Atlanta GA
Cool....thanks, I just know most of my friends with corvettes over the years complain of the drain.....
so no difference between the c5-c6 or early or late in each model run?......I figured they may have addressed the issue over the years.....
so no difference between the c5-c6 or early or late in each model run?......I figured they may have addressed the issue over the years.....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 758
Likes: 3
From: Raleigh N.C.
All of my cars drain. Especially in the winter if they are left sitting for a week or two.
I now have 2 tenders that have quick disconnects. They slow me down getting into the car to drive by about 15 seconds.
I now have 2 tenders that have quick disconnects. They slow me down getting into the car to drive by about 15 seconds.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 633
Likes: 13
From: Hurley New York
The electronics drain cant possibly be anything so unique in a Vette vs any other modern car. My 2014 Jeep has more gadgets than my C6. My thinking is we notice the drain on a Vette because it sits allot whereas my Jeep is driven daily. It doesn't get an opportunity to drain.
I do use a Battery Tender on the Vette.
I do use a Battery Tender on the Vette.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 984
Likes: 32
From: Atlanta GA
I've always had an extra car sitting around (vert Cobra now) waiting for nice weather...and have never had a battery drain in the past... maybe nothing to worry about..... but I guess just seeing friends in the past with corvettes always charging made me think I should see if there were any certain models to avoid. ...
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,367
Likes: 211
From: Edgewood Washington
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
The C6 goes to sleep in about 20 minutes but the RCDLR always stays awake so the fob will work.
A good battery can go dead in a month or so. If you drive at least 20-30 minutes +/-, the battery will probably be fully charged.
Plugging a battery tender into your lighter socket is pretty easy/quick.
CTEK, Deltran and Schumacher are all excellent brands.
A good battery can go dead in a month or so. If you drive at least 20-30 minutes +/-, the battery will probably be fully charged.
Plugging a battery tender into your lighter socket is pretty easy/quick.
CTEK, Deltran and Schumacher are all excellent brands.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,693
Likes: 144
From: on Barnegat Bay Joisey
Is the CTEK really any better than the others? I see a lot of hype on this forum about the CTEK having unique features such as desulphating and microprocesser control. I don't want to spend 60-70 dollars for a unit that can be replaced with one for half the price. 
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 239
Likes: 40
From: McDonough GA
Black & Decker from Lowes, $20, works great. Comes with rings, clips and lighter adapter.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,641
Likes: 464
From: Houston TX
The C6 goes to sleep in about 20 minutes but the RCDLR always stays awake so the fob will work.
A good battery can go dead in a month or so. If you drive at least 20-30 minutes +/-, the battery will probably be fully charged.
Plugging a battery tender into your lighter socket is pretty easy/quick.
CTEK, Deltran and Schumacher are all excellent brands.
A good battery can go dead in a month or so. If you drive at least 20-30 minutes +/-, the battery will probably be fully charged.
Plugging a battery tender into your lighter socket is pretty easy/quick.
CTEK, Deltran and Schumacher are all excellent brands.
