Battery Tender Alternative
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 130
Likes: 11
From: Apple Valley California
Battery Tender Alternative
I've owned a 99 C5 for about ten years. I can't think of a better bang for your buck. My father needs a commuter car and he was gonna buy a prius or some ****** little car that gets good milage but I talked him into a 10-12k c5 or c6 ...afterall he works harder than anyone I know, he diserves a cool car.
I'm probably going to pick up an 05 m6 tomorrow, it sounds about right, but the guy says it dies every few days if you don't drive it, thats the only ****** thing he could tell me about the car. I can probably go ten days on my c5 before I need to charge it, ifI haven't run it...but I don't want my dad to have to deal with that.
I have searched\read for the last eight or ten hours regarding the 05 m6 issues, shutdown, parking in reverse, etc..... does anyone really know if there is a solution besides plugging the thing into a battery babysitter? Is that just something that I am going to have to take **** from my dad for about this car I talkled him into buying? Should I pass on the car. ?
Thanks guys.
I'm probably going to pick up an 05 m6 tomorrow, it sounds about right, but the guy says it dies every few days if you don't drive it, thats the only ****** thing he could tell me about the car. I can probably go ten days on my c5 before I need to charge it, ifI haven't run it...but I don't want my dad to have to deal with that.
I have searched\read for the last eight or ten hours regarding the 05 m6 issues, shutdown, parking in reverse, etc..... does anyone really know if there is a solution besides plugging the thing into a battery babysitter? Is that just something that I am going to have to take **** from my dad for about this car I talkled him into buying? Should I pass on the car. ?
Thanks guys.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,800
Likes: 565
From: Mesquite NV
If it's going dead every couple of days of sitting, then there's a problem somewhere; something is draining the battery. The only time some of us (not all) need a tender is if we let our C6's sit for around 2 weeks or more (like your C5); some are luckier & can go longer. I would check to see if the seller added any aftermarket electronics or devices that may be staying on when the car is shut off. 
Last edited by Welker1; Apr 27, 2016 at 01:08 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 16,921
Likes: 5,383
From: T-Town WA
2016 C6 of Year Finalist
On a serious note, and as others have said, look for some parasitic draw...a Bluetooth, radar, etc. Beyond the obvious "the car has to be shut off in reverse" there was, I think, a computer reflash for the "dead battery syndrome". Get a GMVIS on the car and see if it mentions it in the car's history.
Good luck.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 251
Likes: 70
From: Boynton Beach Florida
Have not had a battery issue thus far with my 2011 C6. However, I used to have a 1996 C4 which I purchased new. Put a new battery in every 2 years as the Florida heat can kill a battery in no time. I used to travel for a living and would leave my car in the garage for a week or two at a time. I never liked leaving it on a battery tender thus would have to jump it to start it and then drive it every day for a week or two until my next trip. No problems while I was using it.
When the car was 10 years old, I decided to sell it. (Sure wish I had that car back as it was a great one.) I placed an ad in a local paper and went off to work for a week. When I returned, I had a car dealer come look at my car. He looked it over from top to bottom and bought it at the advertised price. Never wanted to start it up. When I inquired, he said if it ran half as good as it looked, it would be a great car. Anyway, he comes back the next morning with the cash and his mechanic. They get in the car and the battery was dead. I thought the deal was dead as the car. He said, it happens to these cars...jumped it in the garage and away they went.
When the car was 10 years old, I decided to sell it. (Sure wish I had that car back as it was a great one.) I placed an ad in a local paper and went off to work for a week. When I returned, I had a car dealer come look at my car. He looked it over from top to bottom and bought it at the advertised price. Never wanted to start it up. When I inquired, he said if it ran half as good as it looked, it would be a great car. Anyway, he comes back the next morning with the cash and his mechanic. They get in the car and the battery was dead. I thought the deal was dead as the car. He said, it happens to these cars...jumped it in the garage and away they went.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 130
Likes: 11
From: Apple Valley California
Thnks guys, for all the info. I drove her home this evening. Black on black, Z51, Navi, 40k miles. It's got some sun damage, glass top is faded a little bit, the vent in the dash is cracked up...little bs here and there, the car sat with little use, in the sun for a couple years but I think it as a pretty great buy overall.
The flap over the mirror on the driver's side visor is gone so the lights by the mirror stay on, I think that's what was killing the battery. I'll be hunting around some part outs for some of the little things the car needs and I think it will be pretty tip top.
I'm pretty stoaked to have picked up this newes version of my old baby, feels good to be back in a vette after a few years. Thanks again evryone!
The flap over the mirror on the driver's side visor is gone so the lights by the mirror stay on, I think that's what was killing the battery. I'll be hunting around some part outs for some of the little things the car needs and I think it will be pretty tip top.
I'm pretty stoaked to have picked up this newes version of my old baby, feels good to be back in a vette after a few years. Thanks again evryone!
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 11,352
Likes: 2,445
From: Eastern
Thnks guys, for all the info. I drove her home this evening. Black on black, Z51, Navi, 40k miles. It's got some sun damage, glass top is faded a little bit, the vent in the dash is cracked up...little bs here and there, the car sat with little use, in the sun for a couple years but I think it as a pretty great buy overall.
The flap over the mirror on the driver's side visor is gone so the lights by the mirror stay on, I think that's what was killing the battery. I'll be hunting around some part outs for some of the little things the car needs and I think it will be pretty tip top.
I'm pretty stoaked to have picked up this newest version of my old baby, feels good to be back in a vette after a few years. Thanks again everyone!
The flap over the mirror on the driver's side visor is gone so the lights by the mirror stay on, I think that's what was killing the battery. I'll be hunting around some part outs for some of the little things the car needs and I think it will be pretty tip top.
I'm pretty stoaked to have picked up this newest version of my old baby, feels good to be back in a vette after a few years. Thanks again everyone!
As far as the vanity mirror, if you don't want to fix the cover, then remove the sunvisor and unplug the light connector.
I believe that the lights should time out after about 10 minutes, so this may not be your only parasitic current draw.
If the battery is good on a load tester, then there are a few other things to check. The first thing to make sure of is to "ALWAYS" keep your Manual transmission in Reverse, or it will eat the battery in no time. If you don't have an owners manual, you can google and find them online.
I've added a few PDF's to maybe help you a bit.
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