Joshlopez510

My 05 C6 battery always dies if I don’t drive often. It’s very annoying since I have a company work car I don’t drive the Vette much. If it sits for more than 1 week without starting, when I try to start its completely dead. I cannot find anything that is staying on or anything.

Anyone ever have or hear hear of this issue? Anything will help.

Thank you!

Frankie15

Is it closer to two weeks? If so, you need to get a battery tender.

Joshlopez510

Yea closer to 2 weeks. Is that normal for these cars though?

cclive

Normal...you need a $20 tender.

Rusler John

When I drove my Vette everyday, it never discharged the battery. However, since being retired, the battery will go down all by itself if not driven regularly. Too many electronics signaling back and forth i guess. I keep mine on a tender now when I don't drive it. I have a hunch, not proven though, that Onstar may have a lot to do with it draining power. I really don't know of any other electrics, that, are active when the power is off.

Jstan2014

My 05 Base Coupe that I sold earlier this year would do the same thing. If it sat in the garage for more than 5 days, it wouldn’t start. After the third jump, I simply bought a new battery. That solved the problem for me. The new battery could sit a week or more and still fire right up. FYI, the battery tested low and did in fact need to be replaced. I then made a point to drive the car every
week in case the car was draining the battery while it sat. I’m in Texas, so it wasn’t exposed to extreme cold, and it was garaged. As mentioned above, a tender might help your situation. My .02!
Joe

BlindSpot

Manual or Auto?

If manual, make sure it is in reverse when you park.

cclive

Let's keep in mind how few newer cars sit for a week a a time.

$20:

Jermo

and purchase a battery tender, like all has suggested!

eforce

Not mine , it sat for a month got home from vacation started very strong , no battery tender I park it in reverse, also I was surprised

BlindSpot

05 MY (only), manuals, suffer from some parasitic battery drain unless the car is parked/off and left in the reverse gear.

449er

As the others have posted, a battery tender will do the trick. I leave a tender on my battery all winter long while in storage... turn the key in the spring & it fires right up

NOWUCME

Could be a parasitic draw on the battery..2005-2007 had this problem.

For some it was a programing error, some it's mirror lights being on or something else. They even put out several Technical Service Bullitens on the problem for 2005-2006. Post # 2 talks about the problem.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...m-reflash.html

The extra amps running up to 20minute shut down enough to cause the battery problems. Everything should be shut down in 3 minutes or less. When it doesn't it draws to much on the batter and with little use or occasional use battery will fail. Also sometimes caused by On Star drawing amps after shutdown...can pull that Fuse under passenger front well and that solved it for some folks. GL

Mad*Max

My C6 is the only car that I have ever had this problem - any other car that I have owned or own could go a month without starting and the battery would still be good. Use the battery tender like others have suggested - will fire up like a rocket every time.

ByRiver

I had my '12 GS sit for over a month and thought I should have put it on a tender, but it started just fine.

Fredro Starr

It really is ridiculous. Two weeks was about the amount of time before I would have dead battery syndrome. Finally bought a tender and that solved a problem that should never have existed.

I have an Audi that electronically makes my C6 look like a Model T and it can sit for a month or more without a battery drain issue...

Matt Slay

I heard this advice from my car's previous owner (2008, Manual), so I always put it in reverse when I park it. BUT... please explain *why* this makes a difference, and is it by design from GM, or just something that someone figured out to do?

owc6

The reverse when parking is only on '05 manuals.

Does not pertain to any other C6.

eta: it is because the battery continued to draw, and the car never fully shut down except when in R.

BlindSpot

Look at the Factory User's Manual for the 2005 MY, pp 2-22. See the Notice:

Stopping Your Engine
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, move the
shift lever to PARK (P) and press the ACC button. If
the shifter is not in PARK (P), the vehicle will go
into accessory mode and the DIC will display SHIFT TO
PARK. Once the shifter is moved to PARK (P), the
vehicle will turn off.
If your vehicle has a manual transmission, move the
shift lever to REVERSE (R) and press the ACC button.
If the shifter is not in REVERSE (R), the vehicle will
go into accessory mode and the DIC will display
SHIFT TO REVERSE. Once the shifter is moved to
REVERSE (R), the vehicle will turn off.
If the keyless access transmitter is not detected while
going to off, the DIC will display NO FOB – OFF
OR RUN?.
See
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-53
for
more information.
Notice:
If you do not put a manual transmission in
REVERSE (R) before exiting your vehicle, the
battery will drain and could be damaged. Always put
a manual transmission in REVERSE (R) before
shutting off the engine and exiting the vehicle.

ByRiver

Sounds like a work around because they couldn't figure out how to get the car to shutdown after it was parked. I guess they fixed the issue in 2006.

This is just another of unique issues with the 2005 model Corvette. Just another reason not to buy the first model year of a new generation of car.