11Ragtop

I haven't driven my 2011 Convertible all winter. Today I had to jump start it because the battery was dead. So I take it out for a spin and it won't shift, the paddles don't work and I think it's stuck in second gear because it has no power at takeoff but will give you some pep around 40mph but won't shift out through 6th gear. The check engine light is on sn stays on. Did I damage something during the jump start? Any ideas of what could have happened.?

ptroxx

You didn’t have a charger on the car all winter ????

If so first thing I would do is get a new battery yours is toast.
Can’t leave these cars without a battery maintainer on them after a week or 2.

Try a new battery and start from there.

11Ragtop

No, didn't leave a charger on it. It's not like I usually leave it sit that long, I was hospitalized for nearly two months and then on bed rest while at home the last 3 weeks.

So the battery would have caused all these other issues like not shifting through all the gears?

You didn’t have a charger on the car all winter ????

If so first thing I would do is get a new battery yours is toast.
Can’t leave these cars without a battery maintainer on them after a week or 2.

Try a new battery and start from there.[/QUOTE]

11Ragtop

No, didn't leave a charger on it. It's not like I usually leave it sit that long, I was hospitalized for nearly two months and then on bed rest while at home the last 3 weeks.

So the battery would have caused all these other issues like not shifting through all the gears?

KevDude

A weak battery caused my Service Active Handling system to go whack, and caused my brake lights to work opposite. They would stay on, then go off when I pushed the pedal. New battery, and everything is golden. Good luck.

11Ragtop

Well, that's two for two on new battery as the issue. Thanks to you all for the feedback!

ffas23

With all the electronics running on these cars today if you are not using the car everyday and expect to let it sit you need a battery tender connected to your battery. I have one on both my C5 and C6 and my collector cars. You don't show where you live. If you live anywhere where it went down to freezing overnight this Winter and your battery was already drained your battery is shot. The Electrolite in the battery turns to water when drained completely and freezes cracking the inside plates of the battery. Once that happens your battery will never accept a full charge. As someone said get yourself a new battery. Make sure it is fully charged when you put it in the car and get yourself a battery tender at the same time to maintain that battery. If your car sits too long the battery whether new or not will eventually go dead because of the electrical demand on that battery during the time it sits. Just a word of advice you should own at least a 10 amp battery charger on top of everything else along with some decent tools.

11Ragtop

Thank you all for your quick responses and advice. Now to my next question...is there a particular brand of battery recommended for Corvettes? I use Die-Hard in my Escalade and have been very happy.

ffas23

Just buy the equivalent to what is in your car right now. If you car came equipped with a AGM Gel Battery replace it with one. There are many manufacturers out there. What ever suits you just match the Cranking Amps. You are going to need to bring your old battery core in on a trade anyway. Have them match it. If you like Die Hard go to wherever you buy your Diehard batteries from with the old battery. Don't trust trying to jump your old bad battery to drive the car.

ptroxx

Most batteries are the same. Just get the correct one for your car. And get a batter maintainer for your car and battery. Cheap investment to make sure the car always starts. Just get in a habit to connect each time you return. If not your daily driver

Welker1

CBRDude

If you belong to COSTCO they sell Interstate batteries. They also have the Deltran battery maintainer super cheap. I just bought 4 of them. I swear by the brand. Use them for all my toys. You can choose the alligator clips or the terminal installation. Both have plugs on the end so if you forget either one you're not dragging the unit down the road of life.

Do not leave a battery charger on the battery like a maintainer, you'll cook that battery in nothing flat.

Don't forget to reindex the windows.

TorchRedFred

I bought a Die-Hard battery works great but I suspect they are all the same. Like the others said, invest in a battery tender/maintainer if you are going to leave it parked for more than a couple of weeks. Just for the sake of accuracy, a battery tender or maintainer is different than a charger or trickle charger.

Baysider

I put my C6 with a good battery on the trickle charger once a week for 12 hours in the off season as it is stored in my garage which is not heated. No problems as a result !

Nice Ride

There is a reason Chevy has included a "Battery Protection" option on these cars. I purchased the OEM charger/maintainer designed for my car at the dealer for $100. Yes there are cheaper options that will work fine. The Chevy/GM battery maintainer has the Corvette logo on it and a receptacle end designed to plug into the cig. lighter. Comes with an approx eight foot wire that can be run to a 110 plug in the garage. You can close the door on the wire and there is a slot on the door seal that the wire can ride in that reduces pressure on the wire. After driving my Corvette and pulling into the garage if I am not going to drive the car the next day it goes on the charger. Been doing this for years and have had no battery issues.

buckmeister2

Virtually everything on the vehicle is controlled by electronics. Even the throttle is electronic. Get a new battery. You may have to erase some codes...

11Ragtop

Got a new battery installed, all is well. On to the next issue: One of the white running lights (or fog light) is not working. I replaced the bulb, still not working. Trying not to take this in for shop work...any ideas of what may have caused this. Forgot to mention, this wasn't a result of the battery issue, it was out prior to the battery recent battery change.

4SUMERZ

Take a close look at the bulb connector for any damage, corrosion, etc. If that is OK, then look at the ground wire and the ground location to be sure it's good and tight. The diagram shows where the separate ground is located. They each have their own ground point.

Good Luck