[ZR1] ZR1 battery keeps dying
12-11-2008, 12:56 PM
#21
Racer
Member Since: Jul 2008
Location: Mamaroneck New York
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REALLY sorry to hear of your problem bad!.
...Mine sat for a three week period and a few 10 day periods and haven't had the problem....Had a new C4 69 that had the problem constantly though right from the beggining.....never could figure it out..
...Mine sat for a three week period and a few 10 day periods and haven't had the problem....Had a new C4 69 that had the problem constantly though right from the beggining.....never could figure it out..
12-11-2008, 01:22 PM
#22
Burning Brakes
When I took my C6 in for service a GM tech told me that:
1) Leaving anything plugged into the power port could cause the computer to remain on even if the device is not powered on.
2) If the fob comes too close or is stored too close to the car additional power could be spent due to the computer remaining on.
However, neither of these were the case. My battery was just bad ...
1) Leaving anything plugged into the power port could cause the computer to remain on even if the device is not powered on.
2) If the fob comes too close or is stored too close to the car additional power could be spent due to the computer remaining on.
However, neither of these were the case. My battery was just bad ...
12-11-2008, 03:25 PM
#24
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Sep 2004
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OK, guys, one more time:
DEAD BATTERY SYNDROME -- THE CONDENSED VERSION
Modern cars, including all versions of the Vettes, should be able to stand unused for several weeks and still retain enough battery energy to start the car. My 02 C5Z and 06 C6Z both have stock Delco batteries that will last 6 weeks or more.
There are two possible problems:
1) Your battery is subpar (weak cell, etc.) and needs to be replaced. This is the usual knee-jerk conclusion by uninformed owners, followed by assassination of the Delco battery quality. Delco makes batteries as good as anyone else, and better than most. Having said that, all manufacturers make junk at one time or another; it's the nature of modern manufacturing.
Get the battery checked by your friendly GM dealer, and bitch until it is replaced.
Then, when the car continues to have the same symptoms you will know IT IS NOT THE BATTERY. If the new battery solves the problem, CONGRATULATIONS, you won!!!
2) There is excessive parasitic current drain on the battery when the car is off. This is the most common cause of dead batteries in modern cars. This problem is a lot harder to diagnose, but there are some TSBs of electronic module failures in Vettes that continue drawing power from the battery when they should be dormant.
Your friendly Chevy dealer should be able to monitor current draw from the battery and pull fuses sequentially until the offending circuit is isolated. Then it is a matter of finding which component in that circuit is causing the problem. THIS IS NOT NUCLEAR SCIENCE, and although it is boring and time consuming, there is no other sensible way to diagnose this type of problem. Once the offending component is discovered, it is usually no big deal to replace it.
Sooo... stop gnashing your teeth (or applying band-aid solutions like a battery tender) and get the problem looked at by a competent technician.
You should be able to go on an extended vacation and have your Vette start without worries at the first try when you return home.
Enjoy your Vette like I enjoy mine, and best of luck solving your current drain problem.
DEAD BATTERY SYNDROME -- THE CONDENSED VERSION
Modern cars, including all versions of the Vettes, should be able to stand unused for several weeks and still retain enough battery energy to start the car. My 02 C5Z and 06 C6Z both have stock Delco batteries that will last 6 weeks or more.
There are two possible problems:
1) Your battery is subpar (weak cell, etc.) and needs to be replaced. This is the usual knee-jerk conclusion by uninformed owners, followed by assassination of the Delco battery quality. Delco makes batteries as good as anyone else, and better than most. Having said that, all manufacturers make junk at one time or another; it's the nature of modern manufacturing.
Get the battery checked by your friendly GM dealer, and bitch until it is replaced.
Then, when the car continues to have the same symptoms you will know IT IS NOT THE BATTERY. If the new battery solves the problem, CONGRATULATIONS, you won!!!
2) There is excessive parasitic current drain on the battery when the car is off. This is the most common cause of dead batteries in modern cars. This problem is a lot harder to diagnose, but there are some TSBs of electronic module failures in Vettes that continue drawing power from the battery when they should be dormant.
Your friendly Chevy dealer should be able to monitor current draw from the battery and pull fuses sequentially until the offending circuit is isolated. Then it is a matter of finding which component in that circuit is causing the problem. THIS IS NOT NUCLEAR SCIENCE, and although it is boring and time consuming, there is no other sensible way to diagnose this type of problem. Once the offending component is discovered, it is usually no big deal to replace it.
Sooo... stop gnashing your teeth (or applying band-aid solutions like a battery tender) and get the problem looked at by a competent technician.
You should be able to go on an extended vacation and have your Vette start without worries at the first try when you return home.
Enjoy your Vette like I enjoy mine, and best of luck solving your current drain problem.
12-11-2008, 04:55 PM
#25
Team Owner
You have something that is not normal. I have had two Z06's and did not use the car for long periods of time (4-6 weeks). Never replaced the batteries and always started right up. My C6 Z is over three years old.
There is no reason why you need to trickle charge the car. There is something wrong - either bad battery or parasitic drain as the above poster noted.
There is no reason why you need to trickle charge the car. There is something wrong - either bad battery or parasitic drain as the above poster noted.
12-11-2008, 05:06 PM
#26
You have something that is not normal. I have had two Z06's and did not use the car for long periods of time (4-6 weeks). Never replaced the batteries and always started right up. My C6 Z is over three years old.
There is no reason why you need to trickle charge the car. There is something wrong - either bad battery or parasitic drain as the above poster noted.
There is no reason why you need to trickle charge the car. There is something wrong - either bad battery or parasitic drain as the above poster noted.
12-11-2008, 05:45 PM
#27
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jul 2006
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I’ve had 2 C6 Z06s; the first one would kill the battery in a week. The 2nd would kill it in about 2 ½ weeks (even after battery replacement). Although people say it’s not necessary, and the dealer said it was, I started parking the car in Reverse. After that the car could sit for a month and not have an issue. So whether the Reverse mode puts the ECU in sleep mode or whether I had a short involving something else (that happen to fix itself while in Reverse), it helped me. If my ZR1 (spring allocation) has the same issue, I will be tracking it like mentioned above, then I will install a breaker/switch if I have to.
12-11-2008, 06:09 PM
#28
Instructor
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So I have a 07 ZO6 and I had to replace my battery within the first few months. Put in an Optima but I know that if i let it sit for two weeks it will be hard to start. There is a deninite drain on the battery. I have a V1 that is off when the car is off but is hard wired into the rear view mirror and i have the mild to wild. So you guys think that both draw on the battery while it sits?
12-11-2008, 06:16 PM
#29
3rd Gear
Member Since: Jul 2007
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Are you parking the car in with the transmission in 1st gear or Reverse? I currently have a ZR1, but my previously had a 2006 ZO6. My battery died due to leaving the car in 1st, which caused a trickle drain on the battery. Owners manual states to park in reverse. This may apply to ZR1.
12-11-2008, 07:48 PM
#31
Burning Brakes
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When I took my C6 in for service a GM tech told me that:
1) Leaving anything plugged into the power port could cause the computer to remain on even if the device is not powered on.
2) If the fob comes too close or is stored too close to the car additional power could be spent due to the computer remaining on.
However, neither of these were the case. My battery was just bad ...
1) Leaving anything plugged into the power port could cause the computer to remain on even if the device is not powered on.
2) If the fob comes too close or is stored too close to the car additional power could be spent due to the computer remaining on.
However, neither of these were the case. My battery was just bad ...
Item 2 is probably a common cause.
Bad battery is also a common cause.
There could be many other causes (rectifiers, computers, water soaked connectors).
MY 08, 09 need not be left in Reverse (according to GM).
Car should start after sitting for a week. If it doesn't, something is wrong. Battery tenders do work but they are band aids (hiding the real problem).
Last edited by petefias; 12-11-2008 at 07:51 PM.
12-11-2008, 08:05 PM
#32
Full size member
Thread Starter
12-11-2008, 08:10 PM
#33
Do you have your M2W remote in the ZR1? This will drain just like your fob will if left close enough. Also, if you are near the car checking drain, it's likely your fob is near and also causing drain - put both remotes ~30+ft away and check again. Anyways, check back.
12-11-2008, 08:17 PM
#34
Full size member
Thread Starter
Do you have your M2W remote in the ZR1? This will drain just like your fob will if left close enough. Also, if you are near the car checking drain, it's likely your fob is near and also causing drain - put both remotes ~30+ft away and check again. Anyways, check back.
12-11-2008, 10:54 PM
#36
Drifting
Member Since: Oct 2003
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09
OK, guys, one more time:
DEAD BATTERY SYNDROME -- THE CONDENSED VERSION
Modern cars, including all versions of the Vettes, should be able to stand unused for several weeks and still retain enough battery energy to start the car. My 02 C5Z and 06 C6Z both have stock Delco batteries that will last 6 weeks or more.
There are two possible problems:
1) Your battery is subpar (weak cell, etc.) and needs to be replaced. This is the usual knee-jerk conclusion by uninformed owners, followed by assassination of the Delco battery quality. Delco makes batteries as good as anyone else, and better than most. Having said that, all manufacturers make junk at one time or another; it's the nature of modern manufacturing.
Get the battery checked by your friendly GM dealer, and bitch until it is replaced.
Then, when the car continues to have the same symptoms you will know IT IS NOT THE BATTERY. If the new battery solves the problem, CONGRATULATIONS, you won!!!
2) There is excessive parasitic current drain on the battery when the car is off. This is the most common cause of dead batteries in modern cars. This problem is a lot harder to diagnose, but there are some TSBs of electronic module failures in Vettes that continue drawing power from the battery when they should be dormant.
Your friendly Chevy dealer should be able to monitor current draw from the battery and pull fuses sequentially until the offending circuit is isolated. Then it is a matter of finding which component in that circuit is causing the problem. THIS IS NOT NUCLEAR SCIENCE, and although it is boring and time consuming, there is no other sensible way to diagnose this type of problem. Once the offending component is discovered, it is usually no big deal to replace it.
Sooo... stop gnashing your teeth (or applying band-aid solutions like a battery tender) and get the problem looked at by a competent technician.
You should be able to go on an extended vacation and have your Vette start without worries at the first try when you return home.
Enjoy your Vette like I enjoy mine, and best of luck solving your current drain problem.
DEAD BATTERY SYNDROME -- THE CONDENSED VERSION
Modern cars, including all versions of the Vettes, should be able to stand unused for several weeks and still retain enough battery energy to start the car. My 02 C5Z and 06 C6Z both have stock Delco batteries that will last 6 weeks or more.
There are two possible problems:
1) Your battery is subpar (weak cell, etc.) and needs to be replaced. This is the usual knee-jerk conclusion by uninformed owners, followed by assassination of the Delco battery quality. Delco makes batteries as good as anyone else, and better than most. Having said that, all manufacturers make junk at one time or another; it's the nature of modern manufacturing.
Get the battery checked by your friendly GM dealer, and bitch until it is replaced.
Then, when the car continues to have the same symptoms you will know IT IS NOT THE BATTERY. If the new battery solves the problem, CONGRATULATIONS, you won!!!
2) There is excessive parasitic current drain on the battery when the car is off. This is the most common cause of dead batteries in modern cars. This problem is a lot harder to diagnose, but there are some TSBs of electronic module failures in Vettes that continue drawing power from the battery when they should be dormant.
Your friendly Chevy dealer should be able to monitor current draw from the battery and pull fuses sequentially until the offending circuit is isolated. Then it is a matter of finding which component in that circuit is causing the problem. THIS IS NOT NUCLEAR SCIENCE, and although it is boring and time consuming, there is no other sensible way to diagnose this type of problem. Once the offending component is discovered, it is usually no big deal to replace it.
Sooo... stop gnashing your teeth (or applying band-aid solutions like a battery tender) and get the problem looked at by a competent technician.
You should be able to go on an extended vacation and have your Vette start without worries at the first try when you return home.
Enjoy your Vette like I enjoy mine, and best of luck solving your current drain problem.
It is insurance that your car will start after sitting for 1 day or 30 days.
Its worth the peace of mind knowing its going to start.
I never used one in my C5Z, and never had a battery issue.
But, in my C6 Z, I never put it in the garage without the Tender hooked up.
Its a great feeling.
augydog
12-11-2008, 10:55 PM
#37
Racer
Member Since: Jul 2008
Location: Mamaroneck New York
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"You should be able to go on an extended vacation and have your Vette start without worries at the first try when you return home."
You mean you don't take yer vette WITH you?
You mean you don't take yer vette WITH you?
12-11-2008, 10:58 PM
#39
I don't mean to sound ignorant. But my battery keeps dying in my ZR1. It dies in about a week and a half. I remember having this problem with my two C4 vettes. So, I called Optima Batteries today and told them my problem and I wanted to to buy an Optima battery. They said that they know of Z06's having this problem and they assumed that he ZR1 would be the same. I spoke to Chevrolet today and they told me that these cars have a really bad "key off" drain. Is anyone else experiencing this problem? I know someone out there is going to rip me for driving it more often. But hey, I can only drive one hot rod at a time. Chevrolet told me to just keep a battery charger attached to it. I told them the battery is in the back so I would have to keep the deck lid open all the time then. That won't work. I thought about putting in a battery cut-off switch, but then the electronics wouldn't work to detect the key fob. I'd like to hear yall's experience.
12-11-2008, 11:02 PM
#40
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jul 2006
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Are you parking the car in with the transmission in 1st gear or Reverse? I currently have a ZR1, but my previously had a 2006 ZO6. My battery died due to leaving the car in 1st, which caused a trickle drain on the battery. Owners manual states to park in reverse. This may apply to ZR1.