Yes I replaced the AC Delco around 3 years in from new with a Optima Red Top. That only made it around 3 years or less. Then I bought an Optima Yellow and today that is dead. It is ALWAYS shut down in reverse. I drove it yesterday and it showed 8.5 volts when I checked tonight. I just had the latest software update installed at dealer two weeks ago. It is stored every winter with a battery tender. Any ideas? My 2004 Silverado still has the original AC Delco and is used in Vermont winters. HELP

 

I had the same problem on my 2005 Vert and it turned out to be a bad BCM - once replaced no more issues! Good luck

 

My mechanic told me that the optima batteries need a different (pulse) type of charger.

 

Latest software update might be a suspect. To bring the optima to 8.2v overnight would take a significant draw. Charging the optima from that low voltage will be a challenge if you don't have an optima charger, you may be able to get it replaced under warranty which would be ideal. Optima's that deeply discharge are tedious to charge, some conventional chargers won't see enough voltage to work. If so, hook a conventional lead acid battery in series (+/+, -/-) with the optima then, hook charger to conventional battery until you get above 12.2v. then go directly on the Optima. Charge slow as Optima's dissipate heat slowly.
Good luck!

 

If I am reading your numbers correctly, your Yellow top is at least 3-4 years old... That is average battery life for a C6 battery.

You really can't compare it to your pickup... C6's are harder on batteries than most cars.

 

Since it is the weekend this is where I sit. To narrow this down I charged the yellow top to 14.5 and let the car sit overnight. The reading was down to 7.4 this morning so it seems I don't need to check alternator as the problem. Because $200+ doesn't get me much past the 3-4 year range I went to Costco and put in an Interstate 34 (bigger than stock) for like $90 with a 42 full replacement warrantee. I charged it to full and plan on letting it sit until Monday morning to see if there is a significant draw down. As was rhoyvald suggested I would like the BCM tested. I assume a dealer would have to check. I also don't know how to check whwre a drawdown would be. Will update all you great owners Monday. Thanks to all.

 

How much did it cost you? Did you do it yourself? Thanks for the suggestion as I would like this solved for good.

 

The issue with batteries on Vettes is not so much the larger power requirement, it is the lack of use. If a vehicle sits more than 4 days you need to have it on a battery tender to prevent the battery from sulfating. If you have Optima or other AGM battery you must use a special tender made for AGM batteries.

If you still have the old Optima contact OptimaJim on this forum, he may be able to give you some pointers to recharge the battery. Sometime alternate techniques are required on a deeply discharged Optima.

I installed the 3rd Red Top Optima in the 69 in March 2014, but when I replaced the C6 battery a month later I went to a standard battery with an 3 year free replacement and 84 month warranty, much better warranty than Optima.

So far it looks like 2 to 3 years is the typical life for a battery on a vehicle with infrequent use even with the use of a Battery Tender. As of 4/2014 my 08 has had 3 batteries since built in 1/2008 and my 69 has had 3 batteries since 10/2008. Some swear they have had batteries last 10+ years but that is certainly has not been my experience.

 

Well I took the easy way out. I still don't know why it eats batteries every few years, trickle charger or not, but for $90 I put in a slightly larger Interstate from Costco with a 42 month full warranty. All is well.

 

parasitic draw is killing your battery more then likely.. and the culprit i bet will be the onstar. Mine was killing the batteries, i removed the onstar fuse and no more problems.

 

By any chance do you have a 2005?

If so that is the issue and it is a common problem. here is what I know--

the 2005 year has a reverse / steering wheel lock circuitry that by 2006 was eliminated and is thought to be the source of the mysterious drained battery syndrome. I have seen several 2005 corvettes when the system starts to go bad the battery will drain regardless if it is in reverse.

 

Yes mine is a 05

 

I am having the same problem with my Optima not holding a charge. Replaced the Optima battery with new one in June, tried to have it replaced in July, but Autozone insisted on just charging it. That lasted until today and they replaced it again. Only drive the car once or twice a month in the summer. I bought a BatteryTender charger for AGM batteries as mentioned quite a lot in these forums, but that will kill the battery in a week or so, even if taken out of the car. Autozone is getting upset because this is my fifth or sixth new battery in the last two years since I went to the yellow top. Going to put it into my Yukon and go back to a regular battery in the vette.

I have a deep cycle marine battery that my Diehard battery minder will keep charged, so my question is will that work in the Corvette? It is a 2008 with no modifications and like I said it is driven very infrequently. My original battery worked well with just plugging the battery minder into the power outlet in the center console.

Thanks

 

SERENITY_NOW,
Lets go through the check list.

Do you have Onstar on the car, but no service for it ? If yes, then chance at it's cycling at night when the car is in sleep mode, and that is draining the battery.

The solution is to unplug the onstar vcim module if you are not using the onstar in the car, and jump the lan bus wires on the connector once you unplug it.

And the VCIM is in the passenger back cubby hole on the front side behind the carpet inside the cubby hole under the lid.


Ditto goes for the XM radio, and if you are no using it, then unplug the XM module.
The module is above the rear driver side wheel well behind the carpet.






Next, lets check the charging system.

Start the car, and with a multi meter set to DC, get a reading on the alternator. Hence body of the alternator is the ground, and the terminal on the back of it under the rubber boot is the positive.
The voltage you are looking for is 14.6 volts and take a reading from the terminal itself, and not the wire connector bolted to the terminal instead.

Next with the car running still, take a reading at the battery terminals. Voltage here should be 14.5 volts.

Next, pop the fuse box lip open, and take a reading of the positive terminal at the fuse box, to the body of the alternator as the ground point. Reading should be 14.5 volts.

Lastly, toggle the DIC to voltage, and the voltage should be 14.3 volts (or higher).

If you get a low reading anywhere, tell me which one and I can tell you where the problem is in the charging system wiring and how to fix it.

As for if you are not going to drive the car for a few days, get it on the battery tender!!!! Even with a fully charged battery, the Vet will drain a battery down in about three weeks flat when left in sleep mode/sitting parked.

Lastly, when starting the car, it take about 15min for the car to fully charge the battery again when being driven. If you are driving the car for short distances and turning it off/starting it up for another short drive again, the battery may end up not being fully charged when you shut the car off for the day. So here, just throw it on the battery tender for the night to charge the battery back up again.

Bluntly put, the longer is the battery is in a fully charged state, the longer the battery is going to last. So since the car charging system has more than enough power to keep the battery full charged if working correctly when the car is running, then problem with a battery wearing out so fast is something is either not allowing the battery to fully charge in the first place with the car running, of something is draining it quickly when the car is in sleep mode instead.