Went out to start my 2015 Z51 last weekend. Pushed the ignition button and the car wouldn't start! It didn't even turn over, it seemed that the battery was dead. I tried plugging in the charger that I bought with the car, plugged it into the lighter outlet on the console and then plugged it into power and it wouldn't start to charge. I then got my trickle charger and attached it to the battery directly and it start to charge. Checked it a few days later and the charger indicated the battery was charged. Went out to start the car tonight and the charger light was blinking, like it was connected backwards to the battery and the battery was not charged! I couldn't even open the doors with the remote, had to use the key to unlock the rear hatch. I disconnected the battery charger and reconnected it and it started charging again. Anybody know what is going on?

 

Might be a bad battery, get it checked.

 

The chargers that come with your car will not boost a dead battery, it might look like its charging but it won't charge it.

You need to attach a regular charger to the battery to get it over 11 volts, then the float charger to do its job and finish off the charge

 

Sorry to hear that. I have been through it myself. Sounds like a battery issue which is where to start either way. The electronics on Corvette drain the battery when it sits over time. GM offers the battery protection package for good reason. FWIW I left my 2011 C6 off the battery tender for a few days and the battery would not start the car. Had dim dash lights but car would not start. Got it jump started and drove it straight to the dealer. Car was under warranty at the time. GM will not replace the battery unless it test bad which it did. Service tech put in a new battery, indexed windows and got all systems working. He had to work with it awhile as not everything came back initially even with a new battery. After that I kept the car on a battery tender when in the garage.. Currently own a 2015 C7 and if the car is going to sit in the garage for more than a day or two it is on the GM battery protection charger. No issues and starts great. I have talked with several C7 owners about potential battery issues with these cars. One lady with a 2014 C7 as a daily driver didn't know about using a battery tender and had no issues. Her car was a daily driver and maybe that is the key to keeping the battery charged. Other C7 owners have said they let their car sit for a week or two and their car starts fine. Good for them, I just don't trust the battery to start the car if it sits for two weeks. A bit of a pain to keep the car plugged in so frequently but it starts great and avoids dead battery problems. Good Luck!

 

Plug the charger into the trunk port for a couple of days and see what happens. The port in the cabin will not work.

 

This. Only the one in the trunk is live whe when car is off. Doesn't anyone read manuals anymore? That said, it's also true that the float charger is not designed to charge a completely dead battery.

 

I agree. I've been keeping my C7 on the battery tender whenever it's not being driven ever since I've had it. I know it sounds like a waste of time and electricity, but it works for me and gives a little added comfort that the battery will perform. Unhooking the tender before driving and re-hooking after have simply become an automatic part of driving for me. No big deal.

 

Just to set the record straight, you can do as you wish but the C7 is no different than other cars, better than older Vettes and can start the car at least 30 days after not running!
Got my C7 in October 2013. Checked the battery voltage and it was on the low side (read ~12.4 volts using a calibrated volt meter and still does after the surface charge dissipates.) Had the dealer check in 2013 when I brought it in for a rear end fluid check. As expected I got a "working as designed!"
Have not used a battery charger after I bought a GM equivalent in October 2013 to see if the low voltage was from not using the car during that period because I was travelling, no different and have not used it since. I went on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks and it started fine and after driving ~50 miles the battery still read 12.4 volts! I probably have a weak cell and at the first sign of a problem I'll buy an AGM battery replacement-but so far it's fine.
Made the pic below from the 2014 Service Manual info. It shows that the C7 can last, as noted, more than 35 days and still start the car. Do as you wish but the C7 DOES NOT DRAIN THE BATTERY EXCESSIVELY, IN FACT SHUTS OFF MOST POWER DRAINS AFTER ~10 MINUTES.




If fully charged car should start after 30 to 35 days

 

Consider the record straightened. I'm aware of everything you point out in the manual. Nevertheless, I don't see anything but good in spending a few cents per month to be certain the battery is fully charged. I've also read that this practice also helps extend battery life.

 

We have a long-term solution for that



GM ACCESSORY Corvette Stingray C7 Battery Charger - GM (22969090)






Hope this helps!

 

You can buy a CTEK MUS 4.3...8 Step....Smart Charger from Amazon for under $70.00 free shipping and the CTEK MUS 4.3.....is superior to the US3300 Corvette charger as shown above.

 

OR....call your friendly AAA jumper-guy

 

Odd, I've had 10 Corvettes and only one had the battery go out under the 3 year-36,000 mile warranty, and that was with 2 miles left on the warranty. Really! All of the rest of them had batteries that lasted a little over 3 or 4 years, and I replaced them with the OEM battery.
Living in a warmer climate may have helped in the life of the batteries, also I have never used a battery tender.
Of course, now I have jinxed myself and the car will be dead when I leave work tonight in the rain! LOL

 

The CTEK US 3300 12-Volt Battery Charger, # CTEK56158, may be able to resurrect your batteries but if they were dead long enough, they would probably be too far gone to bring back to working order. The best bet for this scenario would be the CTEK MULTI US 7002 12-Volt Universal Battery Charger, # CTEK56353, because it has a special reconditioning mode that restores the power capacity of stratified batteries. The 7002 also has an 8-step charging process. As does the CTEK MUS 4.3

 

Very well worth watching......just get the best....CTEK.

 

Go to WalMart and buy this trickle and full 8amp charger that simply plugs into the cargo compartment outlet. Works great about $30. or 2 for $40. This unlike the ctek will charge a dead battery.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/40806213?<...061168&veh=sem

 

You have a beautiful American made sports car, why not buy the best.

But I understand, you're Black & White.

 

I own a Ctek I think its junk. It will only trickle charge. This will do both and is a full 8 amps.

 

This is very true. I tried for years to baby along my toy car with occasional winter drives to keep it charged, but that can be tough some years in Ohio. Every few years I had to replace the battery because they all stopped holding a charge. If you want to let it run completely down you really need to buy a deep cycle battery.

After I started to keep my battery on a maintainer it lasted incredibly longer. It finally just died a couple of months ago and when I checked the receipt I was amazed that it was over 10 years old!

 

See post #15 above and go to the CTEK website to get a full understanding of the CTEK smart chargers and how they work.

Don't know what model you have, as you never stated and your comment was quite vague in nature.

http://smartercharger.com/

These automotive brands have chosen CTEK for their branded chargers.

You must be mistaken and perhaps you own another brand, not a CTEK.