Silverado guy

I don't have the optional charger and I would like to charge the battery with my 2 amp trickle charger. Do I have to connect it directly to the battery or can I use an adapter to plug into the rear 12 volt outlet ? I have a 12 volt adapter, but not sure if this idea would work?

Foosh

If you have a 12v adapter for your maintainer you can use it in the rear 12v outlet. There's nothing special about the optional charger, which is just a CTEK unit w/ Chevy branding . A Battery Tender or any other maintainer will work equally well in the 12v port.

WMark

Noticed my dealer tried to slip the optional Corvette battery tender in as an option. "Assumed" I would want it. No... Not for $100. I already have a battery tender that works just fine. And yes, plug it in to the same place in the trunk.

rbartick

You can also connect under the hood.

JerryU

Before I bought the GM sold equivalent charger from Amazon for $60 I used the 2 amp setting on my charger with a homemade plug for the rear outlet. Neither helped the low voltage I had since new! After 3 years just replaced the battery with an AMG.

Details of all that effort and information from the Service Manual that says in a C7 you're good for ~30 days without charging, are outlined in this PDF, lots of pics: http://netwelding.com/Battery_Issues.pdf

I have not used a charger after the first month and been on several vacations for 2 1/2 weeks and the car started fine. Replaced my low voltage battery with an AGM just as a precaution for this upcoming 4th winter.

kitesurfer

how do you use a trickle charger from the plug in the back? can you close the trunk with a wire passin through the seal?

eboggs_jkvl

Word is, you can close the trunk lightly and it will not harm the cord. I have my maintainer hooked up under the hood and I don't worry about the cord or forgetting to remove the maintainer before I drive. It hooks to the car via a magnetic plug.

http://www.ls2.com/forums/showthread...hlight=battery

Elmer

millpond

Trunk can be closed and not hurt a thing...do it all the time.

PJay

I use a Battery Tender that I originally bought for my C5. When I got my C7, I bought the cigarette lighter plug that attaches to the wire in place of the alligator clips. I have a convertible, and that wire fits pretty easily between the trunk lid and seal, so I have no trouble closing the trunk lid. I'd assume that it's just as easy to do with a coupe.


Edit: Millpond beat me to it. Guess I'm a slow typist. Even better with a pic

1SG_Ret

Yep, exactly what I do. Just leave a little slack inside so when you close hatch it doesn't pull the socket out a bit (resulting ni a flashing charge light).

Silverado guy

I hooked up my 2/6 amp charger set on 2amp via the 12 volt adapter and set the charger on the floor of the garage. I don't believe in leaving it in the trunk because "if something can go wrong, it will go wrong" theory!
Glad to see in the picture above the charger is on the floor in a safe spot. I will drive it again in a week so this keeps it topped off nicely.

Mike Campbell

I do the same thing except my cord's outlet is in the garage ceiling.

Bavaria

Agreed, and I do.

owc6

I'm curious on this thread, as there are many who have responded who don't have to put it away for the winter; do you put it on all the time, or only if you know it will be weeks/months before you drive it again?

The C7 doesn't need anywhere near the battery tending that the C6 does.

Bavaria

Only if it doesn't get started in more than 2 weeks (rarely happens - only when on vacation).

Foosh

I drive my C7 year-round, but I put a maintainer on all my vehicles if they are not going to be driven for more than a week. They are all hard-wired with plug-in leads, and and they all live indoors, so it's easy to do. I'm well aware of the fact that I don't need to, but batteries stay healthier and last longer when they never discharge.

eboggs_jkvl

I sorta do this but I do mostly short trips and stay off the interstates. The car shows operating temp but a 5 minute trip to Lowe's or Publix does not recharge the battery with such a short trip so I slap the maintainer on as soon as I get home. Remember, I have a magnetic connection and hooking up to the maintainer is like 2 seconds as I walk past the front of the car on the way in the house. I figure having a fully charged battery is better than depending on the battery to recover by itself in the garage. Heck, I even have the same setup on my wife's car and plop the maintainer on when she parks.

The magnetic connection doesn't even have to be undone when I get in the car. If I forget to unhook, the magnet just falls to the floor as I back out of the garage.


Elmer

DebRedZR1

Thank you so much!!! Was thinking I would need this elite option
as my C6 charger adapter plugged into the phone charger outlet up front did not work on the C7. Read this post, located the rear outlet and BOOM all set CF users FTW again

Boiler_81

The front outlet is switched. When the vehicle is off, there is no connection from the front outlet to the electrical system. This is why the front powerport can't be used to charge the vehicle. The rear outlet is not switched. You can see this by plugging a phone charger into both while the car is powered down.

ETHYL

I agree. I do the same thing.