The $100 "battery protection accessory" was already included when I bought my 2014 vert 3 yrs ago. It says: GM#22969090, Genuine GM, Made in China, Battery Charger, US 3300, Model 1051. Looks like same as CTEK 3300 to me.

Luckily, I've never had battery issues so far.
But my concern mine's a daily driver to/from work 2 miles away, short drives to/from lunch 1-2 miles away, so lots of start/stop, 6 - 8 cycles of up/down convertible top per day, & I like to crank up the stereo since vert is down 97% of the time.

The batteries in all my previous cars, include C5 vert yrs ago, usually lasted 3 - 5 yrs, before replacement.

So, just wondering:
1. do I need to use the battery charger (still brand new, since I haven't need to use it yet) for any maintenance?
2. any problem using the lighter power plug at lower dash, instead of same plug in the vert trunk? (since my vert top's down in garage, instead of closed vert trunk)
3. how's this special overpriced GM charger different from my previous experience with battery tender at half the price (connected directly to battery, instead of acc plug)?

Thanks,

 

1) Given your 1-2 mile usage, your battery is likely never fully charging. In your case, I'd hook it up at least twice a month overnight to get to a full charge.

2) The 12v port on the console won't work because it powers down with ignition off. The port on the passenger-side rear trunk area is hot all the time.

3) There is no difference (other than the Corvette logo) between the CTEK 3300 that came w/ the car and one that can be purchased everywhere else. A Battery Tender also does the same thing. Using the 12v plug, alligator clips, or direct wired all produce the same result.

Lead acid vehicle batteries that are kept near fully charged consistently last longer than those that run down. Depleted charges are very hard on batteries.

In addition, you can close the trunk over the thin cord without damaging it, or if you prefer leave it cracked. The car still fully powers down after 10 minutes or so w/ the trunk/hatch left cracked.

 

Mine sits for weeks/months at a time so I always have it plugged in. I have noticed that when I do drive it, I can plug it in when I get home and it goes straight to charging most of the time. The lighter power port is not usable when the car is not running. It might be different now but mine is 2015 and that port only works when the car is running. There are several chargers to choose from, I just use the one that came with the car and I picked up an additional one when the dealership gave me a gift card to use on accessories when they had an issue with my splitter.

EDIT - all that writing for nothing, I need to type faster I guess

 

Same here, even after a long drive the charger kicks into charge. OP You can close the truck on the charger cord without any issues when using the rear port. I've done it since new.

 

I keep mine attached whenever I park rhe car. Seems prudent. I also noticed after driving it charges for awhile before going amber.

 

Yes, when I hook it up after a 50-60 mile drive, it still charges, but the difference is it only takes 3-4 hours to top off the battery versus 12 or more if it's been sitting for awhile.

 

I have one I ordered with my 17' and I share it with my 64'. After a drive the Z06 always charges for a while, wear as the Sting Ray doesn't. Of course the new C7 has so much more electronics to run. Over time the 64' Sting Ray will slowly discharge the battery, I think due to that big mechanical clock, so I leave the charger most time on the Sting Ray. I think I'm gonna order a second one so I can always have the cars on trickle. I have a battery tender on my lawn tractor all the time and that was the best thing I ever did in that arena, the battery lasts for several years now instead of one. I have a rule ever since moving to South Florida, I change the battery after 3 years in my daily drivers as they go dead shortly after that. Now a new C7 with the battery near the AC and away from the engine heat the battery will most likely last longer.

 

With all your points.

Reinforcing from experience with my Street Rod. When I first built it, was driving 15 to 20 miles about every week thinking I was also keeping the Optima battery charged. It was not! A had installed a high current alternator and thought that would help. When you have electric doors and windows, not good to have a dead battery! Fortunately built in a way to provide power to the battery that was inaccessible inside the car.

A quick calculation showed the power required to start that big block, after it sat for a week and needed cracking for 5 to 10 seconds was not going to be replaced with a 15 mile drive once a week. That 125 amp alternator was not going to put out 125 amps into the battery at the RPM's in was being turned.

Bought a battery maintainer and have used for 16 years when the car is parked.

In addition I would also be concerned that the OP is not getting the oil hot in 1 to 2 miles trips. The extra blow-by on stating is causing combustion products, which includes lots of water, to mix with the oil. That forms acids. Need to get the oil hot for a period of time to evaporate the water. The OLM will take that into consideration and may recommend changing the oil well before the minimum 1 year that it will always indicate a change is needed regardless of miles traveled.

Just my added $0.02.

 

 

Great discussion above.

But just wondering on a few points:
- if you're going to replace battery at 3 yrs regardless, why even bother with even doing regular maint charging?
- again, luckily, never had battery problems yet. Car starts right up everyday so far. but should I go ahead & start plugging it charger once wk/month for maint, so go ahead & wait until I start noticing sluggish starts or other signs of battery weakening?
- seeing above that a few also uses this charger for older Vettes also; but can I also use this for other my car brands: Mercedes, VW, Audi, Ford...?

One last off-the-wall observation:
Since most of us park head-in into garage, & most electrical outlets are at inside wall nearer to the hood, wouldn't it better to have the always-on acc plug at the front of the car, & along with extra long power cord on the charger, there won't be a need for another extension cord & having power cord draped up the back paint & over & into the trunk / lid.

 

I installed an LED drop light with about 40' of retractable cord when I built the house... plugged into Garage Door Opener receptacle in the ceiling. It has a power plug on it and I plug the tender into that, charging from the trunk outlet with the thin cable going through closed trunk.....careful to not scratch paint, of course.....LK

 

Using a long extension cord is not an issue. Battery maintainers operate at a very low amperage.

The simple answer on why it's the trunk port that's always hot is that it's directly above the battery and very easy to direct wire, which it is. One of the consequences of wiring the console 12v port always hot is that owners have a tendency to leave devices plugged in there, which can and did run a lot of batteries down quickly.

It used to be common on older vehicles, but manufacturers don't usually do that anymore. That, no doubt, saves them a lot of money on roadside assistance service calls, and probably reduces customer ill-will even though dead batteries usually are the fault of the customer.

 

Mine works great! As I usually only drive it on either Saturday or Sunday morning I usually leave it plugged up to let it cycle on/off as needed to always keep battery fully charged.

 

FYI, CTEK sells extension cords for their devices. They are available all over Amazon.

Lastly, why replace a battery every 3 years when they can easily go double that if well maintained?

 

This is an interesting thread, but let's carry this a bit further. If the car is always on a Cetek 3300 type charger when not driven. Note that I say always, and it is always garaged and the temperature is neither too hot or too cold what is the longest life expectancy I can reasonably expect? It should also be noted that the Cetek 3300 also has a desulfanation feature that many other charger maintainers do not. I have heard that under these conditions battery life could be extended to 7-8 years. In short, the battery is never discharged. I presently have a 14 c7 z51. I would like to hear from you folks on this.

 

If not ever discharged, yes it's quite possible for a battery to last 10 years or even more. The #1 battery killer is many deep depletion and recharge cycles. Every deep discharge takes a little more life out of the battery.

 

Hmmm...

Read that for cell phone batteries that gets recharged daily, it's better to let it get fully depleted for full recharge...

But for our car batteries, don't let it get fully discharged?

 

Correct, do not fully discharge your vehicle battery.

 

Navy,

You're talking about rechargeable, lithium-ion batteries. Lead-acid vehicle batteries are entirely different.

 

Answers and facts... courtesy of the Battery University....LK

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a...teries_to_fail