dbirdhouse1

'14 Z51 Conv 1LT 7MT Z51 about 17,800 miles
Battery, factory replacement about three months old, added steering wheel with digital readouts about a month ago, haven't driven it in about a week, been very warm here in the PNW....took her out for a spin, abit slow to start, drove for about 30 minutes, got back home and she just died. Hooked up the CTEK charger at about two this afternoon. charging light is lit, no flickering of said item which I read is good. Been on the charger for about six hours so far. Still dead as a doornail: Admittedly I had never used a charger before then, drove her enough not to need one, until today(?)

A. How long will charging take?
B. Is this a hint to use the charger regularly now?
C. Is the battery permanently damaged and should she go in to be checked (hard one I know, dont know enough)?

Thanks for taking the time.....PS Just went out to check on it and it powered up though the charging light is still on as opposed to the maintenance light

Ron_Attleboro_MA

My first thought is the battery connections. Maybe whomever changed it didn't really tighten all the connections. Try moving the cables, try tightening a little. Very slight chance that the battery is defective.
As for the trickle charge, the orange light should be ON steady during charging. Goes green when fully charged. I would guess that a dead battery would take at least 2 days to fully charge.
You started and drove for a while, it should have gotten better, not worse. Loose connections!!
Good luck and best wishes. A small problem but a big annoyance .

DALE#3

Not sure if that trickle charger will charge from dead?Worth a shot.I would jump it cause you don't own a battery charger and drive it. You need a tester.
A new battery shouldn't be dead unless it wasn't fully charged when purchased? These cars are finicky.They draw juice sitting.Not much but enough to cause issues in your case as described.
A good investment to keep some guess work out of a issue is a tester.A must:
https://www.grainger.com/product/OTC...-Analog-45NU82

golden2husky

My CTEk charger from Chevy never blinks the amber light when charging. Once the plug is properly seated in the trunk socket, the amber light comes on and stays solid until the charge level is sufficient then the green light comes on. A pulsating light indicates poor contact in the car's socket...that has been my experience.

jwmgr8

I am big fan of aaa for towing and battery jumping. Once battery can not crank engine the trickle charger probably will not work. I had problem on my 2016. I tried trickle for a week, did nothing. Called aaa they came to the house and properly jumped the car and it worked as long as i Owned car.

aaa will check connections and if battery is charging. They can furnish new battery too if needed.

Vette Jockey

I have also had good luck with AAA comiing out and checking the battery. . In my case I needed a new one. New batteries can go bad.

dashotgun

I had a simiilar issue with my convertible it turns out when I put the top up I did not wait until I got the message that it was done the battery did not go to sleep and killed the charge. I took out the newish battery and brought it to auto zone for rpelacement they suggested charging ti over night as it read dead( not what you would expect from a new battery. It charged up fine put it back in and the car ran fine since. i took it to the dealer they could not find a fault. When i put the new charged battery in it noted the top was not fully closed that is why I think that was the issue. yes I agree trickle chargers will not recharge a dead battery

wrecker3

I started using Deltran Battery Tenders back in 1987 with my first C4 Corvette. My 2016 C7 is connected to my Deltan Tender when not in use. The battery in my C7 will be 7 years old 9-27-2022 and still has no problem starting my car.

dbirdhouse1

thanks for the info....you're right, trickle charger did nothing to bring her back...will pursue a jump start and new battery.

dbirdhouse1

Follow up for those who care; battery in excellent shape, no codes at all BUT after jump starting she runs just fine, then dies aaaaaaaand about 15 minutes later she starts up. Got a weird entry that said "check rear axle" but since there's no codes I'm attributing that to scrambling her little brain....as I said no codes....have an appt on the 26th with dealership so we'll see. she's the only material possession I have a real connection to....stupid and weird Maybe the starter? We'll find out and thanks for your offers of advice

Rayland

OP:


Yes, it is very warm in the Pacific Northwest (top off cruising).

However, you wrote "added steering with digital readout about a month ago."
My guess, (over the internet) an open circuit, from your after market steering wheel?

Aftermarket parts= aftermarket problems!


Note: Occam's Razor, put simple, States: "
the simplest solution is almost always the best." It's a problem-solving principle arguing that simplicity is better than complexity.


Many thanks,

Ray

dbirdhouse1

My gut feeling at this point is........the starter; car is completely charged, still won't start w/o external help and when it does there is a slight clicking noise and slow to turn over, then when I turn it off, hard to start again....I also have a check rear axle light (which I've read can be just an electronic blip or a bad sensor and roof is not completely closed (conv) even when I've opened and closed it and it says process complete. in any case for now it sits on the trickle charger (says its fully charged) and will go into my local chevy dealer on Sept 27th as my primary mechanic/dealership doesn't have any openings until October.....kinda like me, a few bugs to deal with but still lookin' like new (should with only 17,850 miles on the clock)

RonC7

Service Rear Axle on startup is a common error due to a weak / bad battery.

Open the hatch / trunk, disconnect your trickle charger, wait for 10 minutes or so for Retained Accessory Power to time out, and check battery voltage. You can check at the battery terminals or the rear 12 V accessory outlet with a volt meter. Should see 12 + volts.

Ron

449er

Are you sure that the battery is indeed fully charged & is holding a charge? Your ctek "charger" is most likely a "maintainer".....they are not designed to charge a fully discharged battery

dbirdhouse1

I will check it today......changes recently (one month ago) were a new Delco battery and a custom steering wheel with electronic display.......could the wheel be too high of a draw? Doubt it, was professionally installed by a great mechanic......I have an appt on the 27th to have it attended to......we shall see

dbirdhouse1

I followed your advice and she comes back at a solid 13.4......

c5arlen

AAA does not "totally" understand the Corvette and its battery drain thing... Don't trust their judgement call regarding anything "battery"... They don't understand all they should about Corvette and battery life. Ask me how I know.

dbirdhouse1

Finally solved it, it is my aftermarket steering wheel with digital displays. You have options with this wheel, one is to have it come on when the car does or you turn it on. I had it on when the car is started. After dealing with all the subsequent problems, and your helpful suggestions I noticed one day that the steering wheel display starting coming on by itself. Turns out, the module it was wired to turn on/off during the day as, you know, the ole C7 goes through low level electronic processes even when off. And the wheel picked this up and turned on. The solution was as simple as turning that feature off so that it only turns on when I turn it on.....yeeesh, shoutout to Mark the Mechanic at Titus-will in Olympia, WA State who looked it over (during an oil change which I get for free with this car) and he (also) noticed the drain. No charge for his time then so I came away with problem solved and no money out of pocket. He is the best mechanic I have ever used and the reason I drive an hour each way to get to the dealership........thanks again for the suggestions. As I explained it they were very much in line with how I explained it.

Vetteman Jack

That is what I call great service by Mark, the tech at the dealership. Fantastic that the problem is solved, no expense involved and you now can drive the car without any issues.