Battery question
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,479
Likes: 737
I paid $220 for a 36 month AAA battery from NAPA back in December for a 2018 Stingray, which apparently had the original battery. I installed the battery myself. Then I traded that Stingray A8 for a 2016 Stingray Z51 M7 with half the mileage in March. I wonder if the Chevy dealer would have let me swap batteries?
At NAPA, it is hard to find a 36 month battery for under $200. They have 24 month batteries well under $200. I always get a 36 month battery because they sometimes last more than 36 months. Advance Auto has Diehard batteries, which are supposed to be good.
I always buy a battery with a handle. That is helpful when lowering the battery into the tight compartment in the C7.
At NAPA, it is hard to find a 36 month battery for under $200. They have 24 month batteries well under $200. I always get a 36 month battery because they sometimes last more than 36 months. Advance Auto has Diehard batteries, which are supposed to be good.
I always buy a battery with a handle. That is helpful when lowering the battery into the tight compartment in the C7.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,002
Likes: 2,703
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
When we got our new 2017 where the battery lives more comfortably in the trunk, I went for 4 years on the first replacement. That replacement battery (best Delco available) died just a week short of the 4 year point, even though it was kept on a tender any time the car sat idle for more than 3 days.
Predicting battery life is tougher than predicting the weather. But now I'm back to the 3 year replacement.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,947
Likes: 6,748
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Just be sure of what battery the dealer is selling you before you decide, even if it's often worth the money just to not have to deal with all the potential hassles of changing it oneself. Do an "Advance search" here and find more about the battery-swap than you'll ever want to know! All the best, in any event. 
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 32,042
Likes: 4,610
I paid $220 for a 36 month AAA battery from NAPA back in December for a 2018 Stingray, which apparently had the original battery. I installed the battery myself. Then I traded that Stingray A8 for a 2016 Stingray Z51 M7 with half the mileage in March. I wonder if the Chevy dealer would have let me swap batteries?
At NAPA, it is hard to find a 36 month battery for under $200. They have 24 month batteries well under $200. I always get a 36 month battery because they sometimes last more than 36 months. Advance Auto has Diehard batteries, which are supposed to be good.
I always buy a battery with a handle. That is helpful when lowering the battery into the tight compartment in the C7.
At NAPA, it is hard to find a 36 month battery for under $200. They have 24 month batteries well under $200. I always get a 36 month battery because they sometimes last more than 36 months. Advance Auto has Diehard batteries, which are supposed to be good.
I always buy a battery with a handle. That is helpful when lowering the battery into the tight compartment in the C7.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,487
Likes: 254
From: Lake Tapps WA.
Just go to Auto Zone, Advance Auto, O'Reilly, etc. Unless the Dealer's battery price is the exact same as the auto parts store or you plan on having the dealer install it there's really no reason to take it to them for a battery. You're typically going to pay out the *** for a battery that was probably made in the same factory as the ones at one of the auto parts stores.
Edit: Looking at Autozone and Advance Auto the battery for my '14 is between $199-249 depending on whether you go with their cheap or expensive non-agm batteries. So assuming the dealer's batteries have the same specs/warranty then that's not an unreasonable price.
Edit: Looking at Autozone and Advance Auto the battery for my '14 is between $199-249 depending on whether you go with their cheap or expensive non-agm batteries. So assuming the dealer's batteries have the same specs/warranty then that's not an unreasonable price.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,286
Likes: 356
From: Iowa
Interesting. Assuming the CCA and everything else matches I wonder why that would be. Perhaps it's a "loss leader" and hopefully they can do an inspection and find other things you might need done and upsell you? I know they price match tires and their fluid services are typically reasonable. Maybe they just make all their money on parts and labor?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,487
Likes: 254
From: Lake Tapps WA.
Interesting. Assuming the CCA and everything else matches I wonder why that would be. Perhaps it's a "loss leader" and hopefully they can do an inspection and find other things you might need done and upsell you? I know they price match tires and their fluid services are typically reasonable. Maybe they just make all their money on parts and labor?
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,215
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
My experience from 1+yr ago. ACDelco from the dealer was the cheapest, and had a 40 mo., over the counter, non pro-rated, replacement guarantee. The kicker was, they wanted $180 to install it.
I installed it myself in their parking lot and returned the core for the deposit.
I installed it myself in their parking lot and returned the core for the deposit.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,536
Likes: 5,123
From: Chester VA
My experience from 1+yr ago. ACDelco from the dealer was the cheapest, and had a 40 mo., over the counter, non pro-rated, replacement guarantee. The kicker was, they wanted $180 to install it.
I installed it myself in their parking lot and returned the core for the deposit.
I installed it myself in their parking lot and returned the core for the deposit.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 430
Likes: 113
From: Easton, PA
I changed my own battery in my 2019 Grand Sport. It was almost 6 years old and I had no trouble with it but these batteries don't give much warning before they S*it the bed. I spent more time on YouTube to see what it involved than it took to actually install the new battery. As mentioned above, be careful with the carpet when moving it so you can get to the battery and be very careful with that black wire. I purchased a AGMH6 DieHard from Advance Auto for about $250 with a 4 year. From start to finish, it took me 45 minutes. It was harder getting my fat fingers around the OEM battery to get it out of the tight compartment. The new one has 2 handles on it which made it so easy to put it in the compartment. I swear the battery was on the frame before they built the car LOL
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,215
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 12,244
Likes: 4,739
From: SE WI
Just bought a new AC Delco battery for $185 plus $11 refundable deposit, plus tax (48GHRA Gold 42 month at local Buick dealer). I installed it yesterday. Prices have gone up for batteries since I checked in January. Installed at a dealer I was quoted $260 last fall. Probably $300 today.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 615
Likes: 368
From: Treasure Coast
Just bought a new AC Delco battery for $185 plus $11 refundable deposit, plus tax (48GHRA Gold 42 month at local Buick dealer). I installed it yesterday. Prices have gone up for batteries since I checked in January. Installed at a dealer I was quoted $260 last fall. Probably $300 today.
Last edited by 633BR; Apr 7, 2025 at 12:39 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 12,244
Likes: 4,739
From: SE WI
Yep I was kicking myself a little for not checking the dealer a mile away. They had it priced at $181, $4 cheaper. Def shop around. I use the gmparts.com website which is linked to all the dealers. It'll show you prices for all the dealers in your area. I just bought a missing plastic cover on my battery positive fuse block at my local dealer a mile away. They only wanted $10 when ebay wanted like $20 plus. Just drove and picked it up.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 435
Likes: 227
From: Broadview Hts, OH
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 2,811
Likes: 1,147
From: Wauconda Il
May not be the cheapest route. But that’s not bad at all for the dealer to install with the battery. Thats actually one of the cheaper installs of a dealer I heard. As long as it’s the same as the OEM one and not a lower grade one.