Original Battery
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Oct 29, 2025, 05:05 PM
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
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Don't forget to post the picture stranded in the road when you find the limits!
lol... good for you!
lol... good for you!
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Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 282
Likes: 69
From: Granbury Texas
If that should happen I will certainly post the occurrence and results. But it has been my experience that the battery will give you "some" advanced notice when it is about to fail. Thanks!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 903
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From: Kerrville, Texas
I replaced the original in my 2015 cadillac and my 2017 C7 last year.(they use the same battery). They were working just fine but I replaced them anyway as preventive maintenance and should have done it sooner
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
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Today's cars are hard on batteries. If you get 5 years or so you are doing well. Replaced mine in my '15 at 5 year mark just knowing. Honda's are hard on batteries as well. Had to replace 3 of our '19, '19 and 20 Civics. Fine one day dead the next . I got 9 years out of a 2001 Cavalier battery and 9 years on my old 65 Corvette NAPA battery. The 65 would turn over slow after a hot drive and ALT showed it was putting out like it should.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Rotonda West, FL 2015 Z51 M7 3LT
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I'd rather pay for a new battery once in a while vs getting stranded somewhere and having to deal with towing fees on top of it. YMMV though!
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 903
Likes: 133
From: Kerrville, Texas
I agree with you that most of the time a battery will give you an indication that it's about to fail and since mine were working fine replacing them sooner would have gained nothing. I should have said "I would have done it sooner if I had known they were the originals." I use my cadillac and vette when I go out of town or cruise backroads in the Hill Country. I have two other cars that I drive around town and run their batteries until they fail.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 1,355
Likes: 635
From: St. Louis
So do you use a float charger or do anything special to make the battery last longer? If you do use a float charger, please tell us which one you use.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5,485
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From: Loveland
I believe when you have the battery on a tender all the time, this causes it to fail all at once. Any battery on a tender, will start your car, just after you remove the tender. The battery may only have 1% left. When you park and go in for a beer, 6 hrs. later, it will be dead, the good thing, you have to go in and have another beer. Waiting for your wife to come pick you up is the fun part.
I have never used a tender on any car battery. They always give you plenty of warning. I have even had batteries that went dead for what ever reason, charge it back up, and never have a problem. If you chose not to drive your car for extended periods of time, disconnect it, then charge it before you hook it back up. Easy peasy!
I have never used a tender on any car battery. They always give you plenty of warning. I have even had batteries that went dead for what ever reason, charge it back up, and never have a problem. If you chose not to drive your car for extended periods of time, disconnect it, then charge it before you hook it back up. Easy peasy!
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,689
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From: SF Bay Area, CA
How can I tell if the battery in my 2017 is original? I got the car in 2023 with 5k miles.
When I start up, the reading show 14.8 or 14.9 volts and then it drops to around 14 after 20-30 minutes. Is this a sign to get a new one? Car has ~10k miles.
When I start up, the reading show 14.8 or 14.9 volts and then it drops to around 14 after 20-30 minutes. Is this a sign to get a new one? Car has ~10k miles.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 2,184
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From: North Texas
Lead acid batteries are 'happiness' when each cell is maintained at 2.15 to 2.25 volts. 2.20 volts / cell is the 'sweet' spot which = to 13.2 volts across the battery. A good battery maintainer does this.
A good 3 or 4 stage MAINTAINER is what you want.
I use a 1.25 Amp Battey Tender model on my 17 and another one on my Lexus.
Battery Tender also makes larger and smaller amperage models, and their plugs don't become intermittent like other brands do.
Last edited by Tinkertech; Oct 30, 2025 at 07:45 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
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From: Iowa
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 903
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From: Kerrville, Texas
I did almost the same thing you did. I bought my 2017 in 2024 with 4k miles. It took some looking but the date was etched into the plastic. It was working fine but I replaced it anyway.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,568
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From: Jefferson City Missouri
I have a 19 GS that I bought new in October of 2018. The battery went dead with zero warning at 6 years old. Luckily, I was parked at my American Legion Post and another member had jumper cables. I drove the car home 3 1/2 miles popped the hood and trunk and left the windows down. Went to the local Chevy dealer and picked up a new battery. The install went smoothly.