C7 car battery question
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Highlands Ranch Coloraod
C7 car battery question
I'm new to the Forum and have a question. I own a 2016 Stingray which I ordered new and picked up on 12-28-15. The car currently has under 16,000 miles on it and is primarily used durring the summer (I live in Denver, CO) for road trips. The battery in the car is now a bit over 4 years old. When the car is not in use, it sits in a climate controlled garage on a "Battery Tender". While I'm not having any problems with the car starting, I am planning a road trip to the NCRS National Convention this summer in Indiana. I am wondering, in an effort to save myself from a problem on the road, if I should replace the car's battery now.
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 12,240
Likes: 4,738
From: SE WI
You could run a battery test on it. Or you could just get a new battery. 4 years is close to the limit I’d want in my C7. They do some crazy things with bad batteries. May be good insurance to avoid problems by just biting the bullet.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,549
Likes: 343
From: Glastonbury CT
Dump it get a new delco like your original! Before placing it in car load test it so you know it is new stock. Look for date it was built and do not purchase it if it has been over a year old. Always had the best of luck with AC Delco batterys the rest are copy cats and you do not want to have a no start while you are on vacation.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,104
Likes: 701
From: Southern Illinois
I'd replace it. My experience with my newer vehicles with current day batteries is that they work fine then fall flat one day. 4-5 years for these batteries is a pretty full life and I'd replace it with a new quality AGM battery.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 641
Likes: 184
From: Uniontown Alabama
that battery cold have been made in 2014.... so it's close to is 5 years old..... most get 3 years .... change it now... if you want to do it your self it is a PITA... I did it but never again... dealer only wanted labor $25... should have listened! Good luck with what ever you decide! CJ
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,037
Likes: 9,798
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I would drive it till it fails. In 62 years of driving have only had three batteries fail to the point the car couldn't be started. Two of them had the positive terminals fall out of them and one shorted out. There are plenty of places that can replace a battery while on a cross country trip and most are reasonably priced. On long trips I always have booster cables with me in case I do something like leave the power on and walk away for a while to come back and find a discharged battery. If you are driving a lot of miles per day even a weak battery can last for months.
I would suggest having the battery load tested to see if it is still in good shape.
Bill
I would suggest having the battery load tested to see if it is still in good shape.
Bill
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,504
Likes: 66
From: Louisville, KY
I replaced the original battery in the 2011 GS about 2 months ago, it was 8 1/2 years old. Door wouldn’t unlock one morning, just assumed it was the battery. It wasn’t, it was the fob battery that caused the problem. Replaced both fob batteries too. Sold the car a month later.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,810
Likes: 615
From: Blacksburg Va
On our cars I replace at 5 years. Like said above one day it starts the next day it doesn't. I think there are two reasons.1- New batteries seem to be kind of like the LiOn batteries in power tools. I know they aren't technically the same but sure act like it. 2- Back in the day your car engine cranked for several seconds before it fired up. So you could listen to that crank speed and have some warning that the battery is week. Not now though, the just instantly fire up. I figure even at $150 for a battery, if I am throwing away a year of it's life, that is $30. Avoiding the hassle involved w/ a suddenly dead battery is easily worth $30 to me.
