Battery
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 420
Likes: 252
Battery
Anybody has an idea how long the battery will last without using a trickle charger? My Lotus can't got more than 14 days without being charged. It doesn't matter if I drive it here and there, it has a small battery.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,948
Likes: 6,750
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Knowing nothing else about your example, this can be an issue with any application: "... it has a small battery."
I see no reason the C8 should be any different from any other modern car with an appropriate sized battery (such as the C7). It should be okay for weeks. But, if in doubt simply put an appropriate charger on it.
I see no reason the C8 should be any different from any other modern car with an appropriate sized battery (such as the C7). It should be okay for weeks. But, if in doubt simply put an appropriate charger on it.
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,937
Likes: 12,350
From: NE South Carolina
I seldom used a charger with my two C7s- even when going on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks. (Lots of lightening around here in the summer and have fried some things in the house, sure don't want that with the Vette! I do keep a charger on my Street Rod 24/7 BUT I did all that wiring and IF needed could do it again!) 
. The C8 is probably like the C7. Not like older Vettes these shut down most power after ~10 minutes and all after 30 minutes. Will power up OnStar for a very short time periodically but shut right back down.Good for at least 30 days starting with 80% charge.
Last edited by JerryU; Sep 15, 2020 at 06:23 PM.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 60
Likes: 40
Not sure if this applies to my C8 since I haven't discussed it with anyone, but for my VW GTI, the service folks said when I asked them a couple years ago, to make sure I lock the doors if leaving for an extended time period, even if the car is in a locked garage. Locking the car puts more electronic stuff to sleep quicker extending the life of the battery. Have gone 6 weeks on that without an issue. I do have a trickle charger I had for my Harley which will plug into the frunk port for extended non-driving periods. Generally good practice to keep battery up.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,128
Likes: 616
From: St Louis Area IL
Not sure if this applies to my C8 since I haven't discussed it with anyone, but for my VW GTI, the service folks said when I asked them a couple years ago, to make sure I lock the doors if leaving for an extended time period, even if the car is in a locked garage. Locking the car puts more electronic stuff to sleep quicker extending the life of the battery. Have gone 6 weeks on that without an issue. I do have a trickle charger I had for my Harley which will plug into the frunk port for extended non-driving periods. Generally good practice to keep battery up.
I'm failing to see how this few minutes differences of maybe 200 milliamps of battery draw is going to ensure the battery will maintain a charge for six weeks, as opposed to leaving the doors unlocked. I can see a graph of energy consumption in my head using both scenarios, and don't see any meaningful difference with either method. You are putting this out there as a recommendation to others, so I'm just trying to see the validity in your statements.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 60
Likes: 40
They implied, and have not confirmed, that as long as the car is unlocked some things don't "sleep" and will more quickly drain the battery. Locking it puts those items to sleep that would otherwise continue to consume battery. Not a question of just the few minutes. But, I have not independently verified that. I had just been looking for guidance on use of a trickle charger when I was gone 5 weeks. I was gone that long, had locked the car, and all was fine on my return. But it is a 2016 and doesn't have all the gizmos the c8 has
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
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 6,379
Likes: 3,294
My 2016 Chevy Malibu is noticeable before a month. If I am not going to use a vehicle for more than 2 weeks, I'll put it on a float charger. If I need to, I will give it a real charge at some point. One big takeaway is to NOT Over Charge! This causes more damage than anything else. Many put chargers on and walk away for month(s) - NOT GOOD!
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 60
Likes: 40
I agree. I wouldn't use a charger for long term. I have a battery tender made to just do a trickle charge and shut off when fully charged. Common to keep on the battery of motorcycles that can go months in the winter without riding.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 520
From: West Columbia Texas
If you intend to put your car away for an extend stay...and don't have a battery tender there is an easy solution.....Place your car is TRANSPORT MODE. When your car was released for delivery....how long did it sit in the lot at BGA? we know that some of you had your cars sit somewhere as it took WEEKS between the time they were built and when they were delivered...was the battery dead? NOPE....and te reason why is the factory puts the car in TRANSPORT MODE which reduces the electric load during that time....once your car reached the dealer, they took it OUT of Transport Mode. YOU can put it back into Transport Mode for storage if you want and then take it out when your done. Here is a video of how to do it. in the video jump to 2:20 where it explains it.
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,937
Likes: 12,350
From: NE South Carolina
My 2016 Chevy Malibu is noticeable before a month. If I am not going to use a vehicle for more than 2 weeks, I'll put it on a float charger. If I need to, I will give it a real charge at some point. One big takeaway is to NOT Over Charge! This causes more damage than anything else. Many put chargers on and walk away for month(s) - NOT GOOD!
I have been using a cheaper Schumacher charger (yep same guy who runs several top AA/Fuel Dragsters and Funny cars in NHRA) on my Street Rod 24/7 for 20 years! It's also microprocessor based and WILL NOT overcharge. In that case it's on an Optima Yellow Top battery and helps battery life. Had one battery go almost 10 years and only changed it because the car has eclectic doors and can only be opened with a remote. The battery is inside the car so if it dies no access! At home I have a somewhat difficult way to power the remote control and solenoid with an external source BUT at a car show would be a real PIA!
Last edited by JerryU; Sep 16, 2020 at 12:22 PM.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 585
Likes: 460
My 2016 Chevy Malibu is noticeable before a month. If I am not going to use a vehicle for more than 2 weeks, I'll put it on a float charger. If I need to, I will give it a real charge at some point. One big takeaway is to NOT Over Charge! This causes more damage than anything else. Many put chargers on and walk away for month(s) - NOT GOOD!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,583
Likes: 16,942
What GM sells is a CTEK battery maintainer with the Corvette logo on it for twice the price of the same model CTEK you can buy on Amazon. You can also buy much more sophisticated CTEK models for what you pay GM for the low budget CTEK.
Last edited by Foosh; Sep 16, 2020 at 01:20 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 6,379
Likes: 3,294
Question- I haven't investigated yet, but is the orange plastic piece on the cigarette lighter end a plug protector or supposed to be left on when using? No information in C8 or Charger manuals.
Last edited by C8J; Sep 16, 2020 at 05:18 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,278
Likes: 550
From: Pittsburgh PA
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,128
Likes: 616
From: St Louis Area IL
I just picked up a new Lithium battery for my motorcycle. They aren't cheap.
Supposedly you don't have to charge it over the winter, if you just remove the negative lead. They make a lithium charger, and there is a Deltran model for those batteries. The guy at Batteries Etc, said you can use the lead acid Deltran maintainer to put a quick charge on it, but not to use it as a long term maintainer. I'll give it a three month test this winter to see if it still holds enough charge to start my bike.
Supposedly you don't have to charge it over the winter, if you just remove the negative lead. They make a lithium charger, and there is a Deltran model for those batteries. The guy at Batteries Etc, said you can use the lead acid Deltran maintainer to put a quick charge on it, but not to use it as a long term maintainer. I'll give it a three month test this winter to see if it still holds enough charge to start my bike.