When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have to leave my new 2022 C8 LT3 in storage for about 24 days. There is no option for me to put it on a trickle charger. Does anyone have any idea whether it will start up ok after this length of time. Past experience with other cars tells me a normal battery should maintain sufficient charge for about a month under such circumstances, but with more electronics attached as in the C8, maybe this no longer applies. If in doubt I'll likely just disconnect the battery.
I have to leave my new 2022 C8 LT3 in storage for about 24 days. There is no option for me to put it on a trickle charger. Does anyone have any idea whether it will start up ok after this length of time. Past experience with other cars tells me a normal battery should maintain sufficient charge for about a month under such circumstances, but with more electronics attached as in the C8, maybe this no longer applies. If in doubt I'll likely just disconnect the battery.
You can try Transport mode.
This process is used to activate and de-activate the mode.
1. Stop the car
2. Put on the emergency flasher.
3. Hold the start/stop button for 5+ seconds. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1602725355
I assume there is no electricity where the car is being stored. That being the case you may want to take out the battery and bring it where you can put it on a charger.
Transport mode seem like a good option. Found this at a corvette forum:
Some products will be shipped from the assembly plant with Transport Mode On.
The Transport Mode feature when enabled reduces the parasitic electrical load on the battery when the vehicle is parked, which extends the battery stand time up to 70 days without the battery going dead.
Also a customer may want to use the mode if the vehicle is going to be stored.
Transport mode seem like a good option. Found this at a corvette forum:
Some products will be shipped from the assembly plant with Transport Mode On.
The Transport Mode feature when enabled reduces the parasitic electrical load on the battery when the vehicle is parked, which extends the battery stand time up to 70 days without the battery going dead.
Also a customer may want to use the mode if the vehicle is going to be stored.
But it appears no one on the forum has actually used it for a C8. Also, you might have to use the key to gain access to your car.
I told my friend about it last winter and he said he used it without a hitch. I did not get my C8 until July this year and have it on a battery tender right now.
Disconnecting the battery is simple to do too.
I have no direct experience with letting it sit for a month, and don't know anything about the transport mode. There is a parasitic drain. I measured it. It can be very low, like 10-11ma, but the car wakes up on its own from time to time and draws more current when it does that. There is some info here in this thread about it, including the test results and also an excerpt from the shop manual listing the "wake up" events. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...e-battery.html
You will probably be ok, but in my opinion there is a risk. I would like to say that worst case is you just have to jump start the car, or take the battery out and charge it. But....there is some decay of the charge state even if the battery is not connected to anything, in addition to the parasitic draw, and its not good for battery life to allow it to discharge too much. Having said all that, if was in your situation, I would probably take the risk. I know this doesn't help much, but you might find the info on parasitic draw interesting.
I have to leave my new 2022 C8 LT3 in storage for about 24 days. There is no option for me to put it on a trickle charger. Does anyone have any idea whether it will start up ok after this length of time. Past experience with other cars tells me a normal battery should maintain sufficient charge for about a month under such circumstances, but with more electronics attached as in the C8, maybe this no longer applies. If in doubt I'll likely just disconnect the battery.
I predict that you will be fine. My C6 went for over 6 weeks sitting at the dealer waiting for a part and it fired right up when they were moving the car into the repair bay.
Are these C8 batteries really that weak? I have been storing my cars for about 6 months every year for years. Unfortunately some of the cars reside in a storage area that has no electrical outlet, however, both my SLK350 and Honda CRV starts after 6 months with no charger. The one thing I may do as recommended by Chevrolet is to detach the negative lead when the C8 goes into storage. The motorcycle usually require a few hours charge that I do each spring.
I predict that you will be fine. My C6 went for over 6 weeks sitting at the dealer waiting for a part and it fired right up when they were moving the car into the repair bay.
C6 was terrible about eating batteries. Mine was pampered and if that car sat in the garage for 2 weeks with no charging. Battery was dead, and it was just so much fun opening a dead C6.
When I stored my C6 and C7 for 2 or more months, I disconnected the Negative lead from the battery post. Started right up when reconnected.
Just did the same on Monday on my C8, which will sit in storage until January. I expect it to work the same (Note: Removing all the panels around the frunk to get to the battery was a bit of a pain).
I have no prior experience with letting the C8 sit for long periods of time--9500 miles since January. What a great car!
I like the solar charger idea. Don't know much about them, but I wondered if the solar panel could be "remoted" from the battery. Looks like it can. Below is a photo of one listed on Amazon. Note the long cord (its bundled up). Also note the adapter plug - it can be connected to an adapter that would connect to the receptacle in the trunk.. So if the car is stored inside, I think the panel could still be outside. I believe the cord could be lengthened more if needed.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
C8 car battery life while sitting?
