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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 09:40 AM
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Default Dead C8

2024 died after 2 weeks of not driving. Tried to jump and the lights flickered, the horn beeped and the drivers window went down. Now completely dead, won't jump, put it on a trickle charger overnight and no joy. Battery reads 2 volts and won't jump with a portable charger. It's getting towed to the dealer on Monday, but anyone have experience with this and what might be going on or is it just a dead battery. The lights, horn and window are what's confusing me. Thanks.
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Jul 5, 2025, 11:20 AM
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Originally Posted by St.Char
<SNIP> always leave it on a tender, even if it's just over night. <SNIP>
Nonsense
Old Jul 5, 2025 | 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by prowlernfo
2024 died after 2 weeks of not driving. Tried to jump and the lights flickered, the horn beeped and the drivers window went down. Now completely dead, won't jump, put it on a trickle charger overnight and no joy. Battery reads 2 volts and won't jump with a portable charger. It's getting towed to the dealer on Monday, but anyone have experience with this and what might be going on or is it just a dead battery. The lights, horn and window are what's confusing me. Thanks.
At this point you will need a new battery, it will never hold a full charge, always leave it on a tender, even if it's just over night. Good Luck.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 10:33 AM
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It may be a failed battery or it may be that something went awry in the car's electronics. I'd attempt to charge it with a real battery charger and test it. If it fails testing it is likely the battery although if the car drained it dead it could have ruined the battery. If it passes testing then it is likely that something in the car's system caused the battery to be drained.

A 2024 should still be under the B2B warranty which includes the battery. Take it to the dealer and let them figure it out.

I've let my 2020 sit for weeks without a battery maintainer and have had no problems starting it, and I'm on my original battery.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 11:02 AM
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Setting for two weeks will not drain a C8 battery unless there's an issue or something was left on. As already stated, a tender isn't meant to charge a dead battery it's meant to maintain a charge, just like an alternator.
Probably just a defective battery.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 11:13 AM
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The battery that GM installed was junk, I’m sure they got a whole batch of junk batteries. Buy a AGM battery and end the cycle of junky batteries.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 11:20 AM
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Originally Posted by St.Char
<SNIP> always leave it on a tender, even if it's just over night. <SNIP>
Nonsense
Old Jul 5, 2025 | 11:23 AM
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Originally Posted by jh61408
The battery that GM installed was junk, I’m sure they got a whole batch of junk batteries. Buy a AGM battery and end the cycle of junky batteries.
A ridiculous post.
I purchased, sold, warranted thousands of Delco batteries along with Deka and Exide in my auto parts stores for over 16 years. The average Delco battery properly used/maintained will last 5-7 years.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 11:26 AM
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Originally Posted by St.Char
always leave it on a tender, even if it's just over night. Good Luck.
Not necessary. If you are not going to drive your C8 for 3-4 weeks or more than yes connect a tender.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by jh61408
The battery that GM installed was junk, I’m sure they got a whole batch of junk batteries. Buy a AGM battery and end the cycle of junky batteries.
In 35 years of Corvette ownership (more than 1,000,000 miles) I have never had a problem with OEM batteries. But, obviously, I drive my cars.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 12:00 PM
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I leave mine un driven for 4+ weeks in the winter and don’t use a battery tender. I have never had an issue on five corvettes over last 20 years.
The op has an issue other than casual battery drain.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 04:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by St.Char
always leave it on a tender, even if it's just over night. Good Luck


Originally Posted by St.Char
At this point you will need a new battery, it will never hold a full charge, always leave it on a tender, even if it's just over night. Good Luck.
New battery needed! Yep sometimes you get a bad one! Warranty should cover for OP!

I seldom put the 7 Vettes on a charger. Since I got my 1st C7 still drive at least 2 to 3 times a week and typically ~60 mile round trip to town. That is enough for the alternator to charge the battery to the 80% GM allows as max in C7s and C8s.

Have been on 3 week vacations several times with my 2014 C7 and 2017 Grand Sport. No charger, car started fine when I got home. Recall with a C7 someone posted they had left at an airport 5 weeks and it started. that is pushing in.

This info is taken from my 4 volume 2014 C7 Service Manual. It shows with an 80% charged battery (all the C7 and C8 will charge to save energy) that with a 25 milliamp parasitic current draw the batter will be at 50% capacity in 33 days. That is sufficient to start the car according to GM. Both the C7 and C8 have circuits that shut almost all parasitic current draw in ~10 minutes. Member @Andybump measured only ~10 milliamps (that is 0.01 amps = the same energy a 0.12 Watt Bulb) on his C8 after ~15 minutes. So it should go more than 33 days. BTW 50% capacity is ~12.2 volts for a lead acid battery

Last edited by JerryU; Jul 5, 2025 at 05:18 PM.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 05:16 PM
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a lot of chargers, won’t bring back a battery that’s completely flat. But there is a way to resuscitate the battery. Hook it positive positive negative negative with another fully charge battery. let it sit overnight. That will bring both the batteries up to equalization around 8 to 11 V, and then your charger will work.

HOWEVER….. batteries that have been flattened usually sustain some sort of damage. You may be able to charge it back up and go on your merry way, but you probably within the next 6 to 18 months will experience a spontaneous failure, all of a sudden, it will just stop working.

Last edited by Glen e; Jul 5, 2025 at 05:24 PM.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 05:56 PM
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Originally Posted by kuvukii
You will need a new battery,
From my experience and Google AI Agrees:

Google AI:
A lead-acid battery reading 2 volts is highly likely to be severely damaged and unlikely to return to a fully functional state. While it might be possible to partially recover some capacity with careful charging, the battery's lifespan and overall performance will likely be significantly reduced.

Here's why:
  • Sulfation:
    When a lead-acid battery discharges deeply (below 10.5V for a 12V battery), lead sulfate crystals can form on the battery plates. These crystals hinder the battery's ability to recharge and hold a charge, a process known as sulfation.
  • Permanent Damage:
    At very low voltages, like 2V, sulfation can become severe and irreversible, making it difficult or impossible for the battery to recover its original capacity.
  • Open Cell:
    In some cases, a reading of 2V might indicate an open cell, meaning one of the internal connections has broken, permanently disabling the battery.
  • Charging Limitations:
    Even with a charger, a severely sulfated battery may not be able to accept a full charge or maintain a stable voltage under load.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Kevin A Jones
A ridiculous post.
I purchased, sold, warranted thousands of Delco batteries along with Deka and Exide in my auto parts stores for over 16 years. The average Delco battery properly used/maintained will last 5-7 years.

Just did a quick search found in less than a few minutes 14 posts on dead batteries in the C8 general discussion. GM got a bad batch of them, it happens. Sure most OEM batteries are fine, but it seems the quality of them has taken a hit. It’s not ridiculous post, it’s called what’s happening right now, not something from 16 years ago.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Dale06
I leave mine un driven for 4+ weeks in the winter and don’t use a battery tender. I have never had an issue on five corvettes over last 20 years.
The op has an issue other than casual battery drain.

Sounds like the OP owner got a bad one. Not sure why it’s such a huge surprise that the quality of things are a hit and miss, like the transmission issue, some don’t and some do. Some only need a software update, while some have to have the whole transmission replaced.
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 07:02 PM
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Originally Posted by jh61408
Sounds like the OP owner got a bad one. Not sure why it’s such a huge surprise that the quality of things are a hit and miss, like the transmission issue, some don’t and some do. Some only need a software update, while some have to have the whole transmission replaced.
A battery that wears and has a statistical of life, probably average 3 to 4 years is different than the DCT.
My observation re the DCT "failures" is a bit different than Chicken Little it's terrible.

The positives:
  • Folks have installed turbos and produced over 1000 hp with minor changes, like cultch disks and axles.
  • Even the ZR1 has minor DCT charges.
  • Dealers have been told my GM Service to just perform a Flush when given the CEL code #. For many that solved the issue.
  • The Tech that worked on >50 DCTs said there are so many sensors, like 3 pressure sensors, many position sensors so it will not switch clutches gears unless every Shift Fork is where it should be etc. He showed over 100 CELs and said he only had 2 the same.
IMO the reason Dealers replace the Transmission could be for one position sensor failure. Dealer Techs are not to open the transmission to find and perhaps fix an inexpensive sensor, solenoid etc. From my experience with Automotive Vendor Supplier Contracts, Tremec is on the hook to replace the Trans during GM's Warranty. And they have probably to reimburse GM a fixed fee they pay Dealers to replace the DCT.

When Warranty is up, Trans repair shops will be fixing. Probably like a standard Trans there will be few issues with shift folks, Sychros, bearings, gears. The control components, sensors, solenoids hydraulic actuators will not be that costly to replace.

I still wonder what Tremec is doing with the retuned transmission.s They are not just becoming Boat anchors. Will they be repaired sold as replacements? Is a Trans replaced with only few miles, repaired being put back in service?

Yep the DCT is essentially two 4 speed standard transmissions with hydraulic actuators moving the shift folks instead of a lever. It has many sensors, solenoids that can fail or clog with clutch debris.

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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 11:59 PM
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Originally Posted by 4thC4at60
In 35 years of Corvette ownership (more than 1,000,000 miles) I have never had a problem with OEM batteries. But, obviously, I drive my cars.
1,000,000 miles of smiles. I love it. I guess I just don’t drive that much. My 2004 c5 has about 90,000, my daily driver ford has 61,000, and before I had my ford, my S10 pickup, maybe 75,000 miles. Add that up, and in 21 years of corvette ownership, I’ve driven about 225,000 miles on my vehicles.

keep driving. Put another 100,000 miles on them, and yes, I have had defective batteries, but my defective batteries never opened my windows automatically.
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Old Jul 6, 2025 | 01:23 AM
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Originally Posted by 4thC4at60
I,,,, obviously, I drive my cars.
This is the key to a healthy battery AND a happy owner!
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Old Jul 6, 2025 | 06:35 AM
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Like the others have posted a new battery is in order & a battery tender is not designed to charge a depleted battery, it's designed to keep a full charge on a healthy battery
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Old Jul 10, 2025 | 12:02 AM
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Originally Posted by jh61408
Just did a quick search found in less than a few minutes 14 posts on dead batteries in the C8 general discussion. GM got a bad batch of them, it happens. Sure most OEM batteries are fine, but it seems the quality of them has taken a hit. It’s not ridiculous post, it’s called what’s happening right now, not something from 16 years ago.
So you say you found 14 posts on dead batteries. Of the 14 'dead' batteries how many were due to a true battery defect and not other factors such as simply de-charged, C8 electrical issue drained due to OAUs? Probably none.
Again calling a Delco battery junk is a ridiculous post.
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