Hi,I have a 2023 two LT Z 51. I basically put it to sleep all winter using the approved Corvette trickle charger.I ran it a few times over the winter months for maybe 20 minutes possibly five times. Now the weather is warmer and yesterday I took it for a ride for about 30 minutes. Today I took it for another 30 minutes shut it off went to grab some food and came back out only to get a battery low message. Car wouldn’t start.
had to call for a jump the mechanic put his charger on and battery read 10.5 V. Within 30 seconds I started the car. The mechanic said the battery was charging and it quickly went up to 14.4 V. The markings on the battery list, May 2025 as its production date.
Any opinions as to why the battery would basically go so low has to not allow me to start the car after charging it most of the winter and driving it for a couple hours.

 

Keeping a battery on a maintainer will mask a bad battery since it is always being charged. Let the battery set for several hours (preferably overnight) and test the battery with a load tester. Disconnect the battery from the car if you want to be sure that the battery isn't being drawn down by the car. Also, it is better to not start the car during storage unless you are going to take it out and drive it for a while to get everything (including the exhaust and transmission) fully warmed up.

Have you already replaced your battery? A may 2025 production date doesn't make sense unless it has been replaced.

 

If the battery in a '23 car has a production date of '25, it's not the original battery. Could be you are discovering why.

 

I got you beat. I drove a 2026 Stingray with 9 miles on the odometer off the lot on January 3, a two-hour ride home, parked it to clean up, then to pick up my date and go to a restaurant. Started it one more time to move it to a better parking spot. Came out a couple of hours later and the battery was end of life, would not start the car. The local dealer replaced it a few days later.

Get a jump starter (essentially a batter pack optimized for starting your car instantly), it'll start your car even if your car battery is unchargeable, and it will do it without delay. Because weird things happen to car batteries when you least expect it.

As far as your battery, AutoZone will test it for free. And just because it's working for the moment doesn't mean it's OK. What you experiences seems to indicate a faulty battery, or a faulty trickle charger. Also, "it quickly went up to 14.4 V" means the engine was running, because a battery doesn't actually charge that high (more like 12.6V, each cell is about 2.1V). So "14.4 V" isn't a meaningful indication of battery health. If you want to continue to drive it and see if the issue is gone (maybe the trickle charger was at fault?), I'd get little jump starter from Amazon overnight so you don't get stuck someplace.

 

yes, I’m going to get it tested today and I’ll probably get a jump starter pack

 

I love this one and it's on sale.

 

You got me beat! New '25 SR coupe (May '25 build with 6,000 miles) kept on GM maintainer for 6 weeks. Eighteen prior Corvettes and never used a maintainer before and never had a problem. Drove it about 150 miles after taking it off the maintainer. Tried to start it the next day and battery was dead. Replaced by dealer under warranty.

 

Did you buy that car used? The battery you have is 2 years newer than the car? Possibly a previous owner had the same issues and opted to sell the car? Sam

 

What I’m going to share is extreme but was my solution because I hate dead batteries. I purchased an Antigravity Batteries H6/Group 48 60 Ah, 1,800 CCA $1,049 ($994.60 with FEDEX Ground) Save $100 Code HPO10. The lithium battery is not only lightweight but also comes with a remote just in case it ever dies, with a press of the remote it releases enough energy to start your engine. This battery will probably last 10 years and I don’t have to worry anymore. But don’t trust me, just do the research to validate the information. A cheaper alternative is to buy a good jumper like the Fanttik T10 1800A, 12000mAh, $90 on Amazon.

 

Replaced my 46 lb lead OEM with this identical battery right after delivery back in 2020. Have gone through 6 brutal Arizona Summers with this efficient and light 14 lb lithium ion battery.

The high mount C8 battery location is terrible for handling performance. Reducing 32 lb of, "high weight" is an advantage not easily duplicated in this car by any other means.

Twice a year I charge this lithium ion in 2 hours to 80%. That's it, no constant trickle and no changing to a cheap battery every 2 to 3 years.

 

Is the C8 a daily driver or do you go weeks without driving it? Sam

 

Batteries are totally unpredictable. What appears to be identical ones in otherwise like cars, driven in a similar fashion, can last much different lengths of time. Indeed, I've even had two new ones that proved to be faulty. I suspect a new battery will likely fix your situation. However, if the battery has already been replaced at least once, it is possible something else is going on. All the best in any event.

 

 

It's a daily driver, 38K.

 

I'm happy for those who have had good luck with the 2 jump starters mentioned in earlier posts. Good on ya. But my experience with jump starters has been that the type listed (not specifically the brand) go bad and won't hold a charge after just two or three years.

After going thru two or three of that kind I went ahead and bought a NOCO jump starter (specifically the GB55X) and couldn't be happier after 5 or 6 years.

NFI

 

I agree that there are probably many sketchy jump starters on Amazon, etc. A gf gave me one from Scosche several years ago. It was so compact that I didn't think it would be effective, but kept it in my trunk and never charged it, a few years later, a year ago, it started my Acura with a shorted cell no problem, several times. Then when I had the faulty battery on day one in January with the new C8, it started that several times (I had charged it since the first incidents, of course). About five years old by that time I suppose. Since then I got a much higher capacity jump starter with built-in inflator (because I received it for review), Wollar, and just to be sure I keep both of them in my frunk in case the feature-rich one proves to be a POS. 😂

 

Had to mention that on my 2023 the OEM battery doesn’t have a HANDLE, buy a handle on Amazon.