Need Battery Advice
 

I purchased a'02 base Corvette in Nov. of '11. I didn't much know about the issue of the variable parasitic drain on the C5s. As a result, I found the car wouldn't start after 2 weeks. I recharged the battery with my Optimate charger, and all is well. I started to investigate batteries and come to find out:
1. the battery in the car is a Group 75 ACDelco 75-60. It only has an RC of 90 min. It was probably put in in '11.
2. I can't find any flooded or AGM Group 75 batteries that are rated @120min.
3. I can find Group 78 AGM batteries that are rated @115-120 mins.
What I don't know is will a group 78 battery fit in the battery box of an '02 C5? The big 3: AAP(autocraft AGM), Autozone(Duralast Platinum) and ORileyAP sell AGM batteries in the $150-180 price range. I guess the other question is whether I should ditch the battery that is currently in my C5?
Thanks for helping out a rookie on a topic that has probably had a lot written about it.
Mike

I have had great success/luck with Oreilly batteries myself. I think I paid in the 120 price range, maybe a little more.

I had one on my truck that lasted 10 years before it crapped out.

Be sure and get a 'gell' type battery to avoid the dreaded acid leak onto the computer module underneath problem ! :cheers:

:iagree: don't take the risk.

Battery dangers . . .
 

:iagree: I put an Optima red Top in my 2003 a year after I bought it new 2003, that battery lasted till this year, 2013 and was still fine, but I decided to go ahead and put another Optima in and I both have had great service and peace of mind with the Optima 75/25. Some folks don't like them, can't say why, but they have treated me real good. But if my Vette is going to be unused for 10 days or more, I put the float charger on it, takes a minute or more. :flag:

I have a Redtop in my '03 as well. I don't know how old it is as it came with the car when I bought it. It's given me no issues, yet. But if I know I'm not going to be running it for 5+ days (personal preference) I hook up my Battery Tender Plus and think nothing more about it.

My red top crapped out. I don't know when it was put in.

I'm currently running a Sears DieHard Platinum in mine - been in there for about three years and no issues. Had an Optima Red Top in there before that and it last just a month past the three year period. In a previous C5 ran an Optima Red Top in it for over 7 years with no problems.

I also went with the Diehard Platinum. Last Optima Red top in my wife's Tahoe lasted 10 months...

Definitely not the quality they used to be.

I put a new red top Optima in my coupe last fall, it didn't last 4 months. I put a Delco in and have had no problems. The Delco came out of a wreck we tore apart. I have no idea how old it is.

I went with the Autozone Platinum and I keep a CTEC charger on it when the Vert is tucked away in the garage. :thumbs:

There's only one or two companies in the U.S. that make batteries anyway. Some get Interstate stickers, some get Die Hard stickers, some get AutoZone stickers, etc.

Quick related question; When you take the battery out in there anything other then the clock that needs to be reset? I know to remember the code, so good there, what about the tire sensors etc. Thank you

Back to batteries...

Just radio security code if activated. Other than that okey to go. would wait 5 min before hooking up the battery to let computer clear properly. Battery cables positive on first then negative to limit sparking.

Here is the battery you need and yes it fit in my 2004 c5.Only downside is the cost and it weighs 53 lbs.I still use a CTEK 3300 tender.http://www.sears.com/diehard-platinu...p-02850090000P

I have this battery as well, and very happy with it. Also; when I went in to buy mine, it was 'on sale' at Sears.com but not on sale, in the store. The store matched the on line sale price. You might check this out, should you decide to go with the big Die Hard.

I read a report a long time ago where the #1 rated batteries were AutoZone and Walmart, which I've used with good success. I also want to point out that the battery in my '03 Z is a 14 year old Optima Red Top. I took it out of my previous C5 and out it in this car when I got it. The Z's original GM battery I put in my truck and it didn't last a year.

Yes a group 78 will fit and usually a better choice

Usually just clock, HUD-setting and radio (if locked).

:iagree: +3 Sears Die Hard Platinum P4 Made in U.S.A. :flag:



:iagree: Group 78s fit and have higher CCAs and RCs, regardless of brand.

Note: While AGM batteries are good (shock resistance, spill proof, etc) they are NOT "gel cells" or "gel" type batteries.

Suggest using a trickle charger like a CTEK 3300 w/your new battery. I use a battery mat that goes under the battery just in case. I had a red top that went bad in a yr but got a free replacement that lasted over 6 yrs which I replaced to be on the safe side. Good luck & remember to wave to other vette drivers!

LoneStarFRC is absolutely correct about gel and AGM batteries being two very different technologies. Someone would have a really hard time finding a gel battery for an automotive application, but the bigger issue is with chargers and maintenance devices that don't distinguish between the two. Gel batteries have very narrow charging parameters that may not fully-charge non-gel batteries and could damage them over time. For that reason, we always recommend avoiding any “gel” or even “gel/AGM” charger settings (regular settings work just fine on our batteries).

Mike, while you are correct that a battery with more reserve capacity will take longer to discharge from a parasitic draw, the real issue is the draw itself. All batteries will do best if they can remain fully-charged whenever possible. If you don't have the option of using a quality battery maintenance device to maintain the voltage of your battery while in storage, using a quick disconnect on a fully-charged battery is also a viable option to prevent discharge from parasitic draws (although you may lose presets).

Phanni, I'm sorry to hear about the problem you had with your battery. Did your retailer not honor your warranty?

striper, whenever someone releases a report on comparison testing of batteries, our engineers also release their own report to us internally. In that report, they cover the testing methodology used and why one battery may have tested better than another. They also explain how battery design and construction could be altered to maximize results on comparison tests performed in a lab, but caution that such changes would result in decreased performance in real-world applications. That's one of the reasons we supplement our own lab testing with field testing- taxi fleets in Las Vegas, etc... in fact, a member of this forum was personally involved in some of our fleet testing.

If any battery fails from a manufacturing defect, it is likely to do so well within the first year of use, if not the first month. Beyond that, battery lifespan is generally tied directly to the application. Whenever any battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and is left sitting in that state, sulfation begins to form in the battery, which diminishes both capacity and lifespan. That makes a quality battery maintainer an excellent investment for any vehicle that doesn't see regular use.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries

Really appreciate all the replies. I am fairly confident that any Group 78 AGM will fit into the battery tray of my '02. The ACD Group 75 in there now is smaller than the tray. I just don't know if there's enough room for the big, and expensive(207.00 on sale), SDHP 34/78 being that it's almost 11" long(10.9).
I have not found a locally available OPTIMA battery that has an RC of 120 mins, or greater. From what I've read this seems like a very polarizing product (love it or hate it).
Keeping a battery maintainer/charger on it at all times now.

A group 78 battery WILL fit the battery tray with NO mods required. Period.

The main reason I, and others, like the 34/78 (meaning it meets both the size and terminal characteristics of both Groups 34 and 78) batteries is because of the convenience of having dual terminals.

A battery that is strictly a group size 34, will be a top post ONLY.
A battery that is strictly a group size 78 will be side-post ONLY.

If you do not want the convenience of a dual-terminal battery, just look for a group 78. It will almost invariably have higher CCA/CC numbers and higher RC than group 75 batteries (which are also side post). Think of the 75 as the smaller cousin to the 78. :thumbs:

OptimaJim, herein lies the problem. Optimas just aren't made like they used to be. I used to use nothing but Optima, probably 10 in the last 10 years in different vehicles and watercraft, but in the last 5 years it seems quality has gone downhill. That seems to be the consensus on this forum also. The last red top I had lasted 10 months. Had a LOT of problems with the retailer warrantying the battery also.

I could notice the battery getting weaker and weaker over the course of about a month and if I didn't leave a charger on it overnight it would not start the next day. Drove it to O'Reilly's and had them test it. Test Result-Battery Good, Needs Charge. Which I honestly think their machine is probably programmed to say. They told me it was probably the alternator. I knew it wasn't but told them to sell me one. The clerk grabbed a reman alt. I said no, give me a NEW alt. Went home and installed it. Battery responded the same. I left the charger on overnight again. Started the truck with the charger still on. Did not run any accessories on my way to the retailer. Had him come out and check the battery with the truck still running. Read 100%. I shut the truck off. Battery immediately read 100%. I started the truck 1 time and shut it back off. Battery read 52%. He again put it on the machine inside. Again, Battery Good. Needs Charge. Yea right....Still did not want to replace the battery. And this is in my wifes Tahoe, not a Vette with parasitic drain. Drove to Sears and purchased the Platinum.

Called Optima Customer Service and was told it was not their problem I would have to take it up with the retailer. Drove to O'Reilly's and told them to stick their Red Top up their Brown Bottom. Manager heard this, as I was not speaking quietly and not as nice as what I wrote, and after some haggling agreed to replace the battery. Now, for $685.00, I have a battery that works. $210 for the Red Top, which is sitting in my garage as I refuse to install it in anything I own, $225 for the DieHard, which is flawless, and $250 for the alternator that I knew I didn't need. Not to mention a 3 day argument with O'Reilly's.

I will NEVER TOUCH another battery with Optima written on it. Period. When I told customer service what I was running into I think something should have been done on that level instead of the answer I was given.

OP, go ahead and buy the 78 Series DieHard. It fits perfectly.

Sears battery service is absolutely the best.

Open 7 days
Qualified techs test the system
Quality Die Hard batteries
Same quality service and waranty nationwide

What's not to love? :thumbs:

That is a positive alright, but everyone just needs to remember the Die Hard Platinum series are in a premium category all their own, and also are the only ones made for Sears by Enersys Corp in Missouri. Enersys is best known in the battery world by their Odyssey brand. They also carry a warranty that far exceeds most, if not all, of their competitors.

http://www.odysseybattery.com/

:iagree: I have one too. They are made by Deka (East Penn Co.). Seems to be a good battery, best priced AGM I found. Think I paid $130 for mine.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...questid=249245

Thanks, I did not know that. However I do know that after approximately 40 year of buying Die Hards whenever I needed a replacement battery, I've never returned a Die Hard except the one 35 years ago that I did not fasten to my '72 F-100 and fell through the fan to the ground while I was bouncing through the woods. I walked more or less 50 feet behind where the truck came to a stop, picked up the battery with the corner broken off, tie wired the torn cables, cranked up the truck, took it back to Sears at about 8:30pm where the service manager said to the tech "eh... what the heck, give him another one". :woohoo:

Good to see you made it out of the woods OK. Good story. :lol:

reath1, I apologize for my slow response on this thread. I was out in the field last week and I'm just getting caught up on conversations now. While I understand experiences vary, we do build our own batteries, so we know exactly how they used to be made and how they are being made today. The batteries we are building today are the best we have ever made.

The testing units many retailers use do have pre-set responses, based on testing results and “good battery, needs charge” is a common result, because it is a common outcome. We used an Autometer BVA-200 in this test, which is very similar to what many retailers use.
Many of the batteries retailers test are just deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly-recharged. When they are tested in a deeply-discharged state, if they still show decent cranking amps for the voltage level in the battery, they will often return that result and suggest additional charging, which can take several hours or longer, depending on the depth of discharge.

I'm sorry to hear you were not satisfied with the service you received on our customer service line. I would like to follow up with our team, as they are able to assist consumers with warranty service with our retail partners and I'd like to review your call and how it was handled. Please PM me your full name and phone number, so we can locate it in our system.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries

PM sent Jim.

Having purchased a used vette, I found the battery service at Sears very helpful. I have driven over there a couple of times to have the charging system checked, with various cars. They also have all the warranty records of your battery, so anyone, wife or another owner, can get full value out of a battery problem if needed. Plus the product is fresh.

I will get a Sears Battery if the product is comparable, the support system is an added value and it is full drive up, no pulling the battery ,no lifting, no grime or mess. Plus it is a national chain with lots of locations. (kmart owned )

I won't be getting anything that requires a charger to park the car for a while. My battery has taken a lot of abuse, as my car gets fettered out. Lots of cranking and repairs going on, not to mention prolonged setting while other problems are sorted out.

I know the optimas' are good batteries, but Are not tolerant of a lot of prolonged deep discharge and abuse . the lead acid battery Delco that came with the car is still kicking. A less tolerant design might have sent me to the store for more juice.