What battery replacement size for 2017 Corvette Stingray M7
 

Hi,

1. What battery size and make/model of a battery do you all recommend?

2. Has anyone put a lightweight lithium battery such as by Braille in? If so, what model did you buy? Does it work reliably and won't damage the car?

I was told that that these Braille battery sizes fit:

Group 48. I'm using NAPA 8448 in my Vette and Acadia. I'm not concerned with saving a couple pounds of battery weight.

Have any new battery "quick tested" before you accept it. They can be bad sitting on the shelf.

Ron

It's MORE than a group 48 it MUST have recessed terminals to hold the large power board on the Positive Terminal. Be sure it says it fits a C7. All models/years are the same.

Also be sure to get one with handles.

I bought a DieHard AGM battery with over 25% more Cold Cracking Amps (CCA) than the OEM. They also last longer. The same battery is sold by AutoZone, Advanced Auto etc. Just a few folks, like Johnson Controls, make batteries and sell under many labels.

It you are changing your own, there are a few tricks. this is a PDF of my install: http://netwelding.com/Battery_Issues.pdf

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6c68194e48.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...5b2c588194.jpg

I would strongly suggest installing a delco exact replacement. I put one in my 2014 last week to be safe (old one still tested good). Noting the tight fit, exact locations needed for the terminal connections, specific bracket mount terminal bracket, and vent tube hook up, I was glad I picked the Delco. To save a couple dollars and struggle with connections that are the heartbeat of your car wouldn't be worth it, in my opinion. My auto repair shop sold Delco and Motorcraft batteries for years and still do. The Delcos always way outperformed other brands. We would laugh at the end of the winter at the number of cheaper batteries in the pile many were only 3 and 4 years old and they were junk. I agree with the handle comment as it is tough to lower it into its spot, But wrap a strap or rope temporarily around it lower into its spot lift slightly, remove the strap. Easy! Have fun

When I replaced my OEM battery in my '14 earlier this year, I went with an AC Delco replacement (42 month) battery.

Are ACDelco Batteries only available from stealerships. I searched the ACDelco website the only locations were Chevrolet dealers.

I guess it depends where you live. There's several distributors of Delco batteries in my areas outside of GM dealerships. I sold them through my parts stores at one time.

FWIW: There are only a few manufacturers of batteries. Johnson Controls is one of them. Went through their local manufacturing plant on a tour. There were over 20 labels placed on batteries that came off the line!

We also went thorough there battery recycling plant, located in our town, Very impressive. They recycle 98+% of the acid, plastic and lead. It gets sent to their plants making cases and batteries!

Unlike some others, I would consider buying an an AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) battery! Optima is one type (also a Johnson Control company) but the conventional looking battery like the DieHard I bought is cheaper. They have higher capacity, in my case 760 CCA (Cold Cracking Amps) versus 565 CCA for the OEM. That is (760-565)/565 =34% more. They also last longer. I paid less than $150. This time of year there are often sales.

BTW, my battery fit percectly, had the same place to insert the vent and held the power boad the same as the OEM. It also has handles that made it easiy to lift versus the OEM.

JerryU,

Thank you for all the many, many, many extremely helpful and very, very thoughtful posts, and untold number of extremely well done write-ups, photos, and digrams you so generously do for us, and share with us.

I salute you Sir for your valiant efforts, diligent research, and accomplishments we all benefit so much from! :flag:


.

^^
Thanks! Although cars are only a Hobby, it's been that way since I was ~13 years old. Have always had a "modified car" as a DD since! It was a relief and outlet from my full time job! When I retired 19 years ago build a Street Rod with every option I would dream about! Took many pics. Been retired with my last 3 Vettes and have the time to take pics for my "How To PDF's." Enjoy making them!

Since I have always worked on my own cars, installing a battery in my C7 was a no question I would do it myself. However took even more than the Service Manual I bought for my 2014 to figure out how to follow what whoever wrote it simple statement- "Remove power board!" No pic or description of how!

SIDEBAR
When we became a separate welding equipment/filler metal company from a large multinational I was responsible for all marketing, product management, pricing functions. That included the Marketing Communication function that had two instruction literature writers. I had spent a lot of my career support field engines who always complained about the quality of our instructions. Found out one writer would work with the engineer who designed the new power supply or wire feeder etc and they would do the first article assembly from the literature one wrote and the other contributed.

Got the VP Engineering to agree to assign another engineer from that department to the task and made whichever writer did not produce that instruction literature to do that first article assembly with whatever engineer who was not involved in the design! What a difference. Both writers and their boss also appreciated the improvement.

We sold that business to a European company and all literature had to be ~13 languages to meet EU requirements! We paid to have that done. Although the books increased in size, we found the only way to accomplish the task and not have everyone be as thick as a phonebook was to reduce words and use pictures! That is why I take many pics as I make a mod, replace a battery, etc! Takes more time but easier when putting them together.

For my part time business I do have ~30 YouTube video's. But they take much more time to make professional. Need a "story board," use pics as much as possible to minimize words and often, even though reading from a story board I made may redue the audio for each pic 2 or 3 times! That is why I use PDF's for C7 "stuff." I appreciate quality video's but even my MGW shifter install, which I watched about an hour's worth of video's, I still had questions. Even called the company on one! Think my PDF covers most that are not clear from even those professional the videos (which I recommend watching and put links in the PDF.) Hope it helps the non professional, like myself!

I've visited several of these battery manufacturers myself when I owned my auto parts stores and while there are only about a half dozen battery manufactures they don't "typically" make all their batteries the same with just different stickers. They typically manufacture them to the specific retail chain and/or battery brand's design and specifications. For example, you may have a Delco and a DieHard both manufacturered by Exide or other manufacturer during a time period however will look totally different and have different specifications. And while Exide makes batteries for other brands they don't necessarily make them to the same design and specification to which they manufacturer their own Exide branded batteries.

The retail chains and/or battery brands will typically RFP (request for pricing) their batteries (design/specifications) from time to time to various manufacturers to insure best pricing so Delco or other brand batteries could be made by different manufacturers over a given period of time.

^^^
:iagree: The Johnson Controls plant is interesting. Sure some of the brand cases are slightly different for a given type and may be a different color depending on brand. In the plant near us, they get battery cases in from another Johnson Controls plant.

For a give type they "stuff" inners into those cases and a batch of ~100 is placed in a water bath that comes close to the top. They then power and charge them all. When they come off the line, at the end they put on whatever stickers. I aksed about the difference in warenty and price for a batch of the same internal construction. the plant manager said we offer the same, it's up to the seller. It's more like buying insurance. If it failes below what they state, they supply new, or with a time use redcution. However that is usually from their list price! Like tires often cheaper to buy from a discounter like Tirerack!

That sad, there are different internal constructions, more lead plates etc that is used for some batteries, but with another 100 batch. They had 3 huge water baths in that plant.

What my tour group found interesting was they operate on a JIT bases. If AutoZone sells a particular battery they assemble ship only that one (with others of different types that may have been sold.) So you could see on C7 AutoZone battery for a C7 in that batch of 100. The specific manufacture for different brands can also vary by geography as shipping is a high cost.

In today's world low inventory is key at all levels of manufacture and distribution. We have also toured the million square feet Harbor Freight warehose (one of only 2 in he country) as well as QVC in our area (was their largest at the time.) They are logistics experts!

Ditto, his work is GREAT, he needs his own sticky section, called solutions

Jerry,

You mentioned the C7 battery you purchased has higher CCAs, and might be found on sale this time of year.

Which one do you have, and can you look to see if there is one of those, or an equivalent one on sale now please?

Thank you!


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That is a good suggestion and I would further suggest that you use one of those thin nylon packing straps and just leave it in place for the time when it comes to pull it out. Now I just have to file that thought away for when my replacement time comes. :)

PS I use a small independent repair shop for my dd vehicles and they sell Delco so check around if that is the brand you want, they are out there. I have seen that some of the Chevy dealers do sell them at competitive prices as well.

I bought a DieHard as it 1) said it was for a C7, 2) Sears was still in town! That was 2 years ago. Folks sometimes run sales in the slow battery season in the summer. Once cold they expect more folks will need one.

Optima H6 Yellow Top
 

A few weeks ago I got a good deal on a Optima H6 Yellow Top for my 2014 LRG Stingray. I ordered online from Advance Auto and received a 20 percent discount. There was also a $50 mail in rebate (still waiting for rebate) from Optima. So I will end up paying $182 plus tax versus the $290 retail. Still pricey but thought I would give the Yellow Top a try. It fit just like the OEM battery and does have provisions for the vent tube. The specs are 800 CCA, 140 min of Reserve Capacity. The down side is it weighs 50 lbs. :(
Dennis

^^^
:thumbs: Yep, my AGM replacement weighed 44 lbs, the OEM 40. More lead weights more!

I just replaced the Yellow Top in my Street Rod that was almost 10 years old. Was still working fine BUT since the battery is inside the car and it has electric doors only opened with a remote was concerned if it failed if at a car show.

In fairness, the Street Rod is mostly just driven to shows and when parked in the garage is on a maintenance charger 24/7.

Let's not discount the OEM AC Delco. It might not be an AGM, but that bad boy has 770CCA and 120 in reserve. I'm not sure who makes them (US or China), but I believe they have a relationship with either Johnson Controls or Delphi... Exide maybe? I dunno, but the specs on the OEM far exceed many other brands.