Help with C6 battery
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 2,786
Likes: 49
From: Sun Devil Country
Although I have an Optima Yellow Top, I'd recommend taking a look at the Duralast Gold battery at Autozone. Pretty good bang for the buck....and a Battery Tender....a battery's best friend in these battery munching C6s.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 8,285
Likes: 14
From: Iowa
Since you can't use a tender and since you aren't driving it, I would just take the battery out and bring it into your nice warm condo till you can drive it on a regular basis. Then you can also get/use a cheap battery maintainer from WalMart. I use the Schumacher 1562a...under $30.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 512
Likes: 2
From: Denton TX
Optima Red Top #35 and you are done! Battery cost less than a Yellow Top, has more starting power than a Yellow Top as well. Yellow Tops are for cars with a lot of electronic gadgets or aftermarket audio installed (Optima's recommendation, not mine). You want cranking power...Red Top #35. Check out the specs.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 512
Likes: 2
From: Denton TX
Since you can't use a tender and since you aren't driving it, I would just take the battery out and bring it into your nice warm condo till you can drive it on a regular basis. Then you can also get/use a cheap battery maintainer from WalMart. I use the Schumacher 1562a...under $30.
The little Schumacher is the way to go for a maintainer!!
Last edited by sampaschal; Mar 1, 2011 at 08:52 AM. Reason: spelling
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 512
Likes: 2
From: Denton TX
Go with an optima red top battery....once the oem battery starts losing a charge more and more regularly, your gonna have nothing but problems and it will present itself like it may be computer problems...A tender for the occasional driver is a must, but if you cant then you need to go with the best battery out there and thats a Optima Red Top...It has superior cranking power and unless you have some serious stereo type stuff in the car...red top over the yellow top. Still try to start it at least once every 5 days...just to show her you love her!
The man has got it straight!
Retired & lovin' it!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,475
Likes: 549
From: Jackson NJ
Hi,
This is my first post and have a battery question. I continue to have a battery problem with my 2005 C6. I don't have the ability to plug a battery tender but since I don't drive the car in bad weather. i make it a point of starting it at least once a week. My problem is last friday I had to get a jump start(vehicle wouldn't start) and drove the vehicle to the dealership for them to check out the battery. I was told the battery was "re-charged" and just make sure I start it at least once every two weeks. However, yesterday(Saturday) I went to start the vehicle and nothing happened!. The car has an Ac delco battery which was replaced about a year ago. Any recommendations on a replacement battery? I've seen some members recommend Optima batteries. If I go with an optima battery, what model? Any other suggestions on how often to start the vehicle? I parked it in the parking lot underneath my building with a car cover on. Thank you in advance for any responses/suggestions.
This is my first post and have a battery question. I continue to have a battery problem with my 2005 C6. I don't have the ability to plug a battery tender but since I don't drive the car in bad weather. i make it a point of starting it at least once a week. My problem is last friday I had to get a jump start(vehicle wouldn't start) and drove the vehicle to the dealership for them to check out the battery. I was told the battery was "re-charged" and just make sure I start it at least once every two weeks. However, yesterday(Saturday) I went to start the vehicle and nothing happened!. The car has an Ac delco battery which was replaced about a year ago. Any recommendations on a replacement battery? I've seen some members recommend Optima batteries. If I go with an optima battery, what model? Any other suggestions on how often to start the vehicle? I parked it in the parking lot underneath my building with a car cover on. Thank you in advance for any responses/suggestions.
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 279
Likes: 20
From: Glendale Wisconsin
Al1969, you can find the proper battery size for your application here. I cannot speak to the mechanical benefits of periodically starting and idling a stored vehicle, but it does absolutely nothing to promote good battery health and may actually discharge the battery further. Most alternators are designed to maintain batteries, not recharge deeply-discharged batteries. Asking that of an alternator can lead to a cycle of dead batteries and jump-starts, until either the battery or alternator fails.
If you do not have electrical access where you store your vehicle, a quick disconnect on a fully-charged battery is also a viable option. “Fully-charged” is important, because many batteries are not fully-charged when put into storage (approximately 12.6-12.8 volts for RedTops & about 13.0-13.2 volts for YellowTops). When batteries are discharged below 12.4 volts and allowed to sit in that state for extended periods of time, sulfation will begin to diminish both capacity and lifespan. Be careful of devices that claim to prevent battery discharge while in storage, but still maintain vehicle presets. Those devices still allow your vehicle to draw current to maintain those presets and will allow your battery to be discharged, although the rate of discharge may be slower.
If you do end up purchasing a maintenance device, the best maintainers are microprocessor-controlled and there are two basic types of maintenance chargers. Fully-automatic, “multi-stage or multi-step” chargers will monitor the battery and charge it as necessary. Multi-stage maintainers will charge at varying voltages and varying amperage (rarely exceeding 2 amps). Some of these multi-step chargers are also capable of being regular battery chargers (7 amps or more). These types of chargers are preferred.
Traditional “float” chargers provide constant voltage with tapering amperage to the battery, even when it is fully-charged. For float-charging, we recommend 1 amp max, 13.2-13.8 volts. These are OK too, but the multi-stage chargers are a better option. Quality units will also have regulators that prevent overcharging.
Since gunterwalker mentioned the "g" word, I should clarify that our batteries are lead-acid, AGM batteries in a SpiralCell design. They can be treated and charged just like regular lead-acid batteries in most situations, but they are not "gel" batteries and "gel" or "gel/AGM" charger settings should be avoided, as they will not fully-charge our batteries and could damage them over time. If you have any questions about our batteries, I'll do my best to answer them.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
If you do not have electrical access where you store your vehicle, a quick disconnect on a fully-charged battery is also a viable option. “Fully-charged” is important, because many batteries are not fully-charged when put into storage (approximately 12.6-12.8 volts for RedTops & about 13.0-13.2 volts for YellowTops). When batteries are discharged below 12.4 volts and allowed to sit in that state for extended periods of time, sulfation will begin to diminish both capacity and lifespan. Be careful of devices that claim to prevent battery discharge while in storage, but still maintain vehicle presets. Those devices still allow your vehicle to draw current to maintain those presets and will allow your battery to be discharged, although the rate of discharge may be slower.
If you do end up purchasing a maintenance device, the best maintainers are microprocessor-controlled and there are two basic types of maintenance chargers. Fully-automatic, “multi-stage or multi-step” chargers will monitor the battery and charge it as necessary. Multi-stage maintainers will charge at varying voltages and varying amperage (rarely exceeding 2 amps). Some of these multi-step chargers are also capable of being regular battery chargers (7 amps or more). These types of chargers are preferred.
Traditional “float” chargers provide constant voltage with tapering amperage to the battery, even when it is fully-charged. For float-charging, we recommend 1 amp max, 13.2-13.8 volts. These are OK too, but the multi-stage chargers are a better option. Quality units will also have regulators that prevent overcharging.
Since gunterwalker mentioned the "g" word, I should clarify that our batteries are lead-acid, AGM batteries in a SpiralCell design. They can be treated and charged just like regular lead-acid batteries in most situations, but they are not "gel" batteries and "gel" or "gel/AGM" charger settings should be avoided, as they will not fully-charge our batteries and could damage them over time. If you have any questions about our batteries, I'll do my best to answer them.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
