89 Vette Owner

I have an '89 with 28K original miles.100% Showroom, even the Delco Bose radio and valve stem covers. The car is totally babied and currently gets less then 400 miles per year. I went out a few days ago to take it for it's monthly 10 mile drive and the car is TOTALLY devoid of any power. No interior, dashboard, audibles, evern the engine maintenance lights will not come on. Of course, when I turn the key, the starter will not get any power, not even the low power ticking. It is as if there were no battery in the car. The battery, BTW, is new, and I put it on an overnight charge which almost immediately (within an hour) went to the trickle charge mode. Checked battery terminals, they are tight with no corrosion. I'm stumped! HELP!

VikingTrad3r

This should be interesting so I am subbing.

Have you tried boosting the car and does it make any difference.

My gut tells me the main battery lines must be internally shot.

there are also fuseable links ive read about but have no experience with. but then i believe those would affect just some items on the car not the whole car.

interesting situation.

PatternDayTrader

You know what, in spite of the fact your battery is new it sounds like its failed. You might try jump starting it as a test, if it starts up and things seem normal, then you probably just have a junk battery.

Whaleman

I agree

PatternDayTrader

If at anytime in the past the side post terminal leaked acid, which happens kind of frequently, then this is a virtual certainty.

Amazingdove

89 Vette Owner

Hey Dove. Your HOT! Thanks for the info. I got everything fixed...NO RATS! Do you want to park our Vettes side by side and hang out? :-)

89 Vette Owner

I got it started by jumping the battery. It started and I drove it around for a half hour with some freeway time too. Got it back in the garage and then the charger worked to give it a good charge. I didn't know that just the power load from the Security system alone could bring a battery down that low. Going to leave it on the trickle charger from now on. I try to drive it for 15 minutes or so once a month, but this time 3 months slipped by without a start. I can't let that happen again because it's not good for the car. At this point my baby is becoming pretty much just an investment because of health issues. C4s are abundant, but as the years roll by there are fewer and fewer in collectable condition. Thanks for your help! Victor

65Z01

You need to measure the quiescent power drain as it should not drain off within a week or two.

BTW, yes she is hot...

89 Vette Owner

It was three months and ten days that my car had gone without a start. I looked at my calendar and I had gone over to Amazing Doves house because we were going to take both our cars to a local gathering of Corvette owners.That never happened but I had logged it into my planner so I knew exactly how long it had been. I remember the day because it rained and I never take my car out in bad weather and I also caught a rock that cracked my windshield. One of those days that you wish you never opened the garage door. But hanging with the Dove was well worth it all.

bac22

Drive the car and enjoy it, I can't see an 89 with 28K being any type of rare collectible...while it's condition may fetch a higher sale price, life is too short to worry about that!

89 Vette Owner

I'm fully aware that it is far from being a collectable and not worth that much. Unfortunately, health issues prohibit me from driving & enjoying any car. As such, it sits in the garage because I like looking at it. I take it out once a month for about a 10 mile drive just to keep it running. If it was worth more I probably would sell it, but for what I could get for it, I'll just let it sit there for another 20 years.