Battery Issue

[Jessica19699]

Hello CAC world I have a question it isn't one of importance but just a general question, I don't drive my Corvette a lot maybe once or twice a month and I been noticing that after it sits a while the battery goes dead and I have to jump start it and charge it back up I am assuming this is typical cause the car sits for awhile, I do have a after market security system in the car that flashes a light when it is armed that I don't use when the car sits at home cause i'm figuring that helps in killing the battery, I also have a power amp and subwoofer installed on my stereo where the power for the amp is directly hooked to the positive side on the battery i'm not sure if this has anything do to with draining the battery or not when the car is off I know I had it professionally installed and there Is a remote wire hooked up to it that is supposed to turn the system completely off when the car isn't on again i'm not sure if any of these things aid in draining the battery or if it is just the simple fact that the car sits for awhile at times and that is why the battery dies, so i'm wondering when the car isn't going to be used for awhile can I disconnect the negative side battery terminal on the battery to preserve the life of the battery and when I go to drive it just hook it back up ? will this hurt the vehicle in anyway electronics etc.? any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced

 

[Toms007]

Jessica, As I recall there is a slight drain on the system as it sits. The aftermarket security and amp may add to that drain. Going back to when I had my 94, I bought a "Battery Tender" to maintain the battery when it sat for periods of time. I've transferred it to my C5 and now my C6. That way I don't have a problem with dead battery when I'm ready to go.

 

[Toms007]

I would also check the condition of the battery. Make sure that you have a healthy one, no dead/weak cells and that the voltage is enough in a charged state. These cars are very susceptible to power problems. And the newer the car (ie C4>C5>C6>C7) the more finicky they seem to be.

 

[LLC5]

Hello CAC world I have a question it isn't one of importance but just a general question, I don't drive my Corvette a lot maybe once or twice a month and I been noticing that after it sits a while the battery goes dead and I have to jump start it and charge it back up I am assuming this is typical cause the car sits for awhile, I do have a after market security system in the car that flashes a light when it is armed that I don't use when the car sits at home cause i'm figuring that helps in killing the battery, I also have a power amp and subwoofer installed on my stereo where the power for the amp is directly hooked to the positive side on the battery i'm not sure if this has anything do to with draining the battery or not when the car is off I know I had it professionally installed and there Is a remote wire hooked up to it that is supposed to turn the system completely off when the car isn't on again i'm not sure if any of these things aid in draining the battery or if it is just the simple fact that the car sits for awhile at times and that is why the battery dies, so i'm wondering when the car isn't going to be used for awhile can I disconnect the negative side battery terminal on the battery to preserve the life of the battery and when I go to drive it just hook it back up ? will this hurt the vehicle in anyway electronics etc.? any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced

No, it won't hurt the vehicle to disconnect the negative terminal when not in use. The vehicle and aftermarket accy's will lose their memory and have to do a relearn. The aftermarket accy's can be your problem, but so could your battery. Have it load tested with a carbon pile load tester, it could be weak and still start your car fine but have little reserve capacity. You will also want a battery with a high RC rating of 110-120 or higher with the aftermarket accy's installed on your vehicle, you could just have a under size/rated battery for your application.

 

[Jessica19699]

No, it won't hurt the vehicle to disconnect the negative terminal when not in use. The vehicle and aftermarket accy's will lose their memory and have to do a relearn. The aftermarket accy's can be your problem, but so could your battery. Have it load tested with a carbon pile load tester, it could be weak and still start your car fine but have little reserve capacity. You will also want a battery with a high RC rating of 110-120 or higher with the aftermarket accy's installed on your vehicle, you could just have a under size/rated battery for your application.

Ok thank for the info LCC5 and the others the battery has been drained quite few times over the last year or so, so i'm thinking the battery has exhausted its life cycle and I will have it removed and tested and replaced if necessary" which I think it will be" with one you all recommend, It is also good to know i can disconnect it if I don't drive it for awhile without it hurting anything, thanks again

 

[Jessica19699]

I would also check the condition of the battery. Make sure that you have a healthy one, no dead/weak cells and that the voltage is enough in a charged state. These cars are very susceptible to power problems. And the newer the car (ie C4>C5>C6>C7) the more finicky they seem to be.

Ty toms007 i'm pretty sure the condition isn't going to be good it has been drained and jumped a few times over the last year or so,ty for the advice

 

[Jessica19699]

Jessica, As I recall there is a slight drain on the system as it sits. The aftermarket security and amp may add to that drain. Going back to when I had my 94, I bought a "Battery Tender" to maintain the battery when it sat for periods of time. I've transferred it to my C5 and now my C6. That way I don't have a problem with dead battery when I'm ready to go.

I will certainly check out the battery tender, thanks

 

[Jessica19699]

Jessica, As I recall there is a slight drain on the system as it sits. The aftermarket security and amp may add to that drain. Going back to when I had my 94, I bought a "Battery Tender" to maintain the battery when it sat for periods of time. I've transferred it to my C5 and now my C6. That way I don't have a problem with dead battery when I'm ready to go.

Toms007 can you recommend a battery tender to use for my car maybe provide a link?

 

[Jessica19699]

No, it won't hurt the vehicle to disconnect the negative terminal when not in use. The vehicle and aftermarket accy's will lose their memory and have to do a relearn. The aftermarket accy's can be your problem, but so could your battery. Have it load tested with a carbon pile load tester, it could be weak and still start your car fine but have little reserve capacity. You will also want a battery with a high RC rating of 110-120 or higher with the aftermarket accy's installed on your vehicle, you could just have a under size/rated battery for your application.

LLC5 I found a battery with 100 RC at advanced auto parts it is one of their top of the line batteries they have for a corvette would that work? here is the link

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

 

[LLC5]

LLC5 I found a battery with 100 RC at advanced auto parts it is one of their top of the line batteries they have for a corvette would that work? here is the link

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

That would probably be fine, but I would look for a 120 RC battery if your budget allows it. Have any new battery properly load tested before buying, they can be bad/weak right off the shelf. A battery tender/maintainer is also a real good idea.

 

[Jessica19699]

That would probably be fine, but I would look for a 120 RC battery if your budget allows it. Have any new battery properly load tested before buying, they can be bad/weak right off the shelf. A battery tender/maintainer is also a real good idea.

Ok thanks again for the information

 

[hcbph]

I replaced the negative battery cable from the block to battery with a new cable that runs from the block to a 250 amp IIRC switch then a cable that goes from that switch to the battery. Works great: no run down batteries, added security and no chance for an electrical short causing fires while unattended. It works well and solved or eliminated many potential issues.

 

[Jessica19699]

I replaced the negative battery cable from the block to battery with a new cable that runs from the block to a 250 amp IIRC switch then a cable that goes from that switch to the battery. Works great: no run down batteries, added security and no chance for an electrical short causing fires while unattended. It works well and solved or eliminated many potential issues.

hcbph that sounds like a good idea when you say new cables did you buy two new negative battery cables to run from the block to the switch and then to the battery and where did you mount the switch and was the switch installed in a typical metal electrical box? any info or parts numbers ect. on how I can set this up would be appreciated and thanks for the info

also you speak of a 250 amp IIRC Switch 250 amps sounds pretty large for a car then again I don't know lol should that be 250 volts at 16amp switch maybe? sorry i'm no mechanic here just trying to figure out what this means and what does IIRC stand for can you recommend a switch and cable to use for this maybe a website and or part or model number? thanks again

 

[LLC5]

hcbph that sounds like a good idea when you say new cables did you buy two new negative battery cables to run from the block to the switch and then to the battery and where did you mount the switch and was the switch installed in a typical metal electrical box? any info or parts numbers ect. on how I can set this up would be appreciated and thanks for the info

also you speak of a 250 amp IIRC Switch 250 amps sounds pretty large for a car then again I don't know lol should that be 250 volts at 16amp switch maybe? sorry i'm no mechanic here just trying to figure out what this means and what does IIRC stand for can you recommend a switch and cable to use for this maybe a website and or part or model number? thanks again

Be aware that adding a switch to a main battery cable is just another potential for a voltage drop and that sometimes starter draw can exceed 250A in certain conditions. Your best bet is a quality battery and a maintainer, even if you disconnect the battery, as batteries will self discharge and sulfate internally with no load attached.

 

[Jessica19699]

Be aware that adding a switch to a main battery cable is just another potential for a voltage drop and that sometimes starter draw can exceed 250A in certain conditions. Your best bet is a quality battery and a maintainer, even if you disconnect the battery, as batteries will self discharge and sulfate internally with no load attached.

LLC5 Thanks for the info when it comes to a battery maintainer they get left on the car battery terminals when the car is not in use? my car isn't in a garage so if this needs to left plugged up how will that work with the weather and all, sorry I really don't know that much about all this but I do appreciate the info.

 

[LLC5]

LLC5 Thanks for the info when it comes to a battery maintainer they get left on the car battery terminals when the car is not in use? my car isn't in a garage so if this needs to left plugged up how will that work with the weather and all, sorry I really don't know that much about all this but I do appreciate the info.

Yeah, if its not in a garage it is tougher. On my DD outside parked car I plug in the maintainer inside the garage and run the cable outside to the vehicle with a 2 wire disconnect plug. I wouldn't leave the maintainer outside to the elements and thieves. Sometimes a maintainer is just not possible. Driving the vehicle for 30 minutes or more can help as the alternator will be charging up the battery. The basic idea to help keep a battery from going bad is to keep it fully charged as much as possible to deter the inevitable sulfation process.

 

[Jessica19699]

Yeah that's what I was figuring also with the weather and all, I had been trying to start it and let it run in park position every few days I guess that wasn't enough and it also wasn't consistent either anyway thanks for your help ,have a great day

 

[Jessica19699]

Be aware that adding a switch to a main battery cable is just another potential for a voltage drop and that sometimes starter draw can exceed 250A in certain conditions. Your best bet is a quality battery and a maintainer, even if you disconnect the battery, as batteries will self discharge and sulfate internally with no load attached.

LLC5 can you take a look at this link and tell me if this will work as a means to disconnect the battery based on my situation with no garage and if this will work would I need one or two I was figuring one and mount it on the negative side terminal since I have a power amp for my sub woofer connected to the positive side. .if link wont open it is on corvette central.com and it is side post battery disconnect switch for 11.95 a piece,you turn the black knob and it kills the power on the battery if you take the knob all the way off it becomes a anti theft use along with killing the battery

Side Post Battery Disconnect Switch | Corvette Central

 

[LLC5]

LLC5 can you take a look at this link and tell me if this will work as a means to disconnect the battery based on my situation with no garage and if this will work would I need one or two I was figuring one and mount it on the negative side terminal since I have a power amp for my sub woofer connected to the positive side. .if link wont open it is on corvette central.com and it is side post battery disconnect switch for 11.95 a piece,you turn the black knob and it kills the power on the battery if you take the knob all the way off it becomes a anti theft use along with killing the battery
Was
Side Post Battery Disconnect Switch | Corvette Central

That should work, it looks like it would carry the full current that your cables can handle. Just make sure that it is side post compatible. Keep it clean and tight, they can loosen and corrode over time.

 

[navy2kcoupe]

I've had one of those on my 2000 for 4 years. Take the knob with me when I leave the car in Florida and head north for the summer. I'm a snowbird, but the C5 is a Florida resident! :L I leave the car just that way for the entire 7 months or so that I'm in New England, and hook up a maintainer when I return. I let the maintainer run (on the low current setting) until it signals that the battery is charged before I try to start it. Never have had any issues with using it this way except that any "memory" setting (like radio stations, seat selections, etc.,) will disappear, and I need to drive it a few miles to have the ecm "relearn". But that's not a problem either as I don't listen to the radio anyway! Never did like letting a battery maintainer plugged in while I was away that long anyway. Oh yeah, you also will need to resync the key fobs as well after you reconnect the battery which is no big deal, just hold the lock and unlock buttons until the horn beeps (maybe 10 seconds) and repeat with the second fob. When I replaced the battery the last time, I took the advice of the experts here on The Corvette Action Center, and got a battery that was the correct size with the correct reserve capacity. I actually bought an AC Delco from GM and haven't regretted it in the least. I was having "column lock" and "service ABS/Traction Control" issues, and replacing my battery solved those issues as well. LLC5 and C4C5specialist DO KNOW what they're talking about. Good luck with your decision.........
Andy