C6 Optima battery. Will it fit?

[Bummer]

My '07 C6 Convertible is 16 months old and has 500 miles on it.

I've tried to drive it every 3-6 weeks (weather permitting) to keep the battery up but it has died completely and won't hold a charge now. The Delco is small (590 CCA) so I thought I would replace it with a Diehard or Optima.

Sear's said they don't have a battery for it except an International (?) that has to be vented.

I called Optima and was told they do not have a battery to fit the '06-'08 C6 Vette, in spite of what I see on the forums.

What Optima will fit the '07 C6 for sure?
Auto Zone has the 34/78 (800 CCA) for $159.99 and the 75/25 (720 CCA) for $149.99.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Changing the battery isn't going to fix your problem with the battery draining. You might get a little more time between full discharges, but you won't fix the draw.

Why not have GM warranty the battery and troubleshoot the car's electrical system for a draw.

On the other hand, if you're going to replace the battery and want the best battery available, look into Odyssey Batteries. It's are a high-end piece which uses AGM technology but in with no-compromise design and construction. Odyseey's data calls for the PC1200MJT for C6es which is a 590-600 CCA unit. While the cold cranking rating is about the same, the advantage in the Odyssey is a 7-10 year life, much higher tolerance for deep cycles and 2-3 times more reserve power.

In years past I've used Delco and Optima batteries. For a long time I considered Delco a quality product but once GM spun off Delphi, I think the quality has slipped and I no longer use Delco replacement batteries. The Optima was a leading-edge design a number of years ago. In recent years, i've been a little uncomfortable with the lengths of Optima's warranties and, now that Optima is so heavily-marketed and price-competitive, I've gone looking for a higher-end product.

I've got Odysseys in two of my cars and have a third sitting on the bench to put in my C5 Z. So far, my testing shows the product backs up Odyssey's claims of being a no-compromise product.

More info at http://www.odysseyfactory.com/

 

[SAILOR51]

One more thought: the GM manual recommends disconnecting the battery if your C6 will be sitting for a month or more. After traveling overseas for six weeks, I had to jump start mine, so the recommendation appears sound. Parasitic losses from the electronics...

Even if disconnected, a basic lead-acid battery will slowly self-discharge, but an Odyssey will hold 70% of its charge for a year at 95 degrees or longer in cooler climates.

Bottom line; if you install an Odyssey battery with a battery disconnect, you should be bullet proof if you remember to use the disconnect. Other wise the Odyssey will be more forgiving cause it can take an 80% discharge and fully recover, but a lead-acid is only good for about 50%. Hope this helps.

 

[twiget]

Instead of disconnecting the battery and loosing any data that might be stored in volatile memory, why not use a battery tender? It will keep the battery charged, and you wont loose any data.

Jason

 

[Bummer]

Dead Battery - What to do?

Instead of disconnecting the battery and loosing any data that might be stored in volatile memory, why not use a battery tender? It will keep the battery charged, and you wont loose any data.

Jason

Seems to be the best advise from the few million responses on several forums about the dead battery problem so I'll get a battery tender as soon as I figure out what battery to buy.

Sears Diehards have been good for me for decades but Sears said they do not have a sealed battery for the C6 so a vented battery right over the 'Brain' looks like a bad idea to me. I'm going to another Sears battery store where a Corvette Club guy works to see if he has an answer.

Optima doesn't have a battery for the C6 either (I called them) but many guys on the forums are using them. Both Auto Zone and Batteries Plus said 'Do not use the Optima in your C6.' When I was in Batteries Plus the manager took me into the back room to measure some Optimas and I noticed MANY (25-30) red and yellow top Optima returns. Seems Optima quality has suffered recently since Johnson Controls bought them. BTW the Optima is supposed to be a sealed battery but A-Z and B-P both said they 'off-gas' when charging from those little mesh things on the top.

Looks like I'll probably get an Optima Series 35 with 720 CCA (The 34/78 and 75/25 don't have the correct post layout) and ignore the warnings from battery salesmen and hope it doesn't kill me if I have warranty claims.