Dying Battery?

[82shark]

My vette isn't a daily driver and with the bad weather its sat for almost a week and a half. Went to start it yesterday, "click", no vrroooom!. Messed around, waited a few seconds, nothing, a few more tries and finally "vrrrooomm!. No problems. Drove to work, drove home in the evening. Thought it might be that the gas was low, so I filled up yesterday morning. Full Tank now.
This morning same thing! Took same amount of "click" and nothing, few tries later, it starts and runs fine.

Is the battery dying? If so what is the best replacement? I've heard the Optima Yellow or Red top? Its probably the original battery in there.
Thanks,
ED

 

[thesurvivor]

If you still have the original battery, replace it.......I use a battery tender for longer term storage, but if you were only down a week and a half, I'd say it's time for a battery.

We drive our C5 a lot, but I use the tender in Winter for sure. My C3 gets driven about 500 miles a year, and batteries have lasted 5 years even though just sitting. But the C5 has a lot of electronics that are "hot" all the time, so the tender is cheap insurance.

 

[jrose7004]

I'd just go get a Optima Red Top 75/25 and be done with it!

 

[82shark]

I may do that. I've heard they're great batteries and safe as far as no leaking. Another person told me to make sure the clutch pedal switch was fully engaging. Im pretty sure Im mashing it all the way to the floor, so I don't think thats it. After a few tries it does fire up. If its anything in particular, like the switch or security ignition contact on your key, I want to find out before the warranty is out.

 

[vettepilot]

Say wait a minute guys, the way he described the action/conditions, this doesn't sound like a battery problem. What I took from this is that when he tried to start the car it took several tries, then suddenly it would start. That may not be the battery, but something else related to the starter circuit system, or a dead spot on the starter armature. Seeing that it's a six speed, the clutch safety switch may need adjusting, or has dirty contacts. I would look further than the battery. But just to make sure, have the battery capacity checked, if it's good, then you need to continue troubleshooting the rest of the systems.
vettepilot

 

[gbik]

I agree with vettepilot. If the car just clicked when 82shark turned the ignition switch a couple times then started without charging the battery then the battery probably is not the problem. first step is cleaning the battery connections, at the cable ends easist thing first.

 

[LLC5]

Starters are known to go bad. Turn on the headlights when it won't start and try to start it. If the headlights dim a lot, then the chances of it being a bad starter are good. Check all the cables and connections first, and have the battery load tested.

 

[Patrick]

Ed,
Battery or Starter Circuit, either way, I would think it ought to be sending Codes. Have you tried to PULL CODES at all? If so, what codes are you getting?

-Patrick

 

[82shark]

It did it again this morning. I tried the other key and voila! It must be that pass key thing on the side of the key.
ED