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Red Top...Yellow Top...Delco or Die Hard?

Jistari

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
254
Location
New York
Corvette
2001 Black on Black A4 Coupe
I know this has the potential to open up the proverbial can of worms but....I'm putting it out there anyway :)

2001 Coupe, believe original Delco Battery, no problems (even through winter storage) until this year. Dead as a doornail when I went to take the cover off this year.

People talk alot about Red Top (Optima) batteries, been reading where if you dont drive the car often (which applies for me, it may sit a week or two in season and about three months off season), the Yellow top may be a better choice.

Looking at the fact that the original Delco lasted six years (no leaks, no problems) and usually use Die Hard's from Sears (again never had a problem with these either)......now......totally "dumbfusticated" about what to replace the one in the C5 with :)

(not exactly a poll....just looking to generate some discussion and opinions on the four options I have it narrowed down to for input on the decision).

Thanks
 
I spent many long hours studying these same batteries and to make a long story short I went with the Optima Red Top. I have found this battery to always have the juice to start my C5 even if it sits for weeks thru the harsh winters here in New England. A little more $$$ than the others but it beats hooking up jumper cables everytime you walk out to the garage to go somewhere.
 
Red

I am a big fan of the Optima red top. Have several of them in different cars. Anytime I need to replace a battery, it gets the Optima. I also have a camping trailer, equipped with 2 batteries. One blue top and a yellow top. They have great staying power. I can run the lights for days on end.

On my Corvette, the first purchase was a red top-within 4 days of getting the car! Since my battery is located behind my seat, in the interior, I was not too keen to have a wet battery there, even though the one it had was fairly new.

I have had one Optima failure, but it was due to the car overcharging it, and even then, it was over a period of time.

Rick
:gap
 
I have a Die Hard in mine its for a SUV costs a little more then the standard Die Hard but is supposed to handle the bumps better I have a Z51 so its a little stiffer. I believe it is a gel cell but am not sure. Been using Die hards for years without any problems.
 
Hmmm. Only reason I looked at the yellow top was the stuff they said about it being better if you dont use the veh at times.

So you guys find that the red top does fine, even when stored for the winter ? (and I know you should use a battery charger/sentinel/keeper/float whatever, but I'm talking about when no additional charger is used....frankly I cant see any battery failing if you keep it on a maintenance charger :) ).
 
In the recent past I'm hearing good things about the Exide orbital battery. I have a redtop now but would likely try the exide if I needed a battery.....
 
I'm not 100% sure but I think Exide is the manufacturer of Optima and Orbital batteries.
 
Another Option

Jistari,

Why not just go with an OEM Delco. After all - you got six years of service out the original one. And if you had used a battery tender during the long term storage periods.....who knows how much longer it would have lasted?
Remo:cool

spring07.JPG
 
I have had good experience with the Red Top. I still do use a Schumacher battery tender because I live in Chicago and the Vette sits for a month or two.

When I owned my auto & truck repair shop I would stock Interstates. They make a high quality battery. They make it easy to exchange because they have so many outlets. Almost every independent repair shop in USA stocks them.

OEM Delco batterties also are very good. I have seen them go longer than the warranty period. One nice thing about Delco is the fact that they vent away from the cable connections and therefore the corrosion factor is reduced many times.

SAVE THE :w


 
In the recent past I'm hearing good things about the Exide orbital battery. I have a redtop now but would likely try the exide if I needed a battery.....
I have both with no problems to report at all. I think the new battery technology is to the point that a battery is a battery is a battery anymore. Us old guys remember when a battery was like a shot in the dark, you might get a good one and you might not and even the good ones failed often. I have had a red top in the Jeep for several years now and sometimes its months between starts. It has a high compression engine and has never once , even in the dead of winter failed to spin the daylights out of it. I am a huge fan of the gel batteries myself.
 
I was thinking just that Remo :)

Oddly, it was dead first time I started it, I 10 amp charged it for 20 minutes to get it to start, drove around for about an hour and parked it a few days ago.
Today I went down to check on it (too busy around here to use the car yet) and it started right up. DIC said 10.2V for a second....then went to 14.4. So I guess I dont have to run out and get the battery just to be able to use the car.
Right now I'm leaning towards the stock Delco and I'll pick up a tender also.
Have to take my son back up to school (ALbany, about a two hour drive) on Monday. May use the vette to let it get a little more steady charge.

I just put an old battery charger I had on it (old...as in ...from the year of the flood....Sears 10/2 amp Automatic Charger) at 2 amps. After two hours the DIC says 11.6 volts (in the AC position without starting it). Not sure how long to leave it on there but pretty sure it's not hurting anything at that amperage. I was leaning towards disconnecting the battery from the car to try this blind recharge scheme of mine, but remembered about the security feature of the head unit and didnt want to have to go to a dealer to get the radio to work again.

I plan to leave the charger on the car until the DIC says 12.6 volts, unless I see a post below this something along the lines of "you idiot.....you're gonna ruin your framis flux capacitor . . . ." :) <opininions on the plan welcome>

After the Albany trip I'll probably be out looking to pick up either the Delco or the yellow top (think I know where to pick up a Delco, but dont recall seeing yellow tops in any stores; can you get those retail or do you have to order them online?).
 
I just put an old battery charger I had on it (old...as in ...from the year of the flood....Sears 10/2 amp Automatic Charger) at 2 amps.

Just my two cents, but I think that Delco does not make a glass mat
battery anymore. I think they all are acid type. In my opinion that
would be the last type of battery I would install in a C 5 due to the possibility of a leak in the area where the it is located.

I have a red top and it does just great job. I also fell that the Sears 2 amp
charger should be connected whenever the car is going to set for a
period of time. Again, in my opinion, I think a constant full charge
saves a lot of low volt electrical & computer problems down the road as well as extending the live of the battery. :w
 
After the Albany trip I'll probably be out looking to pick up either the Delco or the yellow top (think I know where to pick up a Delco, but dont recall seeing yellow tops in any stores; can you get those retail or do you have to order them online?).

You should be able to pick up a red top at any Auto Zone or Advanced Auto etc... at least they have them advertised on there web sites. Just punch in you zip and it will tell you if they have them in stock. I've heard the price has gone up in the past year to ~$150
 
Old Dog, you may be right :)
Didnt have time earlier to look around, but, try as I may, cant locate an original equipment Delco on the web. Of course I may be looking in the wrong place, but, cant find one....soooooo

That may narrow down my choices :), guess it'll be a red or yellow top (and thanks C5Y2K, most of the AutoZones around here are closing/moving but I will shoot over to the nearest one to have a looksee).
 
[Quote Old DogJ Just my two cents, but I think that Delco does not make a glass mat
battery anymore. I think they all are acid type. In my opinion that
would be the last type of battery I would install in a C 5 due to the possibility of a leak in the area where the it is located. [Quote Old Dog]


Old Dog - do you actually believe that the Corvette Engineers are currently specing OEM batteries that are determental to the car? If yes - we need to contact them soon.

Remo:cool

spring07.JPG
 
I was thinking just that Remo :)

Oddly, it was dead first time I started it, I 10 amp charged it for 20 minutes to get it to start, drove around for about an hour and parked it a few days ago.
Today I went down to check on it (too busy around here to use the car yet) and it started right up. DIC said 10.2V for a second....then went to 14.4. So I guess I dont have to run out and get the battery just to be able to use the car.
Right now I'm leaning towards the stock Delco and I'll pick up a tender also.
Have to take my son back up to school (ALbany, about a two hour drive) on Monday. May use the vette to let it get a little more steady charge.

I just put an old battery charger I had on it (old...as in ...from the year of the flood....Sears 10/2 amp Automatic Charger) at 2 amps. After two hours the DIC says 11.6 volts (in the AC position without starting it). Not sure how long to leave it on there but pretty sure it's not hurting anything at that amperage. I was leaning towards disconnecting the battery from the car to try this blind recharge scheme of mine, but remembered about the security feature of the head unit and didnt want to have to go to a dealer to get the radio to work again.

I plan to leave the charger on the car until the DIC says 12.6 volts, unless I see a post below this something along the lines of "you idiot.....you're gonna ruin your framis flux capacitor . . . ." :) <opininions on the plan welcome>

After the Albany trip I'll probably be out looking to pick up either the Delco or the yellow top (think I know where to pick up a Delco, but dont recall seeing yellow tops in any stores; can you get those retail or do you have to order them online?).


I am told you can follow the attached procedure to restart your radio. I had your same question on another forum...

Unlock C5 Radio -- 1 of 1

Date Published: 2002-05-26
Submitter's Name: Ioannis Hadjiioannou
Email Address: hex29a@hotmail.com
Corvetteforum.com Member Alias: Hex29a
The following procedure will give you a new code that you can use instead of your personal code. Using this new code, you can “unlock” your radio and then “re-lock” it with a new code if you wish. Prerequisites: The radio must be in LOC mode NOT in INOP mode. Let me explain. If you have activated the Theft-Deterrent feature of your radio and loose power, the radio goes into LOC (theftlock) mode. With the ignition on, you must use the MN and HR buttons to enter you personal code in order to unlock it (The instructions are on page 3-27 in your Y2K Owner’s manual). If you fail to enter the correct code eight (8) times, the radio goes into INOP mode. You have to wait an hour with the ignition on before the radio returns to LOC mode (go for a long drive somewhere). Procedure:

01. Turn the ignition ON (The radio displays LOC)
02. Hold down the Radio Presets 2 and 3 buttons for six seconds
03. The radio display changes from LOC to a three-digit number. Write this number down. Don’t take forever, fifteen seconds max before the next step.
04. Press the AM/FM button
05. The radio display changes to another three-digit number. Write this number to the right of the first one.
06. You now have a six-digit number, the first three digits are from STEP 03 and the last three digits are form STEP 05
07. Call 1 800 537 5140
08. Press 1 then # (pound). You’ll hear “Invalid Code, try again”
09. Press 139010 then # (pound). You will be asked to enter your four or six digit code followed by * (start)
10. Enter the number from STEP 6 then * (star)
11. Listen to the four-digit number and write it down. It will be repeated twice
12. Turn the ignition ON (The radio displays LOC)
13. Use the MN and HR buttons to enter the code from STEP 11
14. Press the AM/FM button. The radio display changes to SEC
Your radio is now “un-locked” and usable. The Theft-Deterrent feature is STILL active! If you want to disable it, use the instruction on page 3-27 in your Y2K Owner’s manual. Use the code from STEP 11 instead of your personal code.
 
Old Dog - do you actually believe that the Corvette Engineers are currently specing OEM batteries that are determental to the car? If yes - we need to contact them soon.

Remo:cool
Although it breaks my heart to say yes, I think the specing of the
battery location can go right along with those other great ideas
like the steering column lock and the front grill drains that plug
up so easily.

Yes, maybe we should contact them. :D
 

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