What is this battery behind the driver's seat in the ABS compartment that I have?

[Roadster Guy]

My 96 driver's manual calls the little compartment behind the driver's seat under the carpeting the ABS compartment. I unscrewed it to look in and check the fuse for the F-45 suspension which according to the manual is located in there (good excuse to play around with the vette during winter storage). To my suprise there was a small rectangular battery in there wired up.

My question is this; is this battery supposed to be in there and does it have anything to do with the ABS or the F-45 susension or is it probably as I suspect part of my aftermarket alarm system that was in the car when I bought it and I keep slowly learning about as I stumble across things? I would appreciate it if anyone who has opened this compartment (on the ledge under the carpet just behind the driver's seat in my convertible) could tell me if their vette had a battery in there or has heard of a 96 having one.

By the way, has anyone changed that F-45 fuse in that compartment? Didn't know which connection to pull apart in there as there are a couple of connectors. Wonder what happens anyways to the suspension if the fuse blows.......

Any ideas on the battery would help---thanks.
RG

 

[froggy47]

Do you have LoJack?

 

[c4cruiser]

This sounds like part of an aftermarket alarm system. It probably keeps the system operating if the car battery dies or a thief tries to cut wires or drain the electrolyte by poking a hole in it.

There should not be a battery in the compartment that is OEM equipment.

 

[Roadster Guy]

This sounds like part of an aftermarket alarm system. It probably keeps the system operating if the car battery dies or a thief tries to cut wires or drain the electrolyte by poking a hole in it.

There should not be a battery in the compartment that is OEM equipment.

Thanks C4...that confirms it is aftermarket, but wanted to be sure before I mucked around with it.
RG

 

[Roadster Guy]

Do you have LoJack?

Froggy, clue me in here............LoJack?:ugh

 

[NevadaJim]

Froggy, clue me in here............LoJack?:ugh

LoJack is a tracking device some people have installed in their vehicles. It alows the (LoJack) security company & police to track the vehicle through GPS if it's stolen. I believe a backup battery is installed with the device in case the thiefs disconnect/inable the battery.

 

[Ken]

Sure it's not just the same battery backup that they sell, to keep the accessories (radio stations, time, etc.) from losing their memory when the main battery is disconnected? That (the item in the catalogs) is nothing more than 9v battery that plugs into the cigarette lighter.

 

[froggy47]

Froggy, clue me in here............LoJack?:ugh

87 has it right. Vehicle recovery device. Needs it's own long life battery about 1"x4"x3" as I recall. Black color, no special markings. The Lojack installer Hides it in various places in the car. Mine is behind the rear carpeted panel. I guess they don't sell it in Canada. It's fairly popular on valuable cars in the USA

 

[Roadster Guy]

Bommerangs....batterys...and my Vette says it is too cold to be uncovered!

87 has it right. Vehicle recovery device. Needs it's own long life battery about 1"x4"x3" as I recall. Black color, no special markings. The Lojack installer Hides it in various places in the car. Mine is behind the rear carpeted panel. I guess they don't sell it in Canada. It's fairly popular on valuable cars in the USA

AAAHHH like the "Boomerang" tracking product we have here. Ok, I know what you mean. No, mine does not have that, but it does have the Crime Stopper alarm system and yes this then is the battery backup. When I had the main battery changed last year we had to shut the alarm system off under the hood because the alarm went off as soon as we disconnected the battery. But I never could find the souce of the power for it. This battery is about 5"x 2"x 3". I never got the proper alarm system manual with the car when I bought it years ago and have slowly figured it out and found the components.

One good thing is now when I store the car I can disconnect this alarm backup battery as it probably is a bit of a parasite power drain to keep it charged.
Thanks guys for the info.

By the way, it's so cold in the garage these days with the freezing weather we have been having that when I take the cover off the Vette to check something it yells at me that it is too freakin cold to be uncovered and to put the cover back on and come back in about two months!
And somehow my wife got the heated garage section for her car......:ugh Does that suprise anybody?

 

[froggy47]

Well I hope she (your wife) appreciates this sacrific putting her comfort ahead of the Vette's

 

[Roadster Guy]

Well I hope she (your wife) appreciates this sacrific putting her comfort ahead of the Vette's

I remind her every day Froggy.............by the way, nice looking Black LT4 you got there.
RG

 

[froggy47]

Gotta keep the wives happy