redtorque

I'm going to be changing the battery in my 2000 coupe soon. I realize that everybody recommends Optima. Is the Optima that much better? Has ACDelco fixed the acid leak issues they had when these cars were new? Also, I heard that letting the battery go dead can be a nightmare for the memory in the car, but will I have memory problems when I disconnect the current battery to replace it with a new one? Finally, can you run a battery tender on the Optima during storage or is it that good that I won't need one? Thanks.

atmsrus1

When my died I went to Autozone and bought one of their better batterys. It was about 1/3 less than an Optima and I have had no issues what so ever.

jrose7004

I've had Optima Red Tops in both C5's that I've had and I have had absolutely no issues.

blacksedan87

The simple truth is that the Optima is a sealed absorbed gas mat battery. It has a thicker case to resist puncture, and generally it can be installed in any position and not leak. Due to it's design - if the Red Top discharges all the way down - it's done.

Keeping a battery maintenance device such as a Battery Tender will allow the battery to remain at a full state of charge for a long time, and it will be fine.

It is crucial to use a battery maintenance device, and not a trickle charger. There is a big difference - mostly that a trickle charger will give a constant state low voltage charge - regardless of the state of charge in the battery. This constant charge can and often does result in the boiling of the electrolyte and will damage the battery irreparably Also - a trickle charger will cause sulfation of the cells and will damage them.

A battery maintenance device like the Battery Tender will monitor the state of charge and then will only send charging voltage when the battery begins to discharge - and it will if kept connected.

So the recommendation is that an Optima is a good choice as long as it is maintained properly.

GBsC5Vert

And mines on a tender during the week when I'm not driving.

vetteman741

I buy Autozone Duralast batteries because I always get 7 years or more out of them. They are made by Johnson Controls as are DieHard batteries.

I used to sell them at Autozone when I was younger too, so I know they last. People would come in with their 10 year old battery, I would look up their warranty and then they would say wow it is 10 years old, give me another one please.

They last a long time as long as they are not fried by a bad voltage regulator, or constant discharge, as do most batteries.

Duralast and DieHard batteries have thicker reinforced lead areas to prevent side post breakage

Baldfart

Has anybody tried a Odyssey battery? They appear to have much better reserve capacity (135) than a Optima and better CCA. They are expensive. And they are a AGM type.

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/

Rebel 1

"everybody recommends Optima"? Not me. Haven't heard that one.
I only use AC Delco.

The "acid leaking issues" were resolved years ago.

Good advice from Blacksedan87 on using a battery tender.

As far as connect/disconnect a battery, i have done it many times. No big deal. Resetting a few things takes a couple minutes. Easy.

Bob

ztheusa

THE most important battery quality is that it CAN'T leak. When it does it is computer nightmare. A few bucks spent here is a good thing.

Jesse Asis

I second the Optima, have it on a Dodge Ram 1500 and it has been great for over 7 years now. One time I didn't drive the Ram for 3 weeks, went to start it, it went click. Jumped it with my emergency jumper batt. and it still is running great. Now I just start the Ram up once a weekend, she is still running. Read up on the Optima, the spiral cells are longer due to it sprials so you get more amps for a smaller battery, smart thinking.. Now rumor has it the company was sold and the quality went down, so I'm not sure today.. but I'll get one for my C5 on the next batt. change. Good luck,

blacksedan87

Optima has been owned by Johnson Controls for a while now. I don't think the quality has slipped - but they do have a three year free replacement warranty. If the battery is defective - it will show up in that three year period.

yaknow

As stated before Delco has fixed there problems years ago, with 5 years on my current Delco, I'll probably go back

LoneStarFRC

Partially correct. The Sears Die-Hard Platinum series batteries are made by Odyssey (Enersys Corp) in Missouri. At the present time they have one of the best warranties of any car battery made. Four years free replacement, followed by 100 month pro-rated.

Optima, just in the last couple years, has dropped their warranty down to 3 years TOTAL. That's all you get, nothing more.

LoneStarFRC

That's who manufactures the Sears Platinum series.

blacksedan87

The real issue with the leaking Delco batteries back when the C5 was first introduced was that the terminals were being over-tightened at Bowling Green. Corvette changed to a Delco AGM battery in 2000 (I think.....) and then switched to a top terminal battery that was a conventional battery in 2004. The AGM's were showing premature failures.

Vetteman Jack

I've had two Optima Red Tops. First one I bought in November 2001 and had it in the car until I sold it in June 2008. No problems whatsoever and always kept it on a battery tender.

Second one came with my current '03 - was a little over three years old when the battery went dead - had to replace it. Kept it on a battery tender too.

This time I went with a Sears DieHard Platinum battery - have had it in the car for a year now with no problems and it is also connected to a battery tender when I'm not driving the car.

DeeGee

Some great advice from Randy

It always worries me when you get advice on which battery to chose yet no one asks how you use your car. It's important with the C5.

I use Optima but it might not be the best choice for everyone. A Yellow Top wont leak and is better able to cope with being drained but costs way more than a lead acid. A good battery for a daily driver might not be good for a weekend car that is laid up over winter. I should say I've had a leaking AC Delco (lead acid) which lasted 7 years, a dead AC Delco (AGM) which lasted 8 months, a dead Red Top (killed after an 8 week transatlantic crossing) and a Yellow Top (4 years old).

This might help. Although I posted the advice after a member asked why his battery was draining, there are some thoughts about which battery is best for you.




Identifying Battery Problems

The C5 eats batteries unless you take some regular precautions. If your battery continually dies its either the battery which is on its last legs or something on the car.

You also need to look at how you use the car. Is it a daily driver? If so the battery should be getting a good top up every day so you may have a problem.


Is it a DD but you do short trips? If so you'll be taking a lot out of the battery every time you start. For a short trip, say less than about 20 mins, you won’t top it off properly. Eventually it'll drain.

Is it a weekend car. If so, this takes a lot out of your battery. There’s a 20MA drain even dormant. If you don’t drive the car for a reasonable time every week or so, it'll kill the battery. In this case you really do need a battery tender.

You’ll know when your battery is bad. As it gets low you may get strange electrical indications (random warnings and U fault codes). As it gets lower it may drop the memory settings or defaults such as HUD settings. Eventually you’ll get the dreaded chattering relays in the footwell and eventually the lights on the IPC will disappear.

Most batteries can be recharged quite successfully, although AGMs are harder. Start by checking the charge on the battery. Don’t read the DIC when the car is off. The value you see on the DIC is alternator output when the car is running. It will always measure an inaccurately low voltage on the battery when the ignition is off and figures of 11.0V to 11.9V is normal in this case. With the engine on, the voltmeter should show between 13V and 14.5V. You need to measure voltage across the battery terminals using a digital multi meter if possible. A fully charged battery measures 12.7V and a fully discharged battery measures 11.9V. Partially discharged batteries will give a reading somewhere in between.

If the battery is low give it an overnight charge (or put it on a battery tender until you get a fully charged indication) and retest it. A true test is under load and Autozone will do that test for free.
If you have an AGM battery like the Red Top and it has been deeply discharged it's harder to recover it. This might help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIoaL3DWWEg

If you’ve recharged it and it still runs down, then you need to start looking for excessive drains. Bill Curlee posted a good method for checking:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1567522286-post590.html

There are some common faults which are well known for causing problems:

First to check is the interior lighting rotary switch on the drivers panel. It’s possible for that to be turned on as there’s a setting (fully clockwise) which bypasses the auto off function. Turn it fully counter clockwise and check after about 30 minutes (preferably in the dark) that the interior lights have gone off.

If it’s not the lights something has failed or is badly installed.

Have you fitted an after-market device which draws current? Typically it’s a cellphone charger, radar warner or a similar device that’s the problem.

If still no joy, you need to start pulling fuses to identify the problem.

The power seat switches on the side of both seats are notoriously unreliable. The switch becomes sticky with use and can stick in the “on” position. You shouldn’t damage the motors as they are thermally protected. The fuse may blow so worth checking (Fuse 36 20A in footwell).

The driver’s lumbar motor can also cause issues so check this too (mini fuse 3 15A in footwell). The seat controls connect under the seat. Pull the connector and if the drain stops that’s your problem.

Less common but not unheard of are failures of the headlight motor control module the alternator and the Bose Amplifier under the dash on the driver’s side.

Johnny_B_Good

About three years ago, my original 7 year old plus AC Delco was still providing excellent service when I replaced it with another AC Delco. I wouldn’t consider any other brand. I didn’t have memory issues when I replaced the battery.

REZ1

The past few years I have been using batteries from Wally World
Keep the slip for warrantee and you can be sure of a hastle free exchange in
the first 3 years...yes exchange...no pro rating
These everlast MaXX batterys are made by Johnson Controls also

RaW Z06

The Costco Kirkland battery is the choice for me. 36 month free replacement and 100 month pro-rated. At $68 its very hard to beat.