Fix This Issue Before it KILLS Your Corvette!!
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
- Leaky batteries are a secret killer of the C5 and possibly C6 Corvette as well! If the battery leaks for an extended period of time, it can cause SIGNIFICANT damage to your main wiring harness / ECM and/or extremely corrode the steel frame rails since the battery sits right above them! Go check your battery now or make sure to really inspect this area if you're looking at buying a Corvette!
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I have owned my C5 Vette for 23 years and never come across this bro. Guess I’m lucky.
Keep an eye on it!
Ditto, my 2001 ZO6 is flawless and without issue. I have it professionally maintained by a shop with 35 years experience. "I'm just learning" pretty much says it all. Have professional engineers care for your vehicle. In the immortal words of Al Franken "you'll be glad you did"
Super useful video! Just picked up a c6 a few days ago... I’ll definitely check that out tomorrow morning and fix the issue, hopefully before any harm has been caused😬
Awesome good to hear! Yes it’s one of those simple preventative things that can be done to save you literally thousands in repair coats to either redo major wiring harnesses, the ECM, or the coating and/or structure to the frame rail! Corvettes are awesome cars, best of luck!
HEY I just picked up a C6 a few days ago as well! 2013 GS LT3 manual. No npp, no magnetic ride, no mods.
😊@@Addimotive
I got my AGM battery a few years ago through Amazon. I have a 2003 C5. I think the battery was about $200 delivered. One reason the flooded batteries leak sometimes is when the cables are over-tightened. That causes micro cracks in the case which eventually grow into bigger cracks. That happened to my 96 Impala SS when it was under warranty.
Oh yea that's a good point Greg. I could definitely see how the terminal connections for these batteries could possibly lead to that if you're not careful.
Ha! I thought you were going to say Harmonic Balancer!
Lol, I’ve got other videos on that ;)
That’s what I’m finishing up with now on the car … and replacing the subframe
@@Addimotive Was your harmonic balancer/crank slotted?
@@saintnificent5532 No it wasn't, completely stock.
This is why you should use AGM battery as recommended by mfr, instead of regular lead acid battery. Good advice to keep an eye on this, but I never noticed any issues on my 2003 C5. Of course my batteries never last more than 2 years here in las vegas.
Yep totally! So many owners just aren't aware (including me up until I saw that other video!)
Excellent info. and well presented, thanks.
Glad you liked the video, Jim. Thanks!
The ORIGINAL ac delco batteries were a problem, but any battery that leaks would be problematic for sure
Thanks for the video. After 6yrs, two shops and lots of frustration, I’m just hearing about this issue. I pulled the batter tray and found quite a mess. Obviously somebody before me had an a big battery leak- judging by the acid staining. Oh yeah, the putty and zip tie around the CPU is a classic. My ground splice pack, by the AC condenser, is pretty crusty, too. So, at least I know where my problems live. Now we’ll start narrowing things down. Yes, many don’t have any issues. When I talk to other C5 guys at shows and cruise nights they look at me like I’m nuts. No troubles at all. The lesson I’ve learned is there are no cheap Corvettes. I took a flyer on a higher mileage car and didn’t know what I didn’t know. 🍻
Dang that's a bummer! Yea a lot of people don't even realize this is a problem until they look below their battery tray!
Mine came with new battery but I have got this on the list for sure.
Yea it's good to keep an eye on, I would highly recommend saving up and changing it out to an AGM battery ASAP. The damage / repair a bad battery can cause is worth the cost of a premium battery.
After my battery dead on my corvette 💀 I can see there more issue. This is such as useful tips thanks
Glad you found it helpful!
Hi, I have a 97 C5 that has an under hood light that does not come on. The lightbulb itself is good and so is the fuse to the light. Is there something else that could be the reason the light doesn't turn on when I open the hood?
Great video, just picked up a 07 C6 and did notice the battery placement. Didn't think much about it until now. Will check it out.
Thanks Jeff! Awesome, congrats on the new ride!
I have a c6 its not the same, computer is not under the battery tray. Do some research some c6 cars have huge parasitic drain problems the manual says keep it on a storage battery charger if not using the car in 27 days. I am telling my car has no parasitic draw. I bought it used and it came with a new battery in it. It died in less than a week. I had a bad battery,shorted cell. I learned the c6 had a few different size batteries and battery trays!!! I put the biggest AGM battery in it possible. If you start and drive the car with in a week you should be fine. Regardless if you are having issues or not,keep a battery tender on the car if you can. I cut the edge nearest the engine off the battery tray and moved the wiring harness away from the inner fender well and fit a H7 battery in place. If I were to do it again, I would use a H6 from a C7 it will fit a little better after the mod. You can find a chart of battery dimensions online. Of course I learned all this after buying the C6.
I hope this helps anyone with a C6. Ask me any questions, if I can help i will
Well produced 👊🏻🙏
Thanks Steven!
Optima batteries are a great choice for cars that drive everyday, but they don't like trickle chargers and will fail if left on a charger for long periods of time. Some AMG batteries even say to not use with a trickle charger.
I’ve heard people say what you’re saying and also people say the opposite, I guess time will tell.
I’ve heard you need a quality trickle charger that “knows” how to properly charge an AGM-type battery. They can’t be charged as “aggressively” as a traditional lead acid battery can. I think even Leno mentioned the type of trickle charger he uses on all his cars that won’t shorten the life of AGM’s
A 1.2 - 1.6 amp trickle charger is fine. I've been using them on Optima batteries for more than 25 years.
@@gmrthreeYes! The ctec mxs 5.0 is awesome! And it has an "AGM" battery setting on it. Perfect for my M5 bmw battery, it's a 2013 and still has the original battery!
@@danielfair4675Yes. It works for me too.
Enjoyed your video very informative. I noticed your Mt Carmel hoodie. What part of so cal do you live?
Glad you liked the video, thanks! Good 'ol San Diego!
The battery location shown in this video would only apply to the C6 base cars, the ZO6, Grand Sport, ZR1, & the 427 convertibles have the battery location in the passenger rear compartment
Dan, good to know! I didn’t know it was different between the base and other models. Thanks for the comment.
@@Addimotive they have a dry sump so that is where the oil tank is👍
Ive gone threw 2 optima batteries in the last 3 years in my C6....definitly down hill from what they were.....years back they served me well....I believe the quality has changed now. But they did warrentee replace my last two.
Hm that’s weird, mine is going on three years strong. I guess really my point is in this video is to replace any wet battery with any brand of AGM battery to avoid acid leaking down into the wiring harness, ecu, or frame rail.
In my opinion it's hit or miss , I haven't seen it leaking , the car sits more then it's driven, I have replaced battery probably 3 to 4 times already for many years that I have owned the car . AGM battery is definitely great replacement though. (I guess I was just being cheap, lol)
Yea I understand where you're coming from. With the risk that this poses (causing damage to the frame or main wiring harness), I just would rather err on the side of caution.
Thanks I will do asap on my 2004 vette
Awesome!
“If your C5 Corvette has a Millennium Yellow hood on a Torch Red body catch it early on and fix it immediately before anyone sees it on the street - it will completely ruin everything with the look of your beautiful C5 Corvette”
That’s a good one.
Now that is a good idea.
Indeed!
160,000 miles and not one issue with batteries on C5 Corvette, but I did have battery check every year!
I agree that an AGM battery is the correct choice but I disagree about choosing an Optima battery. Optima batteries are now made in Mexico and as a result do not offer the quality product that they once did. I suggest going with brands such as Bosch, Odyssey or Fullthrottle.
I just bought a optima for 1999 Chevrolet Corvette from Summit Racing 265.00
Nice! That battery should treat you very well! Just make sure to have it on a tender if the car doesn’t get driven for awhile
Two of my ones Pixie and Sunlight both had this issue for too long!!
I’m assuming your car’s names are pixie and sunlight?
I'm replacing my battery with the red top optima battery. My problem is the lock down bolt is missing the nut under the battery tray. Any ideas on locking down my new battery?
Hey Bob, is it completely missing, or is it stripped? If the threads are just stripped you could try tapping to the next largest thread size and then getting a matching bolt to hold down the clamp. The battery tray is a replaceable component, but I think to get access to remove the tray, you'll need to remove possibly the fender or part of the lower fender liner.
How has that Optima battery held up? I have heard the Optima batteries quality has gone down hill in recent years.
I used to buy them off Amazon for like $160ish years ago, now they are like $250.
I’ve had this battery for about 9 months now, and so far it’s been great! I’ve kept it on a tender since the car has been sitting for awhile while I do repairs and maintenance. I’ll be curious to see how it holds up over the years since this is my first optima. I just wanted to get rid of a standard lead acid battery and get an AGM battery ASAP for the reasons I go over in this video.
Ive gone threw 2 optima batteries in the last 3 years in my C6....definitly down hill from what they were.....years back they served me well....I believe the quality has changed now.
Always check that in any vehicle it’s a problem that can cause you major damage
Or just relocate the battery to the trunk for ballast / better weight distribution
Unless you’re gutting the car to turn it into a dedicated track car, doesn’t seem worth the effort and hassle in my opinion
I check my battery for leaks every time I open my hood. Why not just get an AGM battery, like Optima batteries? My understanding is that they don't leak because they're completely sealed. You can even turn them on their side and run them. Also, why is your car's hood yellow, yet the body is red? Is that a special hood?
He bought his Vette' from an auction and it had front end damage. This is a rebuild project. 😁
Salvador, that's what I recommended in this video is to get an AGM battery like an Optima red top. I was trying to get a McDonald's sponsorship but it didn't work out..... lol, the car is a rebuild project so as Mark mentioned, the front end had damage, including the hood, so I got this yellow one for really cheap from someone locally who was parting out a C5Z.
@@Addimotive That all makes sense. I have a radar detector in my C6 that I was powering off the cigarette lighter. That cigarette lighter remains hot even when the car is off, and even when the 15 minute courtesy power shuts off. So I ran my lead acid battery down to zero, and you know how little those batteries like that. After that experience I wired the radar detector into a hot wire for the electronics in the mirror and I got an Optima Yellow. The GM drive cycle is weird to me, and I didn't want to keep having to do that over & over on top of paying for a new batteries. The Optima Red batteries look better, the color matches the LS3 lettering on the coil covers, but I wanted the longer reserve time just in case.
Where did you get the battery from and correct name so I can get it
It’s an Optima Red Top AGM battery. I got it from a local CarQuest auto parts store.
The Optima Dry Cell Battery actually weighs even more than a standard lead acid battery. :( Not cool for performance sports car.
I run the lightweight Braille AGM 15 Racing Battery (gel battery) which only weights 15 lbs, just a 3rd of the weight of the Optima, costs about the same or less, and it chargers back strong again even if you drain it dead.
Hm, interesting. If I was turning this into a true track car or road racer, I'd consider it, but the little bit of extra weight savings doesn't seem that important to me right now. Maybe when this battery bites the dust I'll look into the one you mentioned.
I have a 2004 corvette starts fine when cold but if i drive car and try to start it while hot it just turns over but wont start any ideas
Interesting! So I haven’t directly heard of this issue for the Corvettes, but with my AMG Mercedes I had before this, that same thing happened when my crankshaft position sensor was going bad. It was an intermittent issue that happened mostly when the car was warm and it left me stranded one day. No check engine light at first either. I replaced that sensor and it solved the issue.
@@Addimotive yeah it's like that on Nissans as well I've been with them for 6 years and that's the go to but usually throws a code With this corvette no codes present. I appreciate your reply and glad you were able to fix your problem
Also ck the starter solenoid pos. cable for looseness. Also i've seen the stud on solenoid get so loose due to heat especially w/longtube hdr's u could pull it out by ur hand. best, G.E. @@Addimotive
Whichever C5 I end up buying, the first mod is an AGM battery!
Yea definitely not a bad idea!
I don't understand why the computer module is mounted so low in the car behind the front wheel. Doesn't it easily get wet over there? Any electronics should be located high and dry.
Yea it definitely isn’t the best location for sensitive electronics. The area where the ecu is housed is covered and enclosed by a bunch of paneling like the fiberglass wheel well and a few other bolt on panels on the bottom.
So thankfully it does stay dry in that area when driving in the rain.
Just FYI I had a four-year-old Optima yellow top in my C6 and it started leaking acid from a crack on top/side near the negative terminal! Optima would NOT warranty it even though I took lots of pictures and sent them! When I replaced it I cleaned up the tray-luckly I caught it in time and put a battery acid absorber pad under the new one.
Good to know thanks for the comment! I’ll keep an eye on it.
I’ve always been told to get the red top, not the yellow top
I know Jay Leno only uses Optima batteries on all the cars in his collection.
Yea I've always heard they're pretty good. This is my first one so I guess I'll see how it holds up!
Geesh
Right!
After replacing my battery , my alarm is going off randomly , anyone have ideas?
Do you have an aftermarket alarm?
@@Addimotive no its the c6 standard horn type alarm that happens when you open the door without a key ect
@@mikechrest6997 hmm interesting. I would use a multimeter and double check that the new battery has good voltage. Usually alarms get triggered randomly when a battery's voltage is too low so the car thinks it's getting stolen/jumped. You could also try replacing the batteries in the key fobs to see if that helps at all.
What part of So Cal are you in?
The best part ;)
Hello, Addimotive, what if I DON'T fix this issue!!
That’s what I explain in the video.
Will it kill the car?!
Where'd ja get it
The battery? An auto parts store.
If you have a brand new lead acid battery in your vette...and I mean one day old.......YANK IT OUT and get an AGM Optima red
Yep.
me, watching this two days after letting the guy at autozone pick out the battery for me on my c6 since they didnt have the one i wanted
Dang! That’s a bummer. Yea I had to go to a speciality auto parts store to get my optima. I don’t think many of the big brand auto parts store carry them.
@@Addimotive thats the algorithm unfortunatley lol, lets you make a mistake and then show you the tutorial on how to fix it the next day. just glad i live near corvette world-houston
Should only use sealed batteries in these cars
Yep.
Easy fix replace with optima dry cell battery
I’m going on 10 years so far no issues
Yep that’s what I did. A lot of people don’t know that though and put wet batteries in these cars. I didn’t at first and thankfully my car didn’t have any damage from battery acid.
Put a optima battery it dry cell never leak
Yup!
Addimotive, here is a list for you of issues that are serious to these cars:
1. Dead Battery
2. Leaky Battery
3. Broken small part of the engine
4. Broken rear light bulbs
5. Other leaks
Can’t tell if this is a spoof or a legit comment…
My father inspected the car every Sunday before the work week. Now men don’t even open their hoods. A weekly or monthly inspection would prevent this. Other cars have batteries on top of the frame rails. The batteries from Walmart leak.
Cars take a lot of work to maintain and keep running well! Especially the ones with some years on them!