I have had my batt disconnected for a weekend, and the ONLY thing I lost was window indexing...which means raise and lower your windows once on reconnect.

Can't speak for months at a time but I believe all other settings are on non volatile ram, meaning they stay during the hiatus.

The neg ground is all that needs to come off, and then reconnected.

 

Can't speak for months at a time but I believe all other settings are on non volatile ram, meaning they stay during the hiatus.

What about the ECM? You think it is "non volatile ram"?

 

Make sure the battery is fully charged before you disconnect it.

 

I said "all other settings"....so I think so....

 

How hard is it to access battery? Couldn't hurt to put it on a tender elsewhere it is cool enough to keep it trickled. Be ready to go when you get back. As far as what is volatile/non-volatile memory, no clue.

 

Don't over think this. Nothing important will get erased, just remove the negative terminal and close her up.

I'm sure this is obvious to anyone who has had a previous generation Vette but, you won't be able to lock the car but that won't matter because as long as the windows are up no one else can since the latch is electromechanical. You will need to use the key to open the rear hatch when you want back in. See section 2 in the manual.


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Don't over think this. Nothing important will get erased, just remove the negative terminal and close her up. /QUOTE]

Thanks. I thought Glen was the "don't over think" guy.

 

He is. Haha!

 

We trade off.


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Boomer’s C7 Storage Report

I had to put my C7 in storage for two months while I was away. My best option was to lock it in a commercial storage unit without access to electricity. Since I could not keep a battery tender on it and no one would have access to the C7, I sought advice on this Forum for the best way to proceed.

As a result, I parked the C7 in the storage unit and disconnected the negative battery terminal. The battery was accessible at the right rear of the cargo compartment. I disconnected the negative terminal which was very easy using a socket wrench to loosen the bolt on the connector and then pulled the connector off the negative terminal. Then I placed the battery cover over the battery and rested the negative terminal on top of the cover to avoid any inadvertent contact with the negative terminal of the battery. I left the rear hatch unlatched to allow me easy access to the battery when I returned. I rested the hatch on a towel between the hatch and its latch. I also left the driver’s side door unlatched so I would be able to easily gain access if there was a problem when I reconnected the negative cable. Then I put a cover on the car and locked it away for two months.

Upon return, I opened the storage unit, opened the rear hatch and reconnected the negative terminal. After a couple seconds the lights in the cargo area came on so that was encouraging. After reconnecting, I got in the driver’s seat. I noticed none of the typical DIC or infotainment system lights/icons came on. I pressed the brake pedal and pushed the start button. The car seemed to attempt to turn over but then nothing. I took my foot off the brake and then all the lights/icons in the DIC and infotainment came on as they do once the car is started. However in this case the car had not been started. I put my foot on the brake again and again pressed the start button. The car turned over good and started right up and everything seemed normal.

As I moved out of the storage unit and allowed it to warm up I noticed my DIC was back to a default setting so my DIC settings were gone. However it was easy to reprogram back the DIC configuration I wanted. So the DIC settings must not be “non-volatile ram” as Glen described it. All the other settings for the infotainment (radio presets etc.) were still there so the infotainment settings must be non-volatile ram. Also the NPP remained programmed open/off.

The DIC displayed a message instructing me to index the windows by raising and lowering them. So I did that and they re-indexed no problem. When I was driving home everything seemed fine but I did notice the outside temp gauge was not registering a temp. Later when I restarted, the outside temp gauge was working normally. I am assuming the ECM maintained its operational knowledge or at least I didn’t notice any difference in the car’s operation.

So all in all it was a good experience and that is the method I will use each year when I have to leave it locked away in storage for a couple of months. Thanks to mjw930, Glen and other Forum members that offered me advice on how to handle this situation.

Any comments questions or advice is welcome.

 

Boomer thanks for the detailed report and glad it worked so well! Curious, did you park with the rear near the storage unit door in the event that you needed to get the battery jumped?

 

Yes I sure did!

 

Congrats, the "non start" after reconnect is normal, mine always starts 2nd attempt after batt is reconnected, even if just disconnected for a few minutes.

 

Thanks for the report Boomer.

 

Boomer, informative write up and good info for others who plan to store theirs. I know you were happy when your C7 fired up and you were back to wheeling around Md. again.

SF
Rick

 

looks like my car is starting to show signs that the battery is getting weaker. it will be 4 years old in 1 month. If I remove it and take it to my local Auto Zone to buy a new one how much time do I have to get it installed before losing some settings? The store is only 4 miles away. I plan on getting the Duralast Platinum Battery. 760 Cold cranking amps (950 cranking amps)***. 120/70 reserve minutes. Warranty consists of 3 years free replacement. Battery is vented to outside of vehicle. 47 lbs
They sell Duralast Gold Battery that has 3 year free replacement warranty plus 2 additional prorated. 730 Cold cranking amps (950 Cranking Amps)***. 72 reserve minutes. Warranty consists of 3 years free replacement plus 2 years prorated. Battery is vented to outside of vehicle and is 39 lbs
Which would you buy?

 

Might want to see this http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/how-diy-guides/62705-redhot-gets-battery-her-upcoming-4th-birthday-3.html#post735601.

 

If you can get voltage into the "always live" 12 volt socket in the rear of the car, no computers should see a loss of voltage. I have a jumper pack, with a 12 volt socket, and a male to male 12 volt cable. But be aware, this would mean that the battery cables would also be "live" while you change the battery.

I have also seen memory saver devices, that would plug into the car socket, that run off of a 9 volt battery, I think.

 

what always live socket you talking about? I can probably take a 9 volt battery with 2 alligator clip wires and connect to the + and - and be fine?

 

This is a very informative thread, as related to the original subject of battery-related storage options. One thing that hasn't yet been mentioned is that the C7 is equipped with something called Transport Mode. Here are the details:

The transportation mode feature allows for a reduction of load on the battery by disabling systems that can cause a parasitic battery draw during vehicle shipment or long-term storage. This mode will disable the radio and clock and exit lighting for example, which will extend the battery life.

Transport mode is intended for use on vehicles that are being shipped over long distances. This includes vehicles shipped into and outside of the United States. Most new vehicles will be shipped from the assembly plant with the Transportation Mode on. On General Motors products to alert the operator that the mode is on, the red battery telltale will be flashing and if equipped with a Drivers Information Center (DIC) it will display a Transport Mode On message.

It is safe to drive the vehicle when the vehicle is in transportation mode. The only difference in operation will be the DIC message and battery telltale will be illuminated and some accessory systems may not function.

When Transport Mode is on and the vehicle is not running, the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter (key fob) is disabled and the theft deterrent and exit lighting timers are reduced.

The method to turn Transportation Mode off is the same as it is to turn it on.

2011-2015 Transportation Mode Reset Procedure For all 2014 Chevrolet Products
1. To turn the Transportation Mode on or off, it will be necessary to have all the doors closed.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Activate the hazard flashers.
4. Press the brake pedal (automatic transmission) or clutch pedal (manual transmission).
5. Press and hold the Start/Stop button or turn the ignition key to the crank position for 10 to 15 seconds. The battery light will flash and the engine will start, but continue to hold the start button/key for approximately 10 to 15 seconds.
6. You will notice the radio will illuminate and the “Transportation Mode” message will disappear allowing you to be able to read the mileage.
7. The same steps are used to turn the Transport Mode feature on or off.

On vehicles that are shipped from the assembly plant with the Transportation Mode on, turning the feature off is included in the normal Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) that should be performed before the vehicle is given to the customer.

​

How to Use Corvette Transportation Mode - Technically Speaking

 

This is a very informative thread, as related to the original subject of battery-related storage options. One thing that hasn't yet been mentioned is that the C7 is equipped with something called Transport Mode. Here are the details:

2011-2015 Transportation Mode Reset Procedure For all 2014 Chevrolet Products
1. To turn the Transportation Mode on or off, it will be necessary to have all the doors closed.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Activate the hazard flashers.
4. Press the brake pedal (automatic transmission) or clutch pedal (manual transmission).
5. Press and hold the Start/Stop button or turn the ignition key to the crank position for 10 to 15 seconds. The battery light will flash and the engine will start, but continue to hold the start button/key for approximately 10 to 15 seconds.
6. You will notice the radio will illuminate and the “Transportation Mode” message will disappear allowing you to be able to read the mileage.
7. The same steps are used to turn the Transport Mode feature on or off.

Step 2: Start vehicle

Step 5: Press and hold Stop/Start button 10-15 secs, car will start.

HUH? Double starting? Hows that gonna work?

I must have missed something in the explanation. But I did read it several times.

And yes Mobius, this is GREAT information and I appreciate the posts and thread.

 

I think that step 2 in the above procedure is not needed.
2blk

 

I noticed some drivers use a battery maintainer every time they park their car for the day. My understanding is they are only necessary when your car is going to be parked for several days. Am I missing something here? Is there a new recommendation? Thanks.

 

No new recommendations from battery manufacturers or companies like CTEK. Our batteries don't need to be plugged into a maintainer on a daily basis under normal circumstances. They can 'profit' from a use once a month or so, if the maintainer is like a CTEK because it has a reconditioning program that will normally extend the useful life of our batteries. The logic I can see for using a maintainer on a daily basis, is if you only drive your C7 very short distances, a mile or two where the fluids don't get a chance to really reach operating temps and the battery doesn't get a chance to properly recharge (especially true in situations where you drive with your lights and/or wipers, and heater or AC running).

 

I use mine if it is left for a month or so. Drove it today for the first time since New Years and plugged it in and it went from 4 yellow lights to green in about 90 minutes. Should have done it last night but forgot. Been going to the ranch 6 times over the last month so not much time for the play toys (6K on my truck because of 2 different Waste/Produced Water Spills!).

 

I have also had no weather stripping deformations by closing the roadster trunk on the wire. But it would be nice if Ctek made a connector cable that used flat ribbon cable for the cautious. As an amateur radio operator, I found an RF flat ribbon cable that allows one to run the cable from inside the house through a double hung window, and allows the closure of the window down on the cable. Something like that would be nice for a Ctek cable as well.