how long til battery goes dead?
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Many have posted good starts after a month of sitting, you might want to put the car back in transport power down mode if letting it sit a while:
Transport Mode
The Corvette MAY be shipped in transport mode. To remove the car from transport mode, turn ON the four way flasher and place the driver’s foot on the brake AND on the clutch if it is a manual transmission. Press and hold the Start button for approximately 15 seconds. At this point the engine will START, but CONTINUE to hold the start button for approximately 15 seconds. Information will display on the center of the cluster that will indicate when transport mode has been turned OFF. Transport mode can be entered using the same procedure.
My car goes into hibernation for 25 days next week, I'll do this mode and report.
Transport Mode
The Corvette MAY be shipped in transport mode. To remove the car from transport mode, turn ON the four way flasher and place the driver’s foot on the brake AND on the clutch if it is a manual transmission. Press and hold the Start button for approximately 15 seconds. At this point the engine will START, but CONTINUE to hold the start button for approximately 15 seconds. Information will display on the center of the cluster that will indicate when transport mode has been turned OFF. Transport mode can be entered using the same procedure.
My car goes into hibernation for 25 days next week, I'll do this mode and report.
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Honestly, 2 to 3 weeks for any modern car shouldn't be a problem unless you are parking it outside, arming the alarm and the alarm gets triggered a lot like in an airport parking garage. The C7 isn't really any different than a Caddy CTS or a Ford Mustang when it comes to battery drain.
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I believe that would be true if the battery is fully charged to its capacity, the track record for new vette batteries is they are not. If the battery is fully charged and assuming it is not defective, a nine day non-use should not be an issue.
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There is a lot of happenings in the C7 even when its off. I put my charger on after one week. I would not let mine go more than 2 weeks--just me. I bought the Corvette labeled C-tek from GM Parts Direct at a discount price and it is hard to beat. cutnout aka Charlie
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It's not the car or the batteries state of charge at delivery that's the issue, it's the way you use your car that determines the battery condition. It's true of every car sold today, nothing unique about the Corvette (sorry).
BTW, mine's a garage queen and it's plugged in whenever I'm not driving it so my comments weren't meant to insinuate not driving it is a bad thing.
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Sorry Mark I don't think so...We will have to agree to disagree on this.
I agree mark, if the batt is solid when delivered to you and in good working shape it's all about the frequency of regulated charge (driving) that determines it's health. No c7, driven on a regular basis, should have a low batt problem and only on extended storage would I disconnect or use a maintainer, like every other car or boat I've owned.
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Transport mode, in conjunction with a float charger, sounds like a good long-term winter storage option, assuming all customized settings are retained.
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I just got back from an 11 day road trip (took my truck) vette started right up when I got back ......
Sent from my iPhone using Corvette Stingray Forum
Sent from my iPhone using Corvette Stingray Forum
Left mine for 16 days while on vacation and it started fine. And I have had a low battery voltage for 9 months! Checked the voltage after a 30 mile trip when I returned (I did that the day after to be sure I wasn't measuring a surface charge) it still read the 12.4 volts it has for 9 months! Meter has been checked. When I got the car, early October it read 12.4 after 1 day after it was charged. When I brought to the dealer some months later to check the rear end lub level I aksed them to check the battery and they said it was fine. Doubt if they pulled the battery (that is a real pain) but have had no problems. If anyone has checked their battery voltage appreciate knowing what you read (I do that at the alternator terminal under the hood a short time after I open the hood and all power items have turned off)
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Jerry; With all due respect, 12.4 is not an ideal voltage, and I suspect you will be needing a replacement battery sooner than if your battery was indicating a higher "at rest" charge. IMO I believe your battery is sulfated. For everyone, you can check your voltage reading from under the hood here:
Ground-
![Auto part Vehicle Engine Automobile pedal Car]()
Positive with access door removed-
![Auto part Vehicle Automotive exterior Car Engine]()
Ground-
Positive with access door removed-
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If you are using a float charger such as the OEM or CTEK 3300 (CTEK makes the OEM version) you will not need to also put your Stingray into 'Transport' mode. It will keep your Stingray at the ready for as long as necessary.
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GM has sold as an option a battery tender since the C6 for a good reason.
More and more electronics and controllers are added to cars every year.
For at least the last 15 years nameplates have wanted to have a new voltage standard to increase from 12 volts to as much as 42 volts but as the norm outside the USA nameplates have held this up as they want their standard forced onto American car standards
When the car is off that does NOT mean all the controllers are without power because if they did they would lose functions and values they have learned.
To save weight and use less wiring these controllers are on a low and a high speed network (CAN and GMLAN)
What wiring is used to also keep weights down are undersized wiring gauge supporting less current loads.
Just as you P/C on a network there has to be packets sent ( like your TCP/IP) call them a State Of Health (SOH) or like TCP/IP a "keep a live or Broadcast" so that controllers know each other is in the network and is alive ( found by the BCM in passenger floor)
The BCM (Body Chassis Module) is like a network router or HUB)
When car is shut off and doors are shut the controllers are still fully awake ( so things like radio can be played for a bit) so voltage/current is still drawing for some time and then controllers are put more in a sleep mode but not fully shut down.
Things people plug into the car unknown to them are keeping controllers awake or causing them to come on and off many times while car is parked.
Like some blue tooth function, a cell phone charger, etc
These controllers cannot work well when the voltage is less then like 12.7 volts ( at the controller, with voltage drop that means voltage has to be higher at battery)
Also many more relays and solenoids are used and when going "key on" that cold start voltage/current loads are much higher as they all are pulling higher current load and voltage drain.
The lower the voltage is even when engine is running will cause controllers like the PCM to command differently ( such as fuel injector ON times) and end results will be less performance from engine
If at battery posts reads less then 13 volts when key off then suspect battery is not 100% at it's ability and always keep internals of battery in top condition by using a battery tender and when car is running voltage should be like 14.2ish
I used to lose a battery on my C5 ( which sits 6 months a year in snow weather) every 2 years and since using the tender get 8 years of battery life
More and more electronics and controllers are added to cars every year.
For at least the last 15 years nameplates have wanted to have a new voltage standard to increase from 12 volts to as much as 42 volts but as the norm outside the USA nameplates have held this up as they want their standard forced onto American car standards
When the car is off that does NOT mean all the controllers are without power because if they did they would lose functions and values they have learned.
To save weight and use less wiring these controllers are on a low and a high speed network (CAN and GMLAN)
What wiring is used to also keep weights down are undersized wiring gauge supporting less current loads.
Just as you P/C on a network there has to be packets sent ( like your TCP/IP) call them a State Of Health (SOH) or like TCP/IP a "keep a live or Broadcast" so that controllers know each other is in the network and is alive ( found by the BCM in passenger floor)
The BCM (Body Chassis Module) is like a network router or HUB)
When car is shut off and doors are shut the controllers are still fully awake ( so things like radio can be played for a bit) so voltage/current is still drawing for some time and then controllers are put more in a sleep mode but not fully shut down.
Things people plug into the car unknown to them are keeping controllers awake or causing them to come on and off many times while car is parked.
Like some blue tooth function, a cell phone charger, etc
These controllers cannot work well when the voltage is less then like 12.7 volts ( at the controller, with voltage drop that means voltage has to be higher at battery)
Also many more relays and solenoids are used and when going "key on" that cold start voltage/current loads are much higher as they all are pulling higher current load and voltage drain.
The lower the voltage is even when engine is running will cause controllers like the PCM to command differently ( such as fuel injector ON times) and end results will be less performance from engine
If at battery posts reads less then 13 volts when key off then suspect battery is not 100% at it's ability and always keep internals of battery in top condition by using a battery tender and when car is running voltage should be like 14.2ish
I used to lose a battery on my C5 ( which sits 6 months a year in snow weather) every 2 years and since using the tender get 8 years of battery life
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Yep, I realize that. Transport mode should make life a bit easier for the float charger over those Winter months, as the battery discharge rate will be minimized and the float charger will cycle less.
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Bad battery after sitting in the garage over night... Jus sayin
Dealership replaced under warranty.
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