[SixGunOutlaw]

I bought the official Corvette C7/C8 battery tender (Made in China FFS) but keep getting a blinking red light. I reset it like 5 times. Is there a setting I need to use to activate the cigarette lighter? It always resets to the lowest charge level. Do I need a new battery?

 

[jsvette]

The only outlet you can use to charge the battery in a C7 is the one located in the trunk (passenger side). The accessory outlet in the center consul can not be used to charge the battery- it goes off once the C7 is shut down and power to auxiliaries goes off (about 10 minutes).

If you have tried to use the accessory outlet in the trunk and it still isn't charging, you have a couple of other possibilities: the outlet socket may be damaged, the battery may be dead.

 

[SixGunOutlaw]

Thanks for the info. Going to use the trunk outlet. Such a dumb ass I am.

 

[M61A1MECH]

The other thing with the official chargers and the trunk outlet is often you may need to twist the plug in the outlet back and forth a few times to get a good connection. Often if I just plug mine in and check it a few hours later it shows charging, but if I twist the plug back and forth a couple of times it shows maintainer mode, so now I just give it few twists when I plug it in and it seems to work better.

 

[jsvette]

Thanks for the info. Going to use the trunk outlet. ,,,

It is a more common misunderstanding than you would think since many other OEMs keep the accessory outlet in their cars live all the time.

 

[kgrant (Kyle)]

@M61A1MECH is absolutely, correct! Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get a good connection and you have to keep twisting and turning the plug which if designed correctly you shouldn't have.

If you are in a cold weather winter climate like here in Michigan, I suggest you regularly check to assure you are still charging and maintaining because if you don't, come spring time you will find out you have a bad battery because it wasn't charging/maintaining as you thought in below zero or single digit temperatures. I know this from past experience for myself as well as others and just makes me wonder why that trunk outlet couldn't be a snug fit like the one inside the cabin and there is no excuse for GM in my opinion.

The other thing with the official chargers and the trunk outlet is often you may need to twist the plug in the outlet back and forth a few times to get a good connection. Often if I just plug mine in and check it a few hours later it shows charging, but if I twist the plug back and forth a couple of times it shows maintainer mode, so now I just give it few twists when I plug it in and it seems to work better.

 

[jmoore5196]

OP, could you let us know if using the trunk outlet solved the problem? My tender has never proven problematic.

 

[SixGunOutlaw]

It did. No worries now and functioning just fine. Thanks for all the responses.

 

[JoePro4X]

I bought the official Corvette C7/C8 battery tender (Made in China FFS) but keep getting a blinking red light. I reset it like 5 times. Is there a setting I need to use to activate the cigarette lighter? It always resets to the lowest charge level. Do I need a new battery?

I had same problem on C8. Try unplugging & disconnecting unit from outlet & vehicle, then plug back in outlet, followed by carefully attaching connection to vehicle.
When I do this sequence it stops triggering the reset flash.

 

[Larry N]

Yes, the outlet is a little "loose". Keep an eye on it, at least for a while. I check my 2014 often because of the loose fit. If I get that dreaded blinking light, a little twist in the trunk fixes it.

 

[bob67327]

FWIW, our C7’s trunk connector was pretty trouble free, but the C8’s seems to need more firm, careful connecting. Probably just due to ordinary production variations.