[warp ten]

Gary, you and I have remarkably similar situations and issues. I. too have a Long Beach Red C7 that parks under or on top of a lift, and your lift looks a lot like my Pro Park 8S. I, too, have a low ceiling in my garage, but 10' instead of your 9.5'. I, too, had a battery issue--my 2016 Z06 was four years old last April 4, when I took it off the lift from its winter nap. It is always on a battery tender when up and had never failed to start, but at the 4 year mark it cranked very slowly but fortunately finally started. I immediately made an appointment to get a new battery from my Chevy dealer. Batteries, especialy the 3 year warranty OEM ones, typically only last 3-4 years, so I caught mine in time. I would suggest that you make a preemptive strike and replace it before it fails, thereby avoiding having to answer your questions about what to do. I followed my own advice on my home furnace and water heater a few years ago and will do so with the A/C unit this April. None had failed but were (are) near the end of their 15 year service lives. I know that if any were to fail, they would only do so at the worst possible time (Murphy). So that is my philosophy.

Now as to your lift and garage. When I first installed the lift I could only park my cars on top backward because of where the door ended. Tricky getting them centered on the ramps. What I did was raise the tracks to within 6" or less of the ceiling. This did two things. It got them higher up so there was more room underneath, and it reduced how far the door came across the ceiling when up. I can now park either car (the other is a BMW 5 series sedan) pulled in forward. I also replaced the center mounted garage door opener with a Liftmaster 3800, a jackshaft opener that is located in the corner of the garage instead of the center of the ceiling. Just in case, to maximize vertical space, I cut the horizontal brace on the door top half way across and replaced it with an "L" channel and padded it with some 1/4" rubber I had lying around. There are lots of pictures of my garage in my Albums section if you want to see them and I would be glad to answer any questions about my installation if it might help. While I, too, can't open my hatch while the Vette is under the lift, at least I can get both cars up on top when I need to and I would bet you could too with a few changes especially with a little Triumph as the other car. I have a 4' tall car and a 5' tall car and have no problems doing so.Good luck--Bob

 

[LBRedC7]

Gary, you and I have remarkably similar situations and issues. I. too have a Long Beach Red C7 that parks under or on top of a lift, and your lift looks a lot like my Pro Park 8S. I, too, have a low ceiling in my garage, but 10' instead of your 9.5'. I, too, had a battery issue--my 2016 Z06 was four years old last April 4, when I took it off the lift from its winter nap. It is always on a battery tender when up and had never failed to start, but at the 4 year mark it cranked very slowly but fortunately finally started. I immediately made an appointment to get a new battery from my Chevy dealer. Batteries, especialy the 3 year warranty OEM ones, typically only last 3-4 years, so I caught mine in time. I would suggest that you make a preemptive strike and replace it before it fails, thereby avoiding having to answer your questions about what to do. I followed my own advice on my home furnace and water heater a few years ago and will do so with the A/C unit this April. None had failed but were (are) near the end of their 15 year service lives. I know that if any were to fail, they would only do so at the worst possible time (Murphy). So that is my philosophy.

Now as to your lift and garage. When I first installed the lift I could only park my cars on top backward because of where the door ended. Tricky getting them centered on the ramps. What I did was raise the tracks to within 6" or less of the ceiling. This did two things. It got them higher up so there was more room underneath, and it reduced how far the door came across the ceiling when up. I can now park either car (the other is a BMW 5 series sedan) pulled in forward. I also replaced the center mounted garage door opener with a Liftmaster 3800, a jackshaft opener that is located in the corner of the garage instead of the center of the ceiling. Just in case, to maximize vertical space, I cut the horizontal brace on the door top half way across and replaced it with an "L" channel and padded it with some 1/4" rubber I had lying around. There are lots of pictures of my garage in my Albums section if you want to see them and I would be glad to answer any questions about my installation if it might help. While I, too, can't open my hatch while the Vette is under the lift, at least I can get both cars up on top when I need to and I would bet you could too with a few changes especially with a little Triumph as the other car. I have a 4' tall car and a 5' tall car and have no problems doing so.Good luck--Bob

View attachment 279428 View attachment 279429 View attachment 279430

Yes, we have exactly the same lift. I bought mine 11 years ago so that I could park 2 British cars in my garage along with my Acura at the same time, three cars in my 20 sq ft Honda Garage. I had one Brit car, a TR6, but also wanted a TR8 so I bought the lift then found the second Triumph.

I replaced my garage doors a couple years before I bought the lift but I was thinking ahead so I also installed a Liftmaster 3800 for the lift side. I also had the door guy raise up the channels, HOWEVER, my ceiling is not flat like yours as can be seen in the photo. I have it set up so that the door rolls back almost it's entire, normal length but I have it stop so that the door opening is about 6" down from full open. Being short, it doesn't present any problems for me to walk under it but I had to do that in order to not hit the Triumph when it is on top. So due to that 8" drop, the door is far down from the other section of ceiling which is 9.5' high. I've not experimented with the Vette backwards on top but getting in and out would be almost impossible as I've installed shelving on the garage wall and I suspect that the door would hit the front of the car anyway.



Thanks for the post. I like your setup and wish i had 10 feet height, too.

 

[mohead1]

WOW thats tight. I would be so worried about scratching that paint, of which i have the same, in a '19 C7....

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[warp ten]

Yes, we have exactly the same lift. I bought mine 11 years ago so that I could park 2 British cars in my garage along with my Acura at the same time, three cars in my 20 sq ft Honda Garage. I had one Brit car, a TR6, but also wanted a TR8 so I bought the lift then found the second Triumph.

I replaced my garage doors a couple years before I bought the lift but I was thinking ahead so I also installed a Liftmaster 3800 for the lift side. I also had the door guy raise up the channels, HOWEVER, my ceiling is not flat like yours as can be seen in the photo. I have it set up so that the door rolls back almost it's entire, normal length but I have it stop so that the door opening is about 6" down from full open. Being short, it doesn't present any problems for me to walk under it but I had to do that in order to not hit the Triumph when it is on top. So due to that 8" drop, the door is far down from the other section of ceiling which is 9.5' high. I've not experimented with the Vette backwards on top but getting in and out would be almost impossible as I've installed shelving on the garage wall and I suspect that the door would hit the front of the car anyway.

View attachment 279432

Thanks for the post. I like your setup and wish i had 10 feet height, too.

That ceiling drop does make it more difficult. What's up there that requires the soffit? Anything that could be moved? Anyway, looking at your picture it would appear that you could get your tracks quite a bit higher and have the end of the track about half way up that vertical support. What I had my guy do is angle part of the vertical track back then angle the upper horizontal track a bit to get to within a few inches off the ceiling. Is that an older picture? Looks like a regular chain opener in the middle, not a 3800. If you have the 3800 you can probably do it. You say your garage is 20' wide? Mine is 21' and one thing I did to gain sideroom was get a 90 degree bracket for the motor and tank so they are between the two posts, not outside of them. Anyway, didn't mean to hijack; it is after all a battery thread! --Bob

Edit: I looked at your pictures and I see the last one is not the lift side, so regular opener. But I do notice you don't have the 90 degree bracket to move the motor and tank between the posts rather than outside them on the wall side. You could probably get that and install it yourself if you wanted.

 

[LBRedC7]

WOW thats tight. I would be so worried about scratching that paint, of which i have the same, in a '19 C7....

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

It looks a little snug and the first couple times I was a bit nervous but after 4 years, it's old hat now.

 

[warp ten]

Moved our garage talk to private message to undo my hijack!--Bob

 

[LBRedC7]

I wanted to close out this thread. I went to the garage, started the car, moved the shifter to neutral then shut off the engine. The electronics and headlights remain on so I can't use this as away to "park" under my lift and I'll need to think about a battery.

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread.

Gary

 

[Norm]

I wanted to close out this thread. I went to the garage, started the car, moved the shifter to neutral then shut off the engine. The electronics and headlights remain on so I can't use this as away to "park" under my lift and I'll need to think about a battery.

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread.

Gary

If the lights stay on it may probably be the light sensor on the dash because it's dark in there. The lights should go off by turning them off at the light switch vs. the auto selection. The power on should eventually time out similar to the interior lights. That may or may not help.

 

[LBRedC7]

If the lights stay on it may probably be the light sensor on the dash because it's dark in there. The lights should go off by turning them off at the light switch vs. the auto selection. The power on should eventually time out similar to the interior lights. That may or may not help.

Norm, I waited about 3 minutes and the electronics was still on, even the radio. DIC asked me to shift to Park. I gave up and shut it down.

 

[Norm]

Norm, I waited about 3 minutes and the electronics was still on, even the radio. DIC asked me to shift to Park. I gave up and shut it down.

My interior lights takes about 10 minutes to go out via the battery saver nannies. It may not work in that situation.
I guess you'll have to go the new battery route.

 

[LBRedC7]

Well I went to start the car after the discussions above and it cranked very momentarily then grunted and stopped. Hmm, I thought, so I tried again and it started. It was at this point I noticed that the driver’s window had dropped about 2”, the steering wheel did not automatically position/telescope itself for me as it is set to do and the seat did not move to my position. Also, I get a message on the DIC that is explained in the manual:

"Window Messages: OPEN, THEN CLOSE DRIVER/PASSENGER WINDOW
This message is displayed when the window needs to be reprogrammed. If the vehicle's battery has been discharged or disconnected, you may need to program each front window for the express-up feature to work. See Power Windows 0 45."

I opened then closed the windows and that was that. However, something happened and I couldn't reprogram the seat position. I shut it off, reconnected the charger and came inside. I had not driven the car in about 5 weeks but it had been on the charger the whole time.

Last evening I met some friends and I decided to take the Vette. It started just fine and the 20 mile one-way drive was uneventful. I monitored the voltmeter and the alternator was putting out just fine; not high nor low. It started just fine for the drive home however, I tried to engage the cruise control and it does not work. Come to find out it had turned itself off and I had forgotten to turn it back on.

Now after reading many comments by folks on the Forum that say the electrics work funny when the battery is going south, I decided not to play around with this 4 year old battery anymore and this morning I bought a new Delco Gold/Premium replacement. Only $161 w/trade and it is rated at 770 CCA battery and comes with a 42 month warranty. Removal and installation went just fine and taking my time, it took about 45 minutes.

All's well now. Thanks again to everyone for your comments.

Gary



Gary

 

[Norm]

Glad everything worked out for you. Side note: When you say "charger", you do mean battery maintainer, correct? Big difference between the two functions.

 

[LBRedC7]

Glad everything worked out for you. Side note: When you say "charger", you do mean battery maintainer, correct? Big difference between the two functions.

Yes, battery maintainer.

 

[Fireguy]

with what you have invested in cars and lifts just buy a new battery you cheapskate lol

 

[Havingfun]

Good to know I'm not the only one
who prepares for the worst while enjoying the present.. I think I would be replacing the battery just in case. I also keep mine on a battery maintainer all the time however when the battery goes it will give you little warning before you start experiencing gremlins in the operation of the car as well as the key fobs. Your smart to prepare because based on your pics if you experience a power failure with the Vette it appears your going to be in a difficult situation unless that Triumph is a Midget and you have a couple of friends that can lower it from the top of the lift ..

I used to own a MG Midget. I have never heard of a Triumph Midget.

 

[mass_car_guy]

I have a '15 C7 that I took delivery on in 09/14. The battery was in the car since probably late July, I finally replaced in in Sept 2020. I had 32K miles on the car then and it was on the trickle charger as soon as the first time the roads were salted until til spring. I was just worried that over 6 years I was pressing my luck.

 

[JW Gears]

All C-5 through C-8 Corvettes are equipped from the factory with a Delco AGM Battery. The key here is AGM. This stands for Absorbed Glass Mat battery. GM puts AGM batteries in all vehicles that can accellerate, brake, and turn at much higher levels than sedate passenger cars. These type of batteries do not have any liquid battery acid visible in the cells. Instead, the acid is absorbed into the fiberglass matting so that no battery acid can slosh around and escape from the battery. This prevented corrosion issues and all the nasty things that battery acid can do to the car, your garage floor, or family pets that may wander into your garage. These batteries are expensive, because they are so special and they last a lot longer than conventional lead/ acid batteries. We have a 2014 Premiere Edition Convertible, and the original Delco AGM is still working just fine. However, it has been my experience that most AGM batteries last about 7 years versus 3 to 4 years for a conventional lead/ acid battery. However, there is a lessor known fact about AGM batteries. When AGM batteries are being charged up on a battery charger, it is absolutely imperative that that charging voltage NEVER exceeds 15 volts. Battery Tenders made for AGM batteries, and the GM accessory plug in charger are regulated to 15 volts or less. If a person with a conventional battery charger connects to your AGM to help jump start your Corvette, your car will start, but your AGM battery in all likelihood will fail within 3 to 4 months. Conventional shop type chargers operate at 17 to 18 volts so that they can cold crank a diesel. In an AGM battery, that much voltage "cooks" the glass matting and causes the moisture levels in the glass matting to drop significantly. I actually came across a NAPA parts store owner that had a rack of NAPA Gold AGM batteries, but he was using the older chargers he had when he sold conventional batteries. He was pounding 17.5 volts into these new AGM batteries because he was too cheap to buy the correct chargers that NAPA recommended. Turns out he was warrantying every single AGM battery he sold, because he ruined them before ever selling them. I told him basically what I wrote here, and put my handheld volt meter on the charger clamps to show him how he was "burning down" all 12 of those $175. AGM batteries. Of course, he didn't want to listen to the smart ass new guy and ignored my perils of wisdom I was sharing with him. Of course NAPA eventually came out and looked over his operation because they were giving him new AGM batteries, but the vendor, Johnson Controls told NAPA these batteries were all cooked off due to using the wrong type of charger and refused to warrant them against failure. Johnson Controls was correct, the NAPA store owner was an idiot.

 

[jsvette]

All C-5 through C-8 Corvettes are equipped from the factory with a Delco AGM Battery. The key here is AGM. This stands for Absorbed Glass Mat battery. GM puts AGM batteries in all vehicles that can accellerate, brake, and turn at much higher levels than sedate passenger cars. These type of batteries do not have any liquid battery acid visible in the cells. Instead, the acid is absorbed into the fiberglass matting so that no battery acid can slosh around and escape from the battery. This prevented corrosion issues and all the nasty things that battery acid can do to the car, your garage floor, or family pets that may wander into your garage. These batteries are expensive, because they are so special and they last a lot longer than conventional lead/ acid batteries. We have a 2014 Premiere Edition Convertible, and the original Delco AGM is still working just fine. However, it has been my experience that most AGM batteries last about 7 years versus 3 to 4 years for a conventional lead/ acid battery. However, there is a lessor known fact about AGM batteries. When AGM batteries are being charged up on a battery charger, it is absolutely imperative that that charging voltage NEVER exceeds 15 volts. Battery Tenders made for AGM batteries, and the GM accessory plug in charger are regulated to 15 volts or less. If a person with a conventional battery charger connects to your AGM to help jump start your Corvette, your car will start, but your AGM battery in all likelihood will fail within 3 to 4 months. Conventional shop type chargers operate at 17 to 18 volts so that they can cold crank a diesel. In an AGM battery, that much voltage "cooks" the glass matting and causes the moisture levels in the glass matting to drop significantly. I actually came across a NAPA parts store owner that had a rack of NAPA Gold AGM batteries, but he was using the older chargers he had when he sold conventional batteries. He was pounding 17.5 volts into these new AGM batteries because he was too cheap to buy the correct chargers that NAPA recommended. Turns out he was warrantying every single AGM battery he sold, because he ruined them before ever selling them. I told him basically what I wrote here, and put my handheld volt meter on the charger clamps to show him how he was "burning down" all 12 of those $175. AGM batteries. Of course, he didn't want to listen to the smart ass new guy and ignored my perils of wisdom I was sharing with him. Of course NAPA eventually came out and looked over his operation because they were giving him new AGM batteries, but the vendor, Johnson Controls told NAPA these batteries were all cooked off due to using the wrong type of charger and refused to warrant them against failure. Johnson Controls was correct, the NAPA store owner was an idiot.

To my knowledge C7s were not delivered with AGM batteries as original equipment.

 

[LBRedC7]

All C-5 through C-8 Corvettes are equipped from the factory with a Delco AGM Battery.
SNIP

I don't believe this is true. The battery I turned in today was original to my '17 C7 and it sloshed around as I moved it. It was a lead acid battery and not AGM.

 

[Norm]

with what you have invested in cars and lifts just buy a new battery you cheapskate lol

He did, post # 31.