Get Charged Up: Corvette Battery Basics
You may not think of your Corvette's battery on a regular basis, but without it, your Corvette goes from road warrior to lawn ornament pretty quickly. Mid America Motorworks gives you tips on keeping your battery charged, clean and ready for the next cruise – and what to do if there's no charge.
Dead Battery vs. Bad Battery
For clarity, we define a "dead" battery as one that has no power, but can be revived with a charge. A "bad" battery is one that can never be restored to usable condition, even with a good charge. There are a few reasons a battery can go dead: a short in a wire; an interior light left on overnight; a cell phone or GPS left to charge – basically anything that creates a current draw while your Corvette isn't in use.
A bad battery is most regularly caused by age and expiration. Loss of acid, whether through leaks or puncture, and extreme lack of use (think barn find) are also prime reasons your battery can go bad.
A common misconception is that batteries go dead over the winter months because of the low temperatures. They don't go dead, but the chemical reaction in the battery reacts much slower, making the battery perform weaker.
Battery Maintenance
How do you keep your battery operating at top performance? Follow these simple tips and your Corvette will always be fully charged.
Keep It Clean
Corrosion and oxidation on your Corvette's battery terminals restrict ignition, because enough current is not being drawn from the battery. Corrosion can be caused by electrolyte leaking out of the terminal, as well as fumes from the electrolyte that leak out when the battery is charging or hot.
To clean the battery terminals, be sure to first disconnect the battery. Wash the terminals with clean water. If the corrosion persists, a variety of tools and cleaning solutions are available to help get the job done. Be sure to wear gloves, as the acids and cleaners can be harmful to skin.
Disconnect It
Disconnecting the battery and cutting the power by completely disconnecting the battery cable can eliminate battery drain. Without a complete circuit, there is nowhere for the electricity to travel and therefore nowhere for the battery to drain. There are a few different ways to disconnect your battery. Choose what works best for you and your Corvette.
- Manually Disconnect the Battery – A battery disconnect dial installs in minutes and makes it easy to disconnect your Corvette battery. Simply turn the dial to disconnect and, when you're ready to drive again, turn it back. Remove the dial completely to ensure that thieves can't start your Corvette.
- Battery Disconnect with Bypass Circuitry – The downside to disconnecting your Corvette's battery? You lose your radio stations, clock and other electronic settings. If you want to disconnect your battery to minimize theft and battery drain without losing memory power to your electronics, you can use these disconnects that include a small jumper wire, just large enough to keep your memory settings. If the battery drain is too much it will pop the fuse in the small wire indicating that your battery drain is excessive.
- Remotely Disconnect – For all the benefits of disconnecting your battery without the hassles of popping your hood, a remote battery disconnect is available. Simply hook the unit to your Corvette battery, then use the fob to disconnect and reconnect the charge as you like.
- Automatically – A computerized Battery Charger and Protector automatically protects your Corvette's starting power, battery and alternator by constantly monitoring the battery's voltage when the key is off. It automatically disconnects your battery if the voltage falls below 12 volts, then with the headlight switch, it automatically reconnects to ensure power.
Maintain It
An easy way to ensure that your battery holds an appropriate charge is to use a battery maintainer. This delivers a consistent charge to your battery to fight against battery drain. Some brands, such as CTEK, even offer an onboard plug in, so that you can leave it connected to your battery. Then just plug your maintainer in for a quick and easy hook up.
Protect Your Engine Bay
Anytime a battery has an acid leak, the acid from the battery can do serious damage to the body parts of your Corvette. In fact, for C5 owners there is extra concern, as the powertrain control module is located directly below the battery. Leaking battery acid can damage the powertrain control module and could actually affect your engine performance or even leave you stranded. The best solution would be to use a battery mat to absorb any acid that has leaked.
Be Prepared
Even when you do everything in your power to maintain your Corvette battery, there are still times when it just won't start. It's always a good idea to carry jumper cables just in case. Luckily for Corvette owners, compact jumper cables and even pocket power banks are available to provide all the juice you need without taking up valuable space!
C6 Corvette owners, remember that when your battery dies, there's still an Emergency Entry Access System available that alleviates the problem of getting into your car. The E.E.A.S. harness connects to the positive battery power port and to the factory ground stud. It contains an anti-short circuit diode, so power may only flow into the electrical system. Simply connect a battery charger or another vehicle's battery to the harness leads, activate your door and you are in!
Want more tips on keeping your Corvette battery fully charged? GM World Class Certified Corvette Technician, Paul Koerner walks you through the basics of Corvette battery maintenance in this video.
Getting Charged Up: Corvette Battery Chargers
There's nothing worse than turning the key in your Corvette, only to be greeted by a dead battery! Mid America Motorworks reviews the different charging options available to ensure that your Corvette is ready for every cruise!
CTEK Chargers: The Smarter Charger
CTEK designs a series of battery chargers for Corvettes that offer advanced diagnostics battery reconditioning and maintenance, leading the industry in innovation. Known by many as the official battery chargers of the Corvette, CTEK came as an option on C6 Corvettes and is also available as an option on the new C7 Stingrays.
Each CTEK charger is designed to keep batteries fully charged at all times. Chargers include eyelets or clamps for ease of use. Use the clamps to quickly hook onto the battery terminals when charging in the garage or for extended periods of time. Or, when space is limited, hook the eyelets into your battery and simply plug into your charger.
For Corvettes that see more storage time than road time, CTEK Chargers are designed to charge in stages. They go from a "charging" mode to a "maintenance " mode and rotate as needed
A variety of accessories are available for CTEK chargers, making it very easy to get a full charge. These can be used on Corvettes, 4 wheelers, motorcycles, snowmobiles and any other toys in your garage.
If your Corvette could use an occasional charge, CTEK makes it easy with the tools to set up a charging station in your garage.
CTEK designed a mount that lets you position your battery charger on the wall, as well as a bumper to protect the mount from those occasional bumps that happen in the garage. An extension cord is available to give you better range for charging. Battery indicators can be permanently installed to provide a constant monitor of your Corvette battery so you can react as soon as your battery gets weak. With these tools, you can simply pull into the garage, unwind your CTEK cord, plug it into the indicator on your car, push the button on the charger and walk away.
The Remedy To Stored Corvettes:
Economical Charger
Corvettes that hibernate for the winter or only come out for shows tend to have trouble maintaining a charge. The Corvette Battery Charger developed by Mid America Motorworks has these cars in mind. The charger simply plugs into any wall outlet and attaches to your battery with clamps, ensuring that your Corvette will start every time. It features a 3-stage charging logic that assures peak battery performance, as well as an indicator to show charging status.
Small Size, Big Charge:
Multi Function Compact Jumpers
Make sure your battery is always ready for the next cruise with Multi-Function Battery Jumpers. Compact and extremely powerful – just like your Corvette! – these Battery Jumpers feature state-of-the-art battery technology. Choose the 12V Car Jump or the Mini Jumper to keep your Corvette or digital devices operating at peak performance.
When fully charged, the 12V Car Jump can provide up to 12 jumps and the Mini Jumper can provide up to 6 jumps. Each Jumper includes carrying case, home charger, car charger, jump cable battery clamps and instruction manual. These chargers aren't just for your Corvette. They will charge your phone, tablet, laptop, camera and other small, battery-powered devices, and will jump your car in case of emergency. They also include a flashlight built into the charger and can be switched for use as an emergency strobe.
Always Be Prepared:
On Board Battery Chargers
On Board Chargers remove the need to hook up a battery charger. They attach to the battery tray or fender well of your Corvette and are fully automatic. Simply pull in the garage, run an extension cord to the car and plug it in for easy battery maintenance. On Board Chargers are fully automatic, so they begin charging when your battery drops by 1 volt.
