2003 dead battery

[Pat Roberts]

If anyone can help with this I would appreciate the information. I parked my 03 for the winter and just the other day I had a chance to start it for the first time in a couple of months. The battery was completely dead which is my own fault for not starting it sooner or putting it on a battery charger. Well to make a long story short I charged the battery but it did not seem to work. When I try to start the car I do not have any lights and it seems like the battery is still dead. Is there a reset or something I am missing that I need to do before I can start my car ? Thanks for any info. Pat

[Clem Z.]

Re: 2003 dead battery

the owners manual tells you that because of the computers the battery will run down in about 28 days. either buy a "battery tender" or do like i did with my C-5s and do with my C-6 charge the battery once a month at a 2 amps for 2 hours. this will keep it up to charge. once a battery goes "dead" and sets it may not hold a charge because of "sufides" that get on the plates also remove the key from the ignition so the computers "go to sleep". check to make sure your battery is not leaking as GM had some bad batteries that leaked and cause damage to the battery tray and the engine computer underneath the battery.

[Craig S.]

Re: 2003 dead battery

Putting the computer under a battery tray doesn't sound like the brightest idea! Craig

[Rich G.]

Re: 2003 dead battery

Pat

There has recently been discussion on this on www.ZO6Vette.com. Several guys have had the same experience with OEM batteries going stone dead and not responding to charging or even a jump in one case with little or no warning. Your situation is different, as you say you ran it down by leaving it too long, but the fact that it won't come back after that is not unusual based on what I've read over there. I'm consisdering putting a new one in my 03 even though it seems fine now. Don't need to get stuck someplace.

Rich

[Pat Roberts]

Re: 2003 dead battery

Thanks for all of the information. I am taking the battery to my local dealer to have it checked and I will probably end up buying a new battery.

[Chuck S.]

Re: 2003 dead battery

I don't know how cold it gets in your garage, but if a battery is allowed to discharge, and the ambient temperature drops below freezing, the battery can freeze. This will cause internal damage, and in the worst case, the battery case can rupture. I lost one to freezing couple years ago...it looked perfectly OK on the outside, but on the inside it was kaput.

[Donald M.]

Re: 2003 dead battery

Craig, it's a GREAT idea...if you sell computers!.
Don

[Wayne K.]

And what's worse is when someone tries...

to jump start that car with a frozen battery. It can be a very dangerous and ugly CA POW !

[Dick W.]

Re: And what's worse is when someone tries...

Be EXTREMELY careful handling a frozen battery. I saw one explode in a mechanics face when he picked it up with a battery carrying strap. He was lucky that he had a pair of prescription safety glasses on. And most of us never wear any kind of eye protection when handling a battery.