Dead Battery

AmericanMike · 11-03-2017, 01:15 PM

Well its a beautiful Friday afternoon here in NC. Went out to the garage to take the vert for a spin and as my father would say "Battery is deader than a door nail". Absolutely zero power. Car has only sat for two weeks.

Now I'm sitting here soaking up sunshine waiting for roadside assistance to come to my garage rescue.

Arrrrgggg

Glen e · 11-03-2017, 01:23 PM

The car should sit for 4- 5 weeks before you have a problem. At least that’s my experience. However I also have had a dead battery after one week, I’m convinced that there is a parasitic drain somewhere that the dealer can’t find it… So anything over 4-5 days I have a negative battery disconnect, and every couple days if I’m not using the car, I use a iOS battery monitor.

I’ll let them look at it next time I need warranty work…

RollaMo · 11-03-2017, 02:08 PM

Our 2017 2SS sat for 15 days once, and absolutely no issues with the battery.

Soleil · 11-03-2017, 02:26 PM

You should be able to leave the car for a few month without any problems.

Wildhammer · 11-03-2017, 02:32 PM

Completely agree, something else is on.
Have to do a plug though haha! - http://thatcamaropartsguy.com/camaro...eneral-motors/

Eric SS · 11-03-2017, 03:35 PM

Occationally something will happen when we shut down our cars and the shutdown sequence won't complete. On 2 occasions I've had my car sit for less than a week and it has been completely dead. Brought it to the dealer and the battery checked out fine. Other times I've let it sit 3-4 weeks and it will crank up perfectly. I would charge the battery and see if it continues to happen or not.

AmericanMike · 11-03-2017, 04:21 PM

Had it jump started and then planned on taking it out for a ride to charge it up. Got in it and realized the dash display was messed up. Wish I took a picture but my performance option was gone. My MODE button wouldn't work. Then I noticed something I never thought I would see. At the very top of my DIC options was a green leaf and the word HYBRID. I threw up in my mouth a little.

Took it to the dealer. They saw it as well. As soon as the tech put the scanner on it the display came back to normal. I'm not liking this at all.

Service Manager tried to tell me 2 weeks is about what to expect. I laughed and said I'll go home and if it happens again we'll have a different conversation.

chrest · 11-03-2017, 04:55 PM

mine cant sit for more than 10 days.

its fine any time before that so i just slap a tender on it if i know it will and go about my life.

I hate going to the dealer...

sengli · 11-03-2017, 05:27 PM

Mine stays on a tender, all the time. Except when it thunder storms. I have it hard wired into the trunk, directly to the battery. Had two different GEN5 cars...did the same thing. Left them for a week or so and for no reason they were be completely dead. Dealers couldnt find anything. Had the battery replaced under warranty. There is a lot of electronics on these cars...could be anything.

cellsafemode · 11-03-2017, 05:58 PM

there's supposed to be power saving modes the car goes into as the voltage drops. This should guarantee that the battery voltage is not able to drop below the voltage needed for cranking the car.

However, i'm not sure how much intelligence went into determining that voltage based on temperature and if the system will shut down Onstar or if onstar is given a free pass.

If onstar is not shut down in these power saving modes then I'm betting that is your culprit. If it's trying to maintain a 4g connection and your signal quality is weak where you're parked, it's going to use a lot more power to stay connected to the cell network than say someone parked out in the opening near a cell tower. Also i'm not sure how much energy passive locking / unlocking takes but I imagine that it also is not turned off as the battery is put in some of these power saving modes.

if you have a draw of even 250ma, the 70AH battery that i believe is standard for the V8 will be drained in about 11.5 days. To last 30 days the battery would have to draw only 97ma on average. Not a whole lot for the various wireless systems that are seemingly always active to use. But i've never seen my car enter power saving mode so I'm not sure which features get turned off. The manual isn't specific really.

AmericanMike · 11-03-2017, 06:39 PM

I guess a tender is in my future. :(

Racerman27410 · 11-03-2017, 09:53 PM

same here.... if the car is going to sit i put the tender on. About 2 weeks is all mine is good for just sitting... even in transport mode.

Soleil · 11-04-2017, 03:28 AM

How do I come into the transport mode? (A8) I pit my foot on the break and press and holdi the start bottom for

15sec. Maybe I’d wasn’t long enough. Do I get a message somewhere?

thomaswatk · 11-04-2017, 09:29 AM

I'm glad I'm not the only one with dead battery problems. My car could sit for a month or more with no problem. A couple of weeks ago I tried to start it after sitting for 10 days, and it was completely dead. After charging it, I took it to the dealer who said they could find nothing wrong and said to watch it and see what happens. ( it's a 2016 SS ) They said I could get free towing under warranty so no problem. I guess losing all the time and the inconvenience caused by "nothing wrong" doesn't enter their minds. I can't see having to use a battery tender all the time. Not much place to plug one in if you're in a motel attending meetings for a few days............

11-03-2017, 01:15 PM	#1
AmericanMike Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: North Carolina Posts: 557	Dead Battery Well its a beautiful Friday afternoon here in NC. Went out to the garage to take the vert for a spin and as my father would say "Battery is deader than a door nail". Absolutely zero power. Car has only sat for two weeks. Now I'm sitting here soaking up sunshine waiting for roadside assistance to come to my garage rescue. Arrrrgggg

11-03-2017, 01:23 PM	#2
Glen e Retired from Car mfrs.... Drives: 2LT RS/HR-V Join Date: May 2013 Location: /Fort Lauderdale Posts: 10,044	The car should sit for 4- 5 weeks before you have a problem. At least that’s my experience. However I also have had a dead battery after one week, I’m convinced that there is a parasitic drain somewhere that the dealer can’t find it… So anything over 4-5 days I have a negative battery disconnect, and every couple days if I’m not using the car, I use a iOS battery monitor. I’ll let them look at it next time I need warranty work… __________________ Glen CLICK HERE for detailing a new car: detailing for non detailers CLICK HERE for how to rinseless CLICK HERE for EASY wheel sealant

11-03-2017, 02:08 PM	#3
RollaMo Drives: 2017 2SS Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Rolla, MO Posts: 1,106	Our 2017 2SS sat for 15 days once, and absolutely no issues with the battery. __________________ 1996 Corvette - LT4 2017 Camaro 2SS 2019 GMC Sierra 2500 HD 2015 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited

11-03-2017, 02:26 PM	#4
Soleil Drives: Camaro 50th anniversary edition Join Date: May 2017 Location: Europe Posts: 2,203 View My Garage	You should be able to leave the car for a few month without any problems. __________________ Soleil _____________________________________________ A car is fast enough, if you fear to unlock it in the morning." (Walter Roehrl)

11-03-2017, 04:55 PM	#8
chrest Drives: 2017 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Portland/Vancouver Posts: 410	mine cant sit for more than 10 days. its fine any time before that so i just slap a tender on it if i know it will and go about my life. I hate going to the dealer... __________________ 2017 NGM 2SS NPP M6 MRC Vortech SC, 2" TSP LT No Cats, Borla X, Eibach, Hurst shifter 603hp/547tq

11-03-2017, 02:32 PM	#5
Wildhammer Drives: 2017 1SS Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Wauconda, IL Posts: 164	Completely agree, something else is on. Have to do a plug though haha! - http://thatcamaropartsguy.com/camaro...eneral-motors/

11-03-2017, 03:35 PM	#6
Eric SS #becauseracecar Drives: 2016 SS Sedan, 2016 Camaro SS Join Date: May 2015 Location: Phoenix Posts: 2,959	Occationally something will happen when we shut down our cars and the shutdown sequence won't complete. On 2 occasions I've had my car sit for less than a week and it has been completely dead. Brought it to the dealer and the battery checked out fine. Other times I've let it sit 3-4 weeks and it will crank up perfectly. I would charge the battery and see if it continues to happen or not.

11-03-2017, 04:21 PM	#7
AmericanMike Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: North Carolina Posts: 557	Had it jump started and then planned on taking it out for a ride to charge it up. Got in it and realized the dash display was messed up. Wish I took a picture but my performance option was gone. My MODE button wouldn't work. Then I noticed something I never thought I would see. At the very top of my DIC options was a green leaf and the word HYBRID. I threw up in my mouth a little. Took it to the dealer. They saw it as well. As soon as the tech put the scanner on it the display came back to normal. I'm not liking this at all. Service Manager tried to tell me 2 weeks is about what to expect. I laughed and said I'll go home and if it happens again we'll have a different conversation.

11-03-2017, 05:27 PM	#9
sengli Drives: 2015commemorative vert 2SS Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: northern Indiana Posts: 949	Mine stays on a tender, all the time. Except when it thunder storms. I have it hard wired into the trunk, directly to the battery. Had two different GEN5 cars...did the same thing. Left them for a week or so and for no reason they were be completely dead. Dealers couldnt find anything. Had the battery replaced under warranty. There is a lot of electronics on these cars...could be anything. __________________ 2018 ZL1 Bright Yellow, A10, PDR, sunroof, carbon hood, and dash- sold 2020 2SS A10 sunroof..shock and steel special-traded 2015 commemorative vert 2ss

11-03-2017, 05:58 PM	#10
cellsafemode Drives: 2016 Camaro 1LT Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: California Posts: 3,522	there's supposed to be power saving modes the car goes into as the voltage drops. This should guarantee that the battery voltage is not able to drop below the voltage needed for cranking the car. However, i'm not sure how much intelligence went into determining that voltage based on temperature and if the system will shut down Onstar or if onstar is given a free pass. If onstar is not shut down in these power saving modes then I'm betting that is your culprit. If it's trying to maintain a 4g connection and your signal quality is weak where you're parked, it's going to use a lot more power to stay connected to the cell network than say someone parked out in the opening near a cell tower. Also i'm not sure how much energy passive locking / unlocking takes but I imagine that it also is not turned off as the battery is put in some of these power saving modes. if you have a draw of even 250ma, the 70AH battery that i believe is standard for the V8 will be drained in about 11.5 days. To last 30 days the battery would have to draw only 97ma on average. Not a whole lot for the various wireless systems that are seemingly always active to use. But i've never seen my car enter power saving mode so I'm not sure which features get turned off. The manual isn't specific really.

11-03-2017, 06:39 PM	#11
AmericanMike Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: North Carolina Posts: 557	I guess a tender is in my future. :(

11-03-2017, 09:53 PM	#12
Racerman27410 Drives: 2016 SS 2SS Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Greensboro NC Posts: 268	same here.... if the car is going to sit i put the tender on. About 2 weeks is all mine is good for just sitting... even in transport mode.

11-04-2017, 03:28 AM	#13
Soleil Drives: Camaro 50th anniversary edition Join Date: May 2017 Location: Europe Posts: 2,203 View My Garage	How do I come into the transport mode? (A8) I pit my foot on the break and press and holdi the start bottom for 15sec. Maybe I’d wasn’t long enough. Do I get a message somewhere? __________________ Soleil _____________________________________________ A car is fast enough, if you fear to unlock it in the morning." (Walter Roehrl)

11-04-2017, 09:29 AM	#14
thomaswatk Drives: red ss convertible Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Marvin N.C. Posts: 16	I'm glad I'm not the only one with dead battery problems. My car could sit for a month or more with no problem. A couple of weeks ago I tried to start it after sitting for 10 days, and it was completely dead. After charging it, I took it to the dealer who said they could find nothing wrong and said to watch it and see what happens. ( it's a 2016 SS ) They said I could get free towing under warranty so no problem. I guess losing all the time and the inconvenience caused by "nothing wrong" doesn't enter their minds. I can't see having to use a battery tender all the time. Not much place to plug one in if you're in a motel attending meetings for a few days............

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