Bad starter or dead battery? Camaro 2017 SS

pisters · 05-12-2026, 09:41 PM

Hello friends. I bought a 2017 SS Camaro six months ago with supposedly 36,000 miles, and everything was fine. A month ago, I noticed it's been having trouble starting sometimes when it's warm. When it's cold, it starts normally (not very powerful, but it starts without problems).

Today, I started it normally when it was cold, drove for 40 minutes, and turned off the car. 10 minutes later I started and heard a crank turning very slowly, then silence, and then it started.

I was surprised when a StabiliTrak warning light appeared on the screen after the hard start and then went off. This made me wonder if it's really the battery or the starter.

I have a dashcam connected directly to the battery, and before starting the car, it showed 11.4V to 12.0V. After starting, it showed 13.7V to 13.9V.

I read many posts about starter motors, but the fact that the StabiliTrak warning light never appeared before made me doubt if its the battery or starter.

I got home, turned off the engine, and restarted it twice, and it was fine.

Can anyone help me? What steps can I take to diagnose the problem better?

bishopts · 05-12-2026, 09:48 PM

During the cranking cycle it probably pulled the voltage down below 9v. You should get the battery load tested.

Dynamical · Yesterday, 04:42 AM

The fact that your voltage was reading only 11.4V to 12.0V after a drive and 13.7V to 13.9V after started tells me your alternator is working but your battery is not holding a charge anymore. If it was my car, I would feel very confident that a new battery would fix it. Your battery should never be that low. If you don’t have a battery tester, bring it right to an auto parts store they will test it for free. I wouldn’t let them test your charging system, though, they are not qualified to diagnose today’s fluctuating charging systems. Battery testers are cheap. You can pick one of those up also if you want to start messing around with it.

arpad_m · Yesterday, 07:33 AM

Go buy and install this: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...t=2476&jsn=686

bishopts · Yesterday, 07:47 AM

https://a.co/d/08euJGYA

This will be cheaper. Rockauto you will pay $26 for shipping

MT-SS1LE · Yesterday, 08:03 AM

You said the car "supposedly has 36,000 miles", do you suspect that's not correct? Swapped cluster or something? Just curious.

pisters · Yesterday, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynamical

The fact that your voltage was reading only 11.4V to 12.0V after a drive and 13.7V to 13.9V after started tells me your alternator is working but your battery is not holding a charge anymore. If it was my car, I would feel very confident that a new battery would fix it. Your battery should never be that low. If you don’t have a battery tester, bring it right to an auto parts store they will test it for free. I wouldn’t let them test your charging system, though, they are not qualified to diagnose today’s fluctuating charging systems. Battery testers are cheap. You can pick one of those up also if you want to start messing around with it.

What makes me suspect the battery is that it only has trouble starting when it's hot. A typical symptom of a bad starter. I say this because I had a 2011 Camaro V6 that I had to replace the starter with because it had trouble starting when it was hot, almost like this one.

pisters · Yesterday, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arpad_m

Go buy and install this: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...t=2476&jsn=686

Does it absolutely have to be an AGM battery? I understand that those batteries are used in cars with start-stop systems. I had the battery replaced in my previous 2014 Camaro V6 with a regular $70 battery and had no problems. In my country, AC Delco AGM batteries aren't available; only other brands are.

Edit: I was just reading, it uses AGM, probably because of the AFM nonsense. I didn't know it used that expensive battery; here in my country it would cost over $450 USD, but I have no choice. It's either that or the starter I have to import.

ctrlz · Yesterday, 10:29 AM

If it is the original battery in a 2017 it is immediately suspect.
I believe a conventional flooded wet cell will work just fine.
The stock battery is AGM.
Stop/start technology is a battery killer in my experience. I always deactivate it. The batteries that are supposed to last with stop/start are EFB's (Enhanced flooded battery). My elderly aunt killed one of these in her CR-V in just three years of grocery-getting.

bishopts · Yesterday, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pisters

Does it absolutely have to be an AGM battery? I understand that those batteries are used in cars with start-stop systems. I had the battery replaced in my previous 2014 Camaro V6 with a regular $70 battery and had no problems. In my country, AC Delco AGM batteries aren't available; only other brands are.

Edit: I was just reading, it uses AGM, probably because of the AFM nonsense. I didn't know it used that expensive battery; here in my country it would cost over $450 USD, but I have no choice. It's either that or the starter I have to import.

I'm pretty sure one of the main reasons it's AGM is to control acid sloshing in it, since it's inside the car and after the rear axle. Probably other reasons too.

Gunkk · Yesterday, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pisters

What steps can I take to diagnose the problem better?

The CEL/"Service Stabilitrack" and random other module codes are often triggered by low battery/system voltage.

The battery might just be low on charge, and our cars charge their AGMs very slowly when the engine is running, because the "smart charging" logic is overprotective of AGM's sensitivity to charging rate and heat. There have been a few threads on this subject over the years in here.

So put a battery tender/maintainer on it for 48 hours and see if it recovers. Be a shame to waste $$$ buying a new battery when the one you have it just low on charge.

Happened to me and my car. Putting the tender on it saved me from a 2nd battery replacement after I made the mistake of replacing the undercharged battery the first time. And I still have that 2nd battery and it works fine because I keep the tender on it.

bishopts · Yesterday, 11:50 AM

Load test the battery. Drive it to autozone, ask them to check your battery.

bishopts · Yesterday, 11:51 AM

I swear... it's like I'm talking to myself

DeuceCam · Yesterday, 12:46 PM

Or, if you have a multimeter, test the battery (preferably at the battery posts) after the car has been sitting a few hours, preferably overnight. Report back to this thread with the voltage reading.

(Sounds like it could be the battery with your display voltage reading AND the stabiltrac warning, but test the battery to be sure.)

05-12-2026, 09:41 PM	#1
pisters Drives: Camaro 2SS 2017 and Camaro 2021 2.0 Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: Resistencia Posts: 35	Bad starter or dead battery? Camaro 2017 SS Hello friends. I bought a 2017 SS Camaro six months ago with supposedly 36,000 miles, and everything was fine. A month ago, I noticed it's been having trouble starting sometimes when it's warm. When it's cold, it starts normally (not very powerful, but it starts without problems). Today, I started it normally when it was cold, drove for 40 minutes, and turned off the car. 10 minutes later I started and heard a crank turning very slowly, then silence, and then it started. I was surprised when a StabiliTrak warning light appeared on the screen after the hard start and then went off. This made me wonder if it's really the battery or the starter. I have a dashcam connected directly to the battery, and before starting the car, it showed 11.4V to 12.0V. After starting, it showed 13.7V to 13.9V. I read many posts about starter motors, but the fact that the StabiliTrak warning light never appeared before made me doubt if its the battery or starter. I got home, turned off the engine, and restarted it twice, and it was fine. Can anyone help me? What steps can I take to diagnose the problem better?

Yesterday, 04:42 AM	#3
Dynamical Drives: 2022 Camaro LT1 A10 Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: new england Posts: 650	The fact that your voltage was reading only 11.4V to 12.0V after a drive and 13.7V to 13.9V after started tells me your alternator is working but your battery is not holding a charge anymore. If it was my car, I would feel very confident that a new battery would fix it. Your battery should never be that low. If you don’t have a battery tester, bring it right to an auto parts store they will test it for free. I wouldn’t let them test your charging system, though, they are not qualified to diagnose today’s fluctuating charging systems. Battery testers are cheap. You can pick one of those up also if you want to start messing around with it. __________________ *2022 Camaro LT1 A10 - Drag Pack/Corsa double X pipe/AWE track axleback -11.849@118.67MPH/1.798 60'*

Yesterday, 07:33 AM	#4
arpad_m Drives: 2018 Camaro 2SS A8 Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 13,476 View My Garage	Go buy and install this: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...t=2476&jsn=686 __________________ 2018 Camaro 2SS — G7E MX0 NPP F55 IO6 735 rwhp \| 665 rwtq Magnuson TVS 2300 80mm pulley \| Kooks 1 7/8" LT headers \| JRE smooth idle Terminator cam \| LT4 FS & injectors \| TSP forged pistons & rods JMS PowerMAX \| DSX flex fuel kit \| Roto-Fab CAI \| Soler 95mm LT5 TB \| 1LE wheels \| 1LE brakes \| BMR rear cradle lockout \| JRE custom tune 1100 - 1/30/18 \| 2000 - 1/31/18 3000 - 2/06/18 TPW 2/26/18 3400 - 2/19/18 \| 3800 - 2/26/18 4300 - 2/27/18 \| 4B00 - 3/01/18 4200 - 3/05/18 \| 4800 - 3/14/18 5000 - 3/16/18 \| 6000 - 3/19/18

Yesterday, 08:03 AM	#6
MT-SS1LE Drives: 2023 SS 1LE Sharkskin Join Date: Jun 2023 Location: Montana Posts: 397	You said the car "supposedly has 36,000 miles", do you suspect that's not correct? Swapped cluster or something? Just curious. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

05-12-2026, 09:48 PM	#2
bishopts Drives: 2017 2ss 6mt Join Date: Mar 2024 Location: dallas Posts: 1,609	During the cranking cycle it probably pulled the voltage down below 9v. You should get the battery load tested.

Yesterday, 07:47 AM	#5
bishopts Drives: 2017 2ss 6mt Join Date: Mar 2024 Location: dallas Posts: 1,609	https://a.co/d/08euJGYA This will be cheaper. Rockauto you will pay $26 for shipping

Yesterday, 10:29 AM	#9
ctrlz Drives: 2017 2SS, 50th pkg, M6, MRC, NPP Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Ocean City, NJ Posts: 3,584	If it is the original battery in a 2017 it is immediately suspect. I believe a conventional flooded wet cell will work just fine. The stock battery is AGM. Stop/start technology is a battery killer in my experience. I always deactivate it. The batteries that are supposed to last with stop/start are EFB's (Enhanced flooded battery). My elderly aunt killed one of these in her CR-V in just three years of grocery-getting.

Yesterday, 11:50 AM	#12
bishopts Drives: 2017 2ss 6mt Join Date: Mar 2024 Location: dallas Posts: 1,609	Load test the battery. Drive it to autozone, ask them to check your battery.

Yesterday, 11:51 AM	#13
bishopts Drives: 2017 2ss 6mt Join Date: Mar 2024 Location: dallas Posts: 1,609	I swear... it's like I'm talking to myself

Yesterday, 12:46 PM	#14
DeuceCam Drives: LT1 Join Date: Apr 2024 Location: AZ Posts: 332	Or, if you have a multimeter, test the battery (preferably at the battery posts) after the car has been sitting a few hours, preferably overnight. Report back to this thread with the voltage reading. (Sounds like it could be the battery with your display voltage reading AND the stabiltrac warning, but test the battery to be sure.)

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