[SteveV]

Folks, now that my ZL1 has hit the 4 year old mark, I am worried about the battery.

I have seen a fair few threads about failed batteries in cars younger than mine. So, I am thinking I should replace it soon.

Some folks on another thread were suggesting this: https://antigravitybatteries.com/pro...tive/ag-h6-rs/ But damn... $829 for a battery is a bit much IMHO.

I have seen a few people complain about reliability issues with the Optima.

Anyone have a reasonable recommendation for a replacement that is at least 750CCA and a bit lighter than the stock one?

[hawk02]

Subscribed. I’m in the same boat as you. My ZL1 turned five last fall. It’s currently in storage in Ohio while I’m down in Florida for the winter. I disconnected the battery when i put it in storage but there’s no question the battery is on borrowed time.

Having owned GM vehicles my entire adult life, I know for a fact the OEM batteries usually crap out somewhere between four and five years of age.

[infinitereality]

Sub'ing as well. Was just thinking about the battery the other day when the car had some hesitation from sitting for 3 days since I was on 2 wheels. I believe had it sat another day I'd needed to jump it.

[DangerZL1]

After a battery gets over 4 years old, I usually replace it. If you're lucky, the battery gives you a little warning when the car cranks slower a few times before it eventually fails.

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by SteveV

Folks, now that my ZL1 has hit the 4 year old mark, I am worried about the battery.

Anyone have a reasonable recommendation for a replacement that is at least 750CCA and a bit lighter than the stock one?

My suggestions:
* Don't replace battery until it's known bad.
* Don't spend more than $350. I bought the die-hard and its fine: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/fi...-battery.c5476
* Do buy a battery tender and use that to keep your existing battery charged up. A few like my CTEK 5.0 will test the battery for charging rate and charge retention.
* Don't worry about weight, which is irrelevant unless you're pushing for tenths on the strip. Lightening the car behind the rear wheels will make traction worse on the street. If you're serious about deweighting the car to improve performance, change the seats and remove the carpet before worrying about anything else.


Our cars charge their AGM batteries VERY SLOWLY. So if you've had a nearly-dead or dead battery, just driving the car for an hour or two after a jump will not get it back to full. Try throwing on a tender for 24 hrs or so. You might be pleasantly surprised.

[SteveV]

Anyone try an Interstate in their camaro? They make an AGM the correct size...

[zl1_things]

From my own experience and reading this forum i know the 6th gens are really battery hungry cars. Lately my 17 ZL1 has been slow cranking if I leave it sit for a week or if I leave it with the radio on at the gas station while i fill up. So I decided to just change it now.


I know a lot of guys going to the Lithium batteries for the weight, but decided since I don't track my car like I used to track all my cars I don't really need the weight savings. I literally changed my battery yesterday, from the factory AGM to an Odyssey AGM. I've had great luck with several Odyssey batteries in the past, especially during the off times between track days when the car would just sit.


I can tell you just putting it in, the car has never cranked and started as fast as it did with the old battery. If this thread is still going in a few months I'll pop back in with an update on how it's doing.


Also had bad luck with Optima's and at $300 for the Odyssey it's not horribly priced.

[zxspeedspec]

Y'all bought a car that needs $1600 tires, $1100 rotors, $500 pads, $115 oil changes, and you can't afford an $800 lifetime battery?

[Scottyz]

Personally I believe Interstate to be the worst. I feel I have a very good idea about the subject from my experience with automotive and heavy equipment fleets. I’ve been a licensed tech for over 25 years. I can’t think of any mechanic coworker or friend who recommends them. The only way I would use one is if the machine is down and has to be up ASAP!!!.
Otherwise I avoid Interstate all the time and so do my coworkers.
Food for thought from a guy who is steadily into diagnosing problems.

[kropscamaro16]

i had my stock one go bad 3 years in



had dealer replace with another oem one at no cost


then last year i switched to antigravity one only drive car once or twice a month and no issues even has a jumpstart on the batter if you need it and i got the special charger also

[LiqTenExp]

Just put any decent AGM in there of the factory size and move on with life. That $800 battery appears to have their durability claims are against standard lead acid and not AGM. Lifepo4 will have longer life than AGM but not at the cost of their offering. You can buy 4 AGM for the price of the one and that would cover you for 16-20 years beyond where you are now. That battery wont' last 16-20 years... let alone are you likely to have the car that long.

I am a big Lifepo4 fan for other uses but don't see the value here in a car.

[Higgs Boson]

antigravity here, I put one first thing in just about every new car I buy, love them.

[Mac7504]

Originally Posted by Gunkk

My suggestions:
* Don't replace battery until it's known bad.
* Don't spend more than $350. I bought the die-hard and its fine: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/fi...-battery.c5476
* Do buy a battery tender and use that to keep your existing battery charged up. A few like my CTEK 5.0 will test the battery for charging rate and charge retention.
* Don't worry about weight, which is irrelevant unless you're pushing for tenths on the strip. Lightening the car behind the rear wheels will make traction worse on the street. If you're serious about deweighting the car to improve performance, change the seats and remove the carpet before worrying about anything else.


Our cars charge their AGM batteries VERY SLOWLY. So if you've had a nearly-dead or dead battery, just driving the car for an hour or two after a jump will not get it back to full. Try throwing on a tender for 24 hrs or so. You might be pleasantly surprised.

What's wrong with a battery tender now? I've been using one for years and it's never overcharged a battery or caused any issues. The one I have goes into maintain mode once a battery is fully charged. What am I missing?

[SSDan]

Originally Posted by Mac7504

What am I missing?

I think you misread Gunkk's post. You are both on the same side - use a battery tender.