[Teneck83]

Originally Posted by ember1205

I don't doubt that the level of discharge to crank this motor is larger than in the 4/6 cyl versions. Still, charging systems should be designed to recover that power in a "small" amount of time so that short trips and frequent starts aren't overly problematic.

AGM batteries are sensitive to overcharging and doing so will shorten their lifespan and reduce the total charge they can accept, and I honestly wonder if swapping them out for a standard Lead Acid would actually remedy problems in these cars.

The ONE benefit of AGM batteries that we get in these cars is the fact that that can be located "inside" the car (in the trunk) because there is no venting required for them. Beyond that one specific thing (that frees up precious space under the hood), I can find zero benefits to this kind of battery in this car but a number of potential disadvantages.

It has a vent hose attached. Starting the car twice, 30 minutes apart, should not lead to a weak start on second start 30 minutes later. I’m very familiar with AGM batteries. My 1966 big block vette has a Delco reproduction AGM battery. 6 years old. No problems. Turning over a 7.0 liter motor with high compression is no easier than a 6.2 supercharged

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by Teneck83

It has a vent hose attached. Starting the car twice, 30 minutes apart, should not lead to a weak start on second start 30 minutes later. I’m very familiar with AGM batteries. My 1966 big block vette has a Delco reproduction AGM battery. 6 years old. No problems. Turning over a 7.0 liter motor with high compression is no easier than a 6.2 supercharged

Yes, there is a vent hose attached. But AGM batteries are a specific kind of VRLA battery which does not require regular venting. VRLA batteries still need a vent hose because there may be situations (like rapid charging) where the cases are pressurized and require that pressure to be released. Otherwise, they do not have a regular vent requirement like a 'standard' Lead Acid battery.

So, again, aside from the fact that AGM batteries can be mounted INSIDE the car, I have found no specific benefits to it for the Camaro as compared to a standard Lead Acid battery.

[BlueinTN]

Originally Posted by Teneck83

My battery is a brand new optima. 2 months old. This cannot be parasitic drain from 30 minutes of detailing the car

if you had the key close or in your pocket the cars CANbus is active. The click whine noise you hear in the right rear is the fuel pumps when you open the door.


A few checks would give you a good idea whats happening. Harbor freight throws a cheap meter in you shopping bag when you check out a few times a month. They are perfectly fine for checking DC voltage.


Everything else is guessing....

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Teneck83

When not in use, I keep it on a maintainer. If the car sits without maintainer for a week or longer the battery is dead. Replaced it with an optima yellow top yesterday. Are dead batteries common ?

Last time I started mine it sat for probably 3 months and started right up.

[Teneck83]

I appreciate all the comments. And it’s wonderful to hear comments about other cars not having any issues. However,it would be more appreciated to hear who (if any) is having a similar situation as to help troubleshoot the issue

[KingLT1]

Originally Posted by ZX-10R

I average 6-8 years but always use Optimate6, Battery Tenders are junk in my experience and it matters. For a typical ZL1 owner, the car sits for extended periods with no charge then big wallop of juice to fire up a 6.2L, drive it for 20 minutes (barely gets charged from startup event) and repeat - that's tough on a battery.

I do not believe the Charger or how I charge the battery is the issue...I use a Optima similar to the Optimate and I hook it up whenever the car sits for more then a day. It works fine and the battery is always 100% before I take the car out for a drive. That being said the last battery I purchased was recalled due to sudden failure and was replaced for free. So we shall see how long it lasts. I know the battery cranks the starter faster then I remember.

Originally Posted by ember1205

Battery Life and whether or not a battery gets fully recharged between uses are not the same thing.

AGM batteries are used because they are supposed to be able to provide more power to drive all of the electronics and such in the car, but the reality is that it shouldn't matter. When the car is running, the alternator should be able to provide ALL of that power and more as it needs to also be able to replenish the stored capacity in the battery. All that should be required is a battery with enough CCA to turn the motor over and the alternator should "take it from there."

I have 1500 miles on my car and have been running into strange issues that are 100% electrical that never should occur. This is due to the FACT that AGM batteries have a shorter lifespan than non-AGM batteries due to how they need to be charged (and not overcharged). I'm not confident that the electrical system in the car is designed to correctly match with an AGM battery in the first place. There are way too many stories of these batteries failing at 2-3 years old.

Agree...also note these cars use variable charging systems. So the alternator will stop charging even when the car is running. I believe this puts more strain on the battery.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by KingLT1

Agree...also note these cars use variable charging systems. So the alternator will stop charging even when the car is running. I believe this puts more strain on the battery.

I would imagine it would depend on what actually happens in the electrical system as a whole if the battery charge is 'stopped' at any point.

If the alternator is still putting out sufficient power to actually operate the car, then the logic portion of the charge circuit the determines how much power flows to the battery could effectively go into a "maintain" mode putting out virtually no power to the battery. With no power in the car needing to be "added" by the battery, then this wouldn't be an issue for the battery at all.

OTOH, if the charging circuit slows down or stops, and the alternator's output is insufficient to operate the car, then the battery is being drawn upon and that's not good for it over the long run.

[BlueinTN]

Originally Posted by ember1205

I would imagine it would depend on what actually happens in the electrical system as a whole if the battery charge is 'stopped' at any point.

If the alternator is still putting out sufficient power to actually operate the car, then the logic portion of the charge circuit the determines how much power flows to the battery could effectively go into a "maintain" mode putting out virtually no power to the battery. With no power in the car needing to be "added" by the battery, then this wouldn't be an issue for the battery at all.

OTOH, if the charging circuit slows down or stops, and the alternator's output is insufficient to operate the car, then the battery is being drawn upon and that's not good for it over the long run.

Naw my old 70's truck/cars discharges at idle older alts dont charge well at idle like these new ones do.


Im trying to find out from a friend but I think you can use a GM scan tool and look at voltage over time to look and see how long the battery goes under 12 volts.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by BlueinTN

Naw my old 70's truck/cars discharges at idle older alts dont charge well at idle like these new ones do.


Im trying to find out from a friend but I think you can use a GM scan tool and look at voltage over time to look and see how long the battery goes under 12 volts.

That's sort of what I was getting at.... If charging shuts down and then the output of the alternator drops, the battery will have to kick in and "help". But, if the alternator keeps pumping out enough power, then the battery shouldn't be getting run down at all once fully charged.