C6 Battery replacement in the C6 Z06

**Rich Z** · 02-12-2013, 05:39 PM

Well, I guess the old girl got pissed about me spending so much time with the C5Z lately. So she refused to start up. Just gave me sort of mean grunts and chirps to let me know that I needed to just forget about taking her out for a ride. I tried charging up the battery, but it just wouldn't hold a charge strong enough to start the engine. Interior lights would come on, but not enough current to crank over the starter.

So, time for a new battery.

Now the C6 Z06 has the battery in the trunk, so I wasn't sure what I was looking forward to with the replacement. I checked around to see what sort of battery I wanted to get, and noticed there was a warning on some of the sites for the direct replacement batteries stating to plan on 30 minutes to replace the battery. That seemed pretty excessive to me, so it had me worried. So I checked around on the forums to see what I could find.

Apparently a lot of people were cursing about doing this job. I looked over the battery myself and it didn't look all that tough, so maybe I was just missing something. Yeah, I would need something to actually lift the old battery OUT, and there is a vent tube running to a fitting on the top of the battery, so maybe I wasn't seeing the whole picture.

Anyway, I wound up getting a direct replacement battery from Advance Auto. Their Autocraft Gold line. Has a seven year warranty, and pretty high ratings from other users. Plus I found a $40 online discount coupon so the price was VERY reasonable. All total, after I return the old battery, this will wind up costing me only about $80.

Speaking of price, I found ALL kinds of options for batteries. There is a new lithium ion battery available that will work in the car, that sounds pretty hot potatoes. Weight is around 14 pounds (compared to 30 lbs on a standard lead/acid battery), and supposed to be longer lasting, but exactly how MUCH longer seems to be harder to answer in the advertising hype. And there were some things about charging those batteries that didn't sound right to me. But anyway, when I found at the price would be around $850 for this battery, all the other questions didn't really matter any longer. Unless the battery lasted 10 times longer than a standard battery, it just didn't make any sense cost-wise. Besides, this really didn't sound like something I wanted to be a pioneer for. Kind of hate getting those arrows sticking out of my back.

So I picked up the battery from Advance Auto yesterday, and decided to do the replacement today. Connie went over to the garage to give me a hand, since she seems to like being my sidekick with things like this. I pulled back the aftermarket carpet in the trunk overtop of the door on the passenger side. Then removed the door cover over the battery completely by just using a screw driver to spread the plastic frame around the opening a bit so the pin on the door would pop out of the hole in the frame. That way I could get the battery compartment door all the way out and out of the way. Disconnected the battery cables, removed the hold down, and pulled the vent tube out of the side at the top of the battery.

I purchased a battery strap while I was out at Advance Auto (for about $8), and I think that makes all the difference in the world. Without some sort of strap to attach to the battery, there really isn't any way to lift the battery out of that hole. You can't get your hands down around it in order to lift it up at all. So without something to grab onto the battery, yeah, I can see where that would bring about some cussing.

It's pretty tight as it is, so I pushed the negative battery cable over to the right side, pushed the positive cable down along the back to be under the lip of the opening, and attached the battery strap to the terminals. The battery tends to want to tilt to the front, since the battery terminals aren't at the centerline of the battery, but instead at the back, so you have to guide it a bit to keep the battery from catching on the forward lip of the compartment opening. Then you just LIFT it up and out. Pretty much a piece of cake, if you ask me. I've DEFINITELY done a LOT more difficult jobs.

The new AA battery has a handle built into the case, so it's not a problem putting it back into place in the battery compartment. And it will also be easier to replace this battery when it finally kicks the bucket. While you have both batteries sitting on the work bench, remove the vent plug on the left side of the old battery and put it into the new one. The new battery won't come with the plug or vent fitting. Then simply ease the battery into the compartment, put on the right side vent tube, put on the hold down strap, and hook up the cables. Done! Couldn't have taken any more than 5 minutes. Not that much more difficult than changing out the battery on a car with it underneath the hood.

I guess the important thing was the battery strap. That is the only thing I can see that would have caused anyone else any real grief doing this job. So if you find yourself having to change a battery on a C6 Z06, I suggest that you get the strap.

ironhorse · 02-13-2013, 05:37 AM

I know guy's that have used two vice grips on + & - posts...Even duct tape...LOL, as said before, battery strap still works the best...

Cor66Vette · 02-13-2013, 05:56 AM

I've heard similar stories about how changing out one of those batteries is a PITA. You made it sound like a non issue.

**Rich Z** · 02-13-2013, 12:13 PM

Actually it was pretty easy. I was reading accounts of people pulling out ALL the carpeting in the trunk to remove the plastic frame around the battery compartment opening and all sorts of stuff. And yeah I read about people using vise grips and duct tape too. So I went in to this fearing the worst. Advance Auto would have replaced the battery for me at no charge, but I was thinking that if this was going to be a real pain in the ass to do, quite likely there would be some collateral damage done to my car in the process with them doing it. I KNEW I would be careful with it.

If there is one thing I have learned fiddling with my C5Z, it's that using the RIGHT tool for the job makes all the difference. And if the car manufacturer recommends a specific specialized tool for a job, there is a good reason behind that.

ironhorse · 02-13-2013, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Actually it was pretty easy. I was reading accounts of people pulling out ALL the carpeting in the trunk to remove the plastic frame around the battery compartment opening and all sorts of stuff. And yeah I read about people using vise grips and duct tape too. So I went in to this fearing the worst. Advance Auto would have replaced the battery for me at no charge, but I was thinking that if this was going to be a real pain in the ass to do, quite likely there would be some collateral damage done to my car in the process with them doing it. I KNEW I would be careful with it.

If there is one thing I have learned fiddling with my C5Z, it's that using the RIGHT tool for the job makes all the difference. And if the car manufacturer recommends a specific specialized tool for a job, there is a good reason behind that.

I agree Rich. I will buy different tools from time to time, just because I may need a particular tool, and want to have it on hand when needed...