MisterMidlifeCrisis

I needed to just roll my car out of the garage today to do some cleanup, so I did the usual thing of holding down the accessory position on the start button for ten seconds until the car's systems turned on. I then pushed the car out onto the driveway and proceeded to do what I needed to do.

Our football team was getting spanked playing the Steelers, so I decided to go in and see how terrible it really was. I came back out a few hours later to go run some errands, and when I got in the car, all the systems were still on. The DIC had a message that said "battery saver active", which I had never heard of and didn't remember reading in the manual, but it is there and says:

BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
vehicle has detected that the battery
voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable point. The battery saver
system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that you may
be able to notice. At the point that
features are disabled, this message
is displayed. It means that the
vehicle is trying to save the charge
in the battery. Turn off unnecessary
accessories to allow the battery to
recharge.

Considering all of the DBS threads, I wonder if this is something new for 2011? Anyhow, my car started up normally and ran fine. Cool feature, and definitely saved me from a dead battery today.

Delbert

There is a section in the owner's manual describing this feature which activates when the battery falls to a pre set voltage level.

talon90

Nope, nothing new. My 2005 has it as do all C6 Corvettes. I can make it come up after about 20 minutes with the car in ignition on/engine off mode.

cclive

The purpose of this system is to save the battery and keep you moving for as long as possible when the alternator is not keeping up with the electrical drain on the system. Since the engine was not running, the alternator was putting out nothing...obviously not keeping up with the load. This will only happen when the ignition is on since the expectation is that with the ignition on, the engine will be running.

hawkgfr

Actually I think it is something new...Its called battery protection package and it cost a whopping 100 bucks as an option...It wasn't on my 07 but it is on my 11.

talon90

No, actually it isn't.

The battery protection package for 2011 is a CTEK battery tender rebranded with the Corvette logo available from dealers as a stand alone option. This has nothing to do with the Battery Saver Active message as noted above on the DIC.

Here is the battery saver in action on my 2005 and as referenced in the owners manual:



Here is the Battery Protection Package:

Gearhead Jim

Just a side note, I use the ten second Acessory push (systems on but engine not running) as little as possible- it turns on the fuel pump, etc and drains the battery more quickly than Accessory. In fact, if I'm just programming nav destinations or listening to the music; I close the car door and turn off Accessory. That lets the radio/nav run for 10 minutes.

Amazing fact- on our 2009 A6, just using Accessory (and stepping on the brake pedal) will allow the transmission selector to move out of Park, so the car can be pushed somewhere.
I'd like to brag that I figured that out by myself, but someone else posted it here. :o

talon90

The 10 second push is ignition on/engine off mode. It allows the car to do anything it can do with the engine on, just with the engine off.

z51vett

Did you have it in run or acc. mode.
z51vett

hawkgfr

That was supposed to be in my car?

talon90

The "Battery saver" is in all Corvette C6's and has been since 2005. If you paid $100.00 for the Battery protection package RPO ERI and it is on your RPO decal in the glovebox then yes, it was supposed to be in your car.

hawkgfr

Ha it is on the sticker, I'll check the glove box but it isn't in the car...I got it in a dealer to dealer trade on the 6th of September...I guess I'll get them tpo order me one...


thanks..

Bill Dearborn

Pushing top of button for 10 seconds turns on the ignition and pushing the bottom of the button puts the car in accessory mode. In accessory mode the car will shut down after 15 minutes After that time period, if you are listening to the radio in accessory mode you have to push accessory again to get the radio back on.

Bill

MisterMidlifeCrisis

Had it in what Talon90 calls ignition on/engine off mode (and thanks for the info that it's been in every C6). It was sitting there with probably the fan on the second speed, radio on, but headlights and parking lights off. I was inside for probably a couple of hours.

Hmm, I left the doors unlocked too. Would it have been possible to start the car from that mode without a fob in range? Mines is an MX0 so it couldn't have been compression started.

talon90

Make sure you also check the storage compartments in the rear as well. If you didn't get it, you should.

B-Vette

Nice to know information for the C6, I already bought the conventional C-Tek charger for my old 2000.

MisterMidlifeCrisis

Forgot to ask my original follow-up question, which is why this feature doesn't seem to prevent DBS? Is it only because it functions when the ignition is in the "on" position?

rchbn

No it functions when your driving to:

2006 manual page 3-61:

SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM: Press the
RESET button to acknowledge that you have read
the message and to remove it from the display.
The message will reappear every 10 minutes until this
condition changes. You will hear multiple chimes
when this message is displayed.
If this message comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
It could indicate that you have a loose or broken drive
belt or another electrical problem. Have it checked
right away by your GM dealer. Driving while this warning
message is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the message on,
be certain to turn off your accessories, such as the
radio and air conditioner.

talon90

Correct. This system is in place to allow the car to continue "operation" when elements of the charging system aren't keeping up with demand (see cclive's post above). The reason we see it when the car is in diagnostic mode (ignition on/engine off) is because the system is returning a charge to the battery. The car just thinks it's on.

CO Lightfoot

This is news to me. So, I just now tried it.

Works exactly like you said.


Just now tried this for the 1st time on my 09. Doesn't work exactly like you said...

When I push & hold the top of the ignition switch, the engine starts immediately.

When I push & hold the bottom of the ignition switch, after about 10 seconds it goes into "ignition" mode... the engine does not start, but it looks like everything is accessible as if the engine were running.

Good thread. I've had my C6 for 3 years and I'm still learning new things.