I just replaced my Interstate MP-91 with an Interstate MT7 AGM-34R. The "R' means reversed terminals which is necessary for the 550 and I assume the 575 and 456. Suggested list price is $254.95 - 282.95 according to Interstate It's an AGM battery with 800 cold cranking amps and 48 month free replacement. Being an AGM battery means no venting battery acid fumes Dimensions are 10 13/16, X 6 3/4 X 7 3/4 so its about a half inch taller than the discontinued MPT-91 but I had no trouble fitting it including the stainless steel heat shield.
Dave- According to the 575M WSM, the original battery in the 575M (and 360) was a FIAMM VR760, which is also an AGM battery, so should be good. As you probably discovered, the MTP-91 is NLA, although there is now an MTP-91/T6 with a 72 month warranty instead of the old truck battery's 85 month warranty.
Dave, I have Braille B7548 AGM batteries in my 550, F355C and 944 turbo. You'll love your new AGM. Barry Image Unavailable, Please Login
Braille, Odyssey, and Interstate all have good AGM batteries as long as you get the correct one and not one of those dinky ones the V8 guys like to use. Then they wonder why their Ferrari is hard to start. Braille makes good lithium batteries, too, but they are very expensive. Note those are not the correct PN for their lithium batteries below any more, but appropriate sizes for a Maranello would be ~$1600-2600, but they only weigh 10-20 lbs. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Does anyone have any first hand experience with lithium batteries in a street car? I am considering replacing the AGM in my 360 with lithium, but I am concerned with running it in a car that wasn't designed for lithium.
Your 360 was designed for a 12 volt battery, regardless of type, so a lithium battery will work fine. They are just so expensive, I have not heard of any V12 owner ponying up for one yet. I know $1600 is a bit out of my price range for a battery. Prices are dropping, though, so maybe in the future.
The problem is I am not convinced that's true. I know a bit about lithium from boating applications and lithium is rarely a straight drop-in for lead-acid without modifying the overall electrical system. That's why I am interested in hearing from people who have actually done lithium on these older street Ferraris.
Yes, but were those lithium batteries made for the application you tried, ie marine? The Braille batteries are made for automotive applications.
We all have different weightings in any cost/benefit analysis, for me the lithium batteries come up short by a significant margin.
Dave- You and me both. Saving 20 lbs on a 3800 lb Ferrari for $1600 does not balance too well for me.
That makes no difference whatsoever. There is no such thing as "marine lithium batteries". They may be marketed as such, but the underlying technology will be the same as lithium batteries intended for automotive applications. What does matter is the electrical system that is used to host these batteries. As I said before, in marine applications, existing electrical system frequently need to be modified significantly to enable the safe use of lithium. I am trying to find out which of these modifications may be needed in the Ferraris. If you believe you know the suitability of lithium for these cars, perhaps you can share what type of battery chemistry is used in automotive lithium batteries, what are the most appropriate charging regimes, what needs to be done to the existing regulators to ensure safe charging, what precautions/modifications need to be taken with respect to power cable, fuse, connector, switch and alternator sizing, what additional equipment needs to be added for monitoring lithium battery status, what are the insurance implications for using non-standard batteries, etc. Unless an electrical system is designed/modified with some of these criteria in mind, lithium technology can be a dangerous exercise. And it is not all about the cost of the batteries, it is the cost of the overall system modifications that might be needed. The type of an automotive battery that Braille sells for $1,600 can be readily put together for less than $400 worth of lithium cells. There is nothing magic about their batteries. Unless they provide you with $1,000 worth of liability insurance in case something goes wrong.
Exactly! That's one of the more heavily weighted items to consider which would lead me to dismiss lithium batteries out of hand. I even had concerns about AGM batteries in that regard but I now believe my worries were unfounded.
Rugby- My degree is in chemistry, so we could probably go down that route, but I get the feeling it would be a waste of time. So, frankly, Scarlett...
Dave, The Braille batteries in my cars have been doing well for several years now. They way I figure it is if AGM batteries were good for the F-18s and HumVees used in Desert Storm then they're good enough for me. Barry
Barry- When Ferrari was having so much trouble with the Optima batteries that came on the V8s from the factory, they were retrofitting Brailles at the dealerships. That was why the sheet I posted above was given to Ferrari dealers. When Johnson Controls bought Optima, they moved production to Mexico and there were all kinds of quality control issues. Bad enough that I still would not personally recommend an Optima battery to anyone.
I just removed the battery tender from my car, it was showing green But when I got in and turned the key nothing ): So I check on Ferrari chat, and what do I find some of my favorite people on this form discussing Dave's new battery.... I checked my invoice it was replaced December 2011 same one you had Dave MPT 91. My only problem is that I cannot put it in myself.. I know how sad that seems to most of you talented people. But technicians need to make a living Thank you everybody for your input ! Cheers, Bill