Hi there! I'm a new user here, based in Switzerland, who has a 599 GTB and since January 16 a 488 GTB. I drove the 488 in February for around 200km with a special Numberplate, because I haven't got the documents from the customs till yesterday. So yesterday I went to the car and wanted to open it. --Dead--. I did'nt had the Ferrari Battery Tender on, as I thought it should hold the voltage. Now I turned on the Ferrari Battery Tenden to charge it. Alarm went of immediately of course Today morning I realized, that the there is a red light lit on the Tender. I know that little bad light from my other Ctek chargers I use on my old US Cars, where it indicates, that you need a new battery. But this happens after maybe 5 or 6 years, when the battery gets on its life end. But is that really possible that the Battery is already dead on a brand new car? I don't know if the warranty is valid in Switzerland, as I bought the car in Brussels, Belgium. Anyone knows any advice ? Thanks!!
This can happen with Ferraris if their battery is not charged for more than a month. You should have hooked the battery tender to the car if it will stay in the garage for more than a week. Maybe the battery can be saved, but it depends on how deeply it's discharged. Take it to your dealer or auto electrician they can tell about its condition.
So you went about a month or so before driving the car again? The battery needs to be replaced if its a similar setup to the 458 models. They recommend putting it on the battery tender if not driven over a week. I had a battery go dead on a 458 Spider after a week and half . The dealer replaced it but not under warranty. I don't know how it is in Europe but in the US they won't replace under warranty if driven under 5k miles a year. There might be a chance they do it under warranty being so new. It was about 450 dollars to replace if I remember correctly. The Brussels vs Switzerland thing someone else will have to answer. Why don't you call the dealer where you bought it?
Thanks for the reply. On my 599 I never had any problem. I only charge the car during wintertime. I can leave it 2 Month in the Garage without any problem. I think I had to learn it that way. Luckily the 488 has this magnetic charging spot, so it makes it a lot easier than in the 599 where you have to remove the whole carpet on the side of the trunk. But thanks anyway. I'll go to the dealer and pick up a new battery.
Sorry to hear this, but easy to resolve. You'll need to confirm, but I believe the warranty is applicable across the EU. As for the car, 1) the 488 (as well as California, 458, F12, FF) are all hyper sensitive to voltage and a low battery can create issues. Make sure you have a good battery, and keep on tender as much as practical. 2) many of these batteries are either defective from birth (Seems that way!) or are delivered with heavy discharge; Ferraris have a high parasitic and maintenance draw, and if the car is rarely started/driven and/or not connected to a tender, it can run down quickly 3) have your battery tested; it might be chargeable, it might be dead, or have a bad cell. Either way, get a full battery in there, have the dealer clear the error codes, car should be fine.
Happened on both my Ferraris. Need to keep it on the tender if you don't drive it for more than 2 weeks imo
Battery should accept a charge even if it was drained. If not, I would inquire about warranty coverage
when our cars travel overseas on a boat for a month there is no way they are hooked to any battery tender. We all know that a fully discharged battery that is subsequently frozen has the largest risk for never taking a charge again. But batteries that get fully drained several times will end up with dead cells. Makes me wonder if the factory ships them without batteries. If not they run the risk of having at least one full discharge before we ever take delivery. One would think with your car being so new, you will get a warranty replacement battery, but that is just common sense which doesn't always prevail. Good luck.
When I bought the 458 the first thing I was told by the dealer was that I need to make sure to charge the battery even if it only sits for a couple of days to eliminate any issues
I agree. Sounds like a faulty battery. I've had my 458 sit for over a month without a problem. No battery tender. And that was just recently. Car is 18 months old.
Disconnect the cars leads (or just the neg) that go to the battery and only have the tender on the terminals. See if it will take a charge then.
Just for reference: My 458 coupe battery was replaced in 3 weeks for a dead cell. My 458 spider battery was replaced in 2 months for leaking.
Cold country v warm country. Battery can go dead surprisingly quickly in the cold - just happened to my 911. The battery was really strong, I always leave my cars unlocked to minimise the drain, left it for about three to four weeks, dead. I thought it would be fine due to the fact that it was previously so strong but no. I have been driving it less this winter because it doesn't have winter tyres and I bought an FF so the 911 has been neglected. Slightly surprising thing was there was still charge in it but not enough to turn the engine. I then used the trickle charger but it wouldn't take a charge full enough to turn the engine. I bump started it, drove for an hour, still the same. Car is 5 years old but I have a Porsche warranty, battery not covered.
Common guys, switzerland is not that cold I have my cars in my heated garage, where it's 20 degrees C all the time. Now I took the boat charger. Hope it works now. I was able to start it yesterday evening with my jump starter. Before, that hasn't worked. Tomorrow I'll try the battery tender if it works now. But thanks for your replies!
I'm no expert on modern battery manufacturing, but 1) the battery on our then-new 458 had a bad cell at delivery. It would start and run, but then one day it wouldn't. I WAS able to use the tender to get enough charge on it to start, but it was low voltage and created all sorts of issues. Dealer tested battery, found damaged cell, replaced. 2) our then-new F12 had a dead battery at delivery! Car came off the truck to dealer, dealer put battery on a (real) charger, it charged, but would not hold. New (tested) battery added. (personally, I think this is all exacerbated by the long shipping time and the fact that the car has its doors open and is not running or plugged in during PDI....leave your interior lights on overnight or door ajar and see if your battery works in the morning....) 3) Our Fiat Abarth? bad cell in battery. 4) I had a similar issue with the 2 massive batteries in our F350. The Ferrari OEM tender, and any battery tender, are "tenders". If in doubt, have the battery tested and charged with a (real) charger, then tested again. If you have a good battery, you probably can let it sit unplugged for weeks with no ill effect, as long as when you drive the car you are able to fully charge it (i.e. a drive longer than around the block or 20 mins of idle) New car batteries are warranted. Last, I believe that in the US market, FNA will warranty a battery but only if the car has a minimum amount of usage (eg. 3K miles/year).
I always leave my 458 on the tender unless I am going to drive it again the same day. It is always on the tender overnight. I have had no battery issues, and received the car more than 3 years ago. If possible, do not lock the car overnight -- the alarm system is one of drains on the electric system.
modern cars go into sleep mode after the car is locked for some time. For 911, it is about 2 weeks. When it is in sleep mode, the battery draw is minimized and functions like remote locking is disabled so you have to use the physical key. For longer term storage, you should put it on tender and lock the doors but leave the front trunk unlatched. 458 will disable the battery connection electronically when the battery is low. So, you shouldn't be left with a dead battery.
