Trickle Charger vs shut down kill switch

Since I've only owned my entry level 1997 F355 for 7 months need the advice from my knowledgeable Ferrari community on what is best:

When my F355 stays idle in the garage for short or long periods do I keep it connected to my trickle charger or just use the turn off switch in the hood department to completely put the car in shut down mode? Talked with Ferrari service manager and he stated that this is not good to do because car needs to communicate even when not in use.

Other mechanics stated that it is better to use the turn off switch because it will slowly cause my battery to loose its charge over time. I've done both and have been having trouble currently starting my vehicle and getting ready to possibly getting it towed to the shop. Engine cranks but will not kick over even with my 750 amp battery pack jump starter.

Please advise and thanks in advance!

 

I personally use a trickle charger.

 

Trickle charger! All of the computers (OBDII) will reset after a long time with no power. The radio may need to be unlocked, depending on model, etc. Mine is on a trickle charger if sitting for more than a few weeks and starts first try after the entire winter.

 

Do you plug into the lighter or do you remove the shielding in the engine bay and attach to the contacts there?

 

First of all I take offense to "entry level 355!!!" I love my little fcar!!

I also have a 97 355 spider and use a battery tender trickle on all my vehicles and I have never had a problem. Get a GOOD one and keep it on there to maintain your battery in the off months. I have not used the "off" switch yet and really dont know the reason to do so?

Chris

 

I too agree. A 355 is not entry level, they are prone to way too many problems!!!!

Please use a trickle charger ALL the time. You never know when you will have time to driver her again. Even if you think you will drive her in the next few days. Plug her in.

 

ok ok - i hear ya!!! like i said YET?

 

Use the battery tender, not the battery switch. Rifledriver (Brian Crall) has stated a number of times a battery tender is always preferred over turning the battery switch to off and having to go through the adaptive process each time you start up...and it takes many uses to build up the base of learned memory over again.

 

+1. I could not agree more. Purchase a good quality (i.e., No Harbor Freight ), computer-controlled trickle charger. I would recommend hard wiring a quick disconnect cable to: (i) the battery or (ii) the positive "jumping terminal" and ground post under the right side (passenger side) protective shield in the engine compartment. I, personally, purchased a charger from Griot's Garage and have had excellent luck with it, thus far.

 

I own a Griot's too! And several others...to be honest, they all perform just fine. I would have no problem buying the $21 Schumacher smart charger sold at WalMart and using it.

I like the idea of wiring up a cigarette lighter adapter purchased from Radio Shack..faster than opening the hood.

 

Dave:

Have you had good luck with the quality of the connection using this method?

Thanks,

Scott

 

No problems. I have to admit I do not use it regularly, my 355 came with an "on board" NAPA battery tender installed by the dealer. But I have used it a few times, no problem and also charged my 308 and 328 this way. I do regularly top up my 2001 BMW 540 via the cigarette lighter weekly.

My understanding is this will NOT work on 360's and later models, as the lighter socket is not "on" when the ignition is off (position 0).

 

I wired up identical pigtails for each of my cars and my motorcyle. The trickle charger is connected to these things on a round-robbin basis, especially the motorcyle.

 

Nice. I had a friend with a cheapo trickle charger, you know the "wall wart" style, that is NOT smart and continually charges forever at about 1 amp or less? Anyway, being "thrifty" he bought a 99 cent lightbulb socket adapter to standard plug, and plugged this trickle charger into his garage door opener light socket (it had two bulbs). So everytime he opened his garage (twice daily) his motorcycle got a 3 or 4 minute trickle charge. I thought that was pretty smart, and saved him a few bucks versus buying a newer "smart" charger.

 

Your battery will still self-discharge, albeit at a slower rate, even if you use the "off" switch. I use my "Battery Tender" for one day each weekend. After 24 hours the battery is at full charge again.

 

Thanks for all who responded, as I was unable to get on the chat until now after posting my am thread. No disrespect for "entry level" as my objective was to allow the local chat scene an understanding that my knowledge on basic issues such as trickle charges are on the unfamiliar side with little "Ferrari" ownership time under my belt.

F355's rock, as some of my 5th grade students have stated after bringing my car in to school one day! With this being said...no one is smarter than a 5th grader.

Any ideas on a good brand of charger as I want to compare it with the one that I currently received with my car when it was purchased. My car already has the engine hook up for the plug in directly to the engine.

 

I use Deltran Battery Tenders. I have a decent technical background in electricity, electronics, batteries, chargers etc. and I feel they make "legit" products, for what it's worth.

 

Great...thanks for the information as I will do an internet search. Do you keep yours plugged in all the time during winter months?

 

I don't but they are designed for that. The ambient temperature of your garage can be a factor in deciding if you want to do that, the "health/age" of your battery and whether or not you use the "turn off" switch on your car.

Like any electrical device there's always a chance of an electrical fire. Think worst case and assume the battery charger/tender will catch fire while you're away. Place it accordingly (away from anything flammable).

 

As I previously stated, I own several, including Griot's Garage, Deltran, Yuasa, Sears, NAPA and Black and Decker. Each works similarly and with no issues. I would simply purchase whatever you can find conveniently. The Schumacher 1.5amp version is available for $21 at any WalMart store. You will find it easiest to rig up a cigarettle lighter adapter from Radio Shack and plug it in through the cigarette plug, rather than opening either the front or rear lids to access terminals. This ensures you never attempt to drive away plugged in, and the door seals will easily collapse around the thin cord, so no problem to close the door on the cord.

Just snip off the plug on one of the included adapters and splice this on:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3802148

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=schumacher+1.5+amp&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=3374841030773664129&ei=hjnMTOWzEoaisAOoyqXaDg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDMQ8wIwAg#
most of the brands use the same style connector (including the Schumacher) so it should be compatible with the connector already wired up to your car, check the link to be sure. The factoy Ferrari battery tender (there were several brands used) sometimes had a proprietary plug, not common to the other brands.

 

My 348 battery is permanently connected to an on-board trickle charger which is connected to the mains electricity supply.

Way to go IMO.

 

YES!

 

i am a new -proud- owner of an F355 SPider and have to date, always used the kill switch under the front hood, despite the trickle battery charger installed by the previous owner. Having read the various posts, especially the one stating that all of the computers (OBDII) will reset after a long time with no power, i now wonder what i should do.
My car is stored away for the upcomig winter and i was planning to simply start the car every 4 to 5 weeks.
I would like to know what is done by other owners who also store their vehicles for the winter - trickle charge or total power off.

Thanks folks