California charge

hi guys I am going away tomorrow for a week , I am a bit of a worrier, is it ok to leave my California off charge for a week then put it back ion when I get back

 

It's probably fine if you don't have to drive it the first few hours you get back so it can trickle up.

 

No worries. I do the same when I go away for any period. I’ve left it off the charger for up to 3 weeks. When you get back put it on charge and if the battery is in reasonable condition then it’ll be fine once all the lights are on the battery tender.

 

If you have a fairly new battery it should be fine. “Tenders” are simply that; they maintain battery strength, they do NOT charge the battery. Normal battery life in a California is about three years, so if yours is close to that age you might be concerned. Be aware that there is a constant drain on the battery because it maintains data on the car even when parked.

 

CTEK battery tenders (Ferrari appears to use low end CTEK 4.3 tenders), definitely do charge the battery and confirm it can take/keep a charge. I have left one of my BMWs on a tender for about a year while in storage with absolutely no problem (and that battery lasted ten years). I keep my 2014 458 (eight years before replacing the original battery) and my wife's Portofino M on CTEK 7002s any time they are parked (which has been a week or two lately with all the rain we are getting in San Diego): The steps the CTEK tenders run are below. A fast charge to 80%, a slow charge to 100%, then confirming the battery can hold the charge:

STEP 1 DESULPHATION
Detects sulphated batteries. Pulsing current and voltage, removes sulphate from the lead plates of the battery restoring the battery capacity.
STEP 2 SOFT START
Tests if the battery can accept charge. This step prevents that charging proceeds with a defect battery.
STEP 3 BULK
Charging with maximum current until approximately 80% battery capacity.
STEP 4 ABSORPTION
Charging with declining current to maximize up to 100% battery capacity.
STEP 5 ANALYSE
Tests if the battery can hold charge. Batteries that can not hold charge may need to be replaced.
STEP 6 RECOND
Choose the Recond program to add the Recond step to the charging process. During the Recond step voltage increases to create controlled gassing in the battery. Gasing mixes the battery acid and gives back energy to the battery.
STEP 7 FLOAT
Maintaining the battery voltage at maximum level by providing a constant voltage charge.
STEP 8 PULSE
Maintaining the battery at 95–100% capacity. The charger monitors the battery voltage and gives a pulse when necessary to keep the battery fully charged

 

Why would you leave it off charge? My thought is that the battery tender Ferrari provide is precisely for using when you aren't using the car so this would be the ideal time to have it connected. Is there a danger of fire, or is it the cost of running it?

 

For me it’s fire. My father in law’s house burnt to the ground due to an electrical fire when he was away on vacation. Now I unplug literally everything except the freezer when I’m away. Heck, sometimes I even unplug the freezer! (Emptied, of course)

The insurance assessor told him that most times the smell of burning can precede an electrical fire by hours, days or even weeks.

sure, the insurance pays out (eventually), but how do you replace photos, heirlooms and sentimental pieces?

I’m not willing to trust some 7 year old Chinese charger to not malfunction while I’m away so I’d rather just unplug and charge up when I’m back.