Dead Battery

Well, it's never happened until now, but I went to start my '99 355 yesterday and the battery was dead. After removing the RF wheel well cover to see if I could access the battery directly, it quickly became apparent that without removing the wheel - something I'm not set up to do (no jack since there's no spare) - I decided to check out the engine bay option. So, here's my question: I located the ground and uncovered the positive block, but there are three cables conected there...two black and one red. I'm assuming the red one might be my direct link to the battery but didn't want to actually hook up the charger without knowing for sure. So, if anyone can enlighten me on this, it would be great. Also, when charging from this location, do I still need to disconnect the battery via the disconnect knob up front? Thanks for any suggestions on this.

Doug

 

Not sure I understand your description of the terminals but it is clearly described in the manual with pictures and no doubt on several threads here - and the disconnect should be on

Confirmation :

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82653

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9445

 

If you disconnect the battery at the switch, I believe you will disconnect the connection to the engine bay. So, I wouldn't do that.

My recollection is that all three terminals under the positive cap are connected to red cables. Since it is just a connecting block, I don't think it matters which one you connect the charger to.

 

Thanks to all of you for your feedback. Responding to your inputs, I wish my manual was a bit clearer on this procedure. The illustration in mine shows the ground connection and points to the + cover, but does not show the terminals beneath. The manual also addresses using the disconnect knob when removing the battery but doesn't address it when charging from the engine bay. In any case, from your collective responses and from pre-reading a number of threads before I posted, concensus appears to be that any one of the positive terminals can be used, and one should leave the battery disconnect switch open. So thanks for all your help, and it's off to the garage!

Doug

 

I seem to recall one wire brings power to the back of the car, and two leads then send power to the engine (one for starter, one goes elsewhere). Connect positive to that terminal block, and next to there on the shock tower is a nice metal ground, connect the ground lead there.

Then...when you do get to the battery, hard wire a connection to the battery to plug in a battery tender at the front of the car

 

Thanks Jay! We're all hooked up and charging now, so I hope that takes care of it.

Doug

 

Doug,

What size charger are you using? If your battery is fully dead it could take days to bring it back up. I had two Battery Tender Jrs on mine and I let it sit for three days before they went green.

Just an FYI...

 

I'm using a solid state charger from Griot's Garage that usually takes a couple of hours to fully charge a dead battery. So far, I haven't gone the trickle charger route but that might be my next step.

Doug

 

Doug,
Once charged, it would be worth using a battery tester (I have the digital one from Griot's) to ensure the battery is still healthy. It only takes a time or two of complete discharged to greatly reduce the capacity of a battery. If you remove that right side engine side cover, you can take the car to most any autoparts store and they can connect their tester up to those terminals and test it.

If the battery is more than 4 years old, I would just get a new one. Group 34R or 34 should work fine. I use the Sears Platinum AGM battery...about $200 but top rated.

Oh, and definitely get a battery tender from Griot's and use it religiously. You can plug it in through the cigarette lighter, no problem...and Griot's includes the cigarette adapter now.

 

Thanks, Hugh, for the good advice! I am going to put in a new battery and will also have some leads or a pigtail added that will permit easy access for testing and/or trickle charging.

Doug

 

Easiest way to charge with a battery tender is through the cigarette lighter. It also ensures you do not drive off connected, since the cord will run across the seat. Don't worry about closing the door on the cord, the thick door seals will easily form around it, and not create any issues.

Also, the pig tail is not very useful to use for battery testing, other than to check voltage, since most testers have heavy cables that need to be directly connected either to the battery or the posts in the engine compartment. You would melt the pig tail wires trying to perform a "load test" through them.

If you decide you still want to use the pig tail. You can attach it to the battery and run it vertical, up through the small hatch on the right side of the front trunk. Or, you can attach it to the terminals in the engine compartment. Your choice, but either will then require the hood or engine lid to remain open.

 

The engine lid closes easily with room to spare on the power lead to the battery tender. I've had it that way for ten years now, only forgot it once, all it did was pull the tender cord out of the extension cord (embarrassed smiley here)

 

Dave and Hugh - Thanks for the additional and helpful info. I think I am now "good to go"

Doug