first post and storage question

I have a 2011 458 and a 2012 California. I live just outside Chicago so both cars have been in storage for some time. Prior to these two cars I had a 2009 430 spider. The dealer has told me the same thing each winter:

1. Always keep the trickle charge on.
2. Cover the car with the cover the car came with.
3. Fills the tires a couple of pounds over the required amount or put Nitogen in the tires (that is what I do)
4. If you plan on driving the car during the winter, drive it for at least 30 minutes so all the fluids can get warmed up (Once I store the car I don't drive until the spring)

Each spring when I take the cover off and the trickle charger, the cars start right up with no issues at all.

Hope this helps and happy new year.

 

This is all good stuff. A couple of additions:
1. Three weeks is on the edge of how long it should take to run the battery voltage below the level needed to kick the starter motor. Others have gone longer. You may want to have the battery tested to see how much drainage current it is losing in the car -- i.e., how well it holds a charge.
3. If your garage is not heated, dropping temps alone will reduce the pressure. A drop of 12 deg C will cause a read of 2 psi down. The same amount of air is in there. Any normal slow leak adds to that.
4. Always get the oil temp up to the operating range. That is the gauge to watch.

 

I really like how you mounted the front license plates, how did you do that?

 

Great car!

I've stored a F430 and now a 458 Italia. The procedure is easy:

1. Fill Tank.
2. Add fuel stabilizer.
3. Clean and detail car.
4. Plug car into tender.
5. Cover with OEM cover.
6. Start counting down the days.

 

I have done as others have posted here. In addition, I pump the tires up to 50 psi so they do not flat spot.

 

Beautiful 458. I would add that even with the tickle charger, having alarm on can still cause a drain so I leave it off.

 

I have 15 cars that I store and drive. This is the best list on "to does" I have seen. This is what I do and I have not had a problem.

The 458 has battery draw because of the cars electrical design. About 7 days for the battery to go dead is what the dealer told me. I keep the car on charger all of the time.

I also owned a 360 and a 430 in the day and those cars do not need constant battery charging.

I do keep all of my other cars on charger when not in use. I use a "Battery Tender" brand and have had good luck with these. If the car comes with its own charger I of course use the one that came with the car.

I schedule which car I will drive for the week using an "Excell spredsheet" . I also use the spreadsheet to keep track of oil changes, tire pressure and when I last changed the battery.

Most batteries will last 3 years. I seem to have better luck with the european cars with 5 years the normal life.

The one exception is the Odessey battery which has different chemistry. I had one in a kit Cobra with a very high compression ratio. The Odessey batteriers have very high cranking amps. They will last for 12 months without charging and will still turn over a car. They need a special Battery tender so if you need one it is best to cal the company and talk to engineering. My battery lasted 11 years in that car.

The one exception is the Turbo Porsche. I never plug that car into a charger and it can sit for two even three months. It always starts. I think the car puts the electrical system to sleep so it is ready to start the car when the owner needs it. But I do not know.

Good luck

Lee

 

In addition to the above I also do the following:

1. Put spacers under the windshield wipers to take the pressure off them.
2. Put some steel wool in the exhausts to keep critters out. If you are use a car cover that goes over the exhaust this is probably overkill.

Can't wait til Spring.

 

Thanks. This close up from the site gives more detail on the 458 http://chairpilotproducts.com/index.php/shop-online#!/~/product/category=2136970&id=9333573

 

I have a plateclip from chairpilotproducts and it is very well made.

 

I have PlateClip for my FF, and I decline to utilize it since the esthetics are 'awkward' at best. It slips on blade of grill but sticks out 1.5" from body of car rather than being snug like a normal license plate holder. It's a 5-second install as others have said (but this also makes it an easy target for thieves or vandals). It's difficult to tell the offset when looking at photos. I have the V2s model for FF. I ended up just putting my front license plate on dash when I park on street or public lot. I'm sorry that I spent $200 for plate clip. I have yet to have an annoyance ticket for license plate not being at front bumper.

Dave

 

$200 seems more than bit steep for a $50 item. I like travellingbear's MO.

 

I'm sure that's the case with the FF but the way it attaches to the front winglet of the 458, the esthetics are fine.

 

The V4 model PlateClip was designed for the 458 model (hence a more 'proper' fit), while the V2s (used by FF and multiple other F-cars) is a 'generic grill mount' style so the FF gets the 'one-size-fits-all' approach while 458 got tailor made product. Doesn't seem fair.