OK I have several questions and would appreciate any help I can get. If you have a good battery, how long can you leave your ferrari with the battery switch ON before the battery is going to need to be recharged? If you leave the car for over a week do you turn the battery switch OFF? If you leave the car for over a week do you turn the battery tender on so the battery is being charged? I am trying to get the answers so I dont run into a situation where the battery is dead. I left the car for 2 weeks with the battery switch on and not charging the battery and the battery did not have enough juice to even turn anything on. Have connected the battery tender and after 30 minutes the lights come on fine. I am sure that leving the car with the battery switch on caused the battery to discharge. What do most owners do when they leave the car for awhile. I just want to do whatever is right to keep the battery up. Thank you for your suggestions. Mel
With a good battery: I left my car for 4 weeks, switch on, and she tried to turn over, but didn't catch. A couple hours on a charger & she was fine. I guess she just got cranky Do I turn off the switch for more than a week idle? No. But since the draining episode above, I've taken to using the Ferrari trickle charger for periods of more than a few weeks (ie during winter)
Completely draining a car battery is really hard on it. For my 355, if it is for a week or more, I plug in the tender. More than a week or so, I shut the disconnect off and plug in the tender. Why? Dunno. I just do it that way. Have for years on my other fun cars and have never had a problem....so....
I use my car once every 2 weeks to once a month ... I know, I need to drive it more. I always have it on a tender. My battery switch is always ON (unless I'm working on something electrical on the car). I've done this for several years on my former 355 and also on my 430 and it works for me.
How old is your battery? My 355 never gets more than 3 years on an Optima Red Top battery before it goes bad. Also, if the car is not in a climate controlled garage, the cold winter temperatures will suck the life out of them too. Attaching a trickle charger is the best solution when you won't be starting or driving the car.
I am going to ditch that giant chunk of lead and install an Odyssey battery like I have in my plane and Lotus, it weighs allot less and when you turn off the battery switch it can sit for months and not loose much at all.
"Ignition off draw" can be measured and will tell how long it will take to drain the battery. If it's going to be left longer, such as winter for monthis at a time, a tender is appropriate. Hang-on stuff like alarms and stereos create more. Stock, the car has very very little IOD. If you need a tender to keep the battery up for a short period such as two weeks, something's wrong that a tender only masks.
I purchased a Optima yellow top last yr but I always have it on a battery tender, the last battery lasted 5yrs.
battery usage is random on 355s. i had a theory once that the 95s held better than 96+ which have obd2. i usually turn the battery off from under the hood. i never use a tender for the 355. for the 430 i use the tender as there are alot of electronics that matter.
I finally got away from the yellow top batteries. In the past, I thought because they cost more, they had to be better. To the contrary, I was told by a seasoned mechanic to go back to a non gel Interstate battery and since then all of the reliability issues went away. Also, for the owners that insist on a gel type of battery and monitor with a battery tender, be sure your tender is designed for a gel battery. It makes a big difference! I use only the Interstate tenders and they manufacture a specific model for the gel type batteries.
Been through the same learning curve when I purchased my 348 a few years ago.A couple of weeks sitting idle and the battery was dead.After removing the battery and re-charging it I noticed a "clicking" of a relay when I was re connecting the battery terminal. I can't say what relay is making when the battery is connected but it would certainly create the parasitic load that seems common in these cars.I always plug in a battery tender when car is not in use and have no problems since.
Dont waste your money on an expensive battery...been there done that. An interstate battery with a battery tender will last 6 years plus. The more ofter your battery goes dead the less you can revive it. Once the battery is left without a tender for 3 weeks it dies, you dont have many months left.
Just an observation 2 weeks no problem with switch on. Switch off 6 and a half months no problem. Inside garage in California. Same battery 6 years so far.
