Battery Tender

Reality is that the tender must be used as soon as the car is stored - unless it is driven daily.
Not doing it is not fatal, it just kills the battery very quickly.

 

To quote the manual:

Constant use of the specific battery conditioner provided by Ferrari
ensures that the original battery installed in the vehicle is kept charged
correctly and in working order.

 

So a tender is required daily even if the car is taken out every week? Is this a constant requirement throughout all eras of cars or only the newer ones?

Isn't there a battery cut off switch?

 

Ferrari suppressed the cut-off switch some years ago (after the F430 and 599 - the 458 apparently has a switch, but its use is reserved for Ferrari assistance network (!!) according to the owners manual).

 

My 328 didn’t need this, but the only always-on electric was the clock.

I drove it weekly.



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The batteries in these cars are garbage. A week parked without the tender can leave the car in an unstartable position. I had this happen to my a couple of weeks ago and had to charge the battery before I could start it up. My first battery ate it last year after about 2 years!

So yes I plug the car in unless I am literally planning on driving every day.

 

Wait, these cars can't go more than a couple days off a battery tender? I don't leave my Porsches off the tender for more than 4-5 days, but Ferraris can't stand more than a day or two off the tender?

 

Yeh hard to believe but true
Maybe the newer models are better

 

My 911 is fine after 3-4 weeks, no tender. But the battery is new and I don’t lock it/alarm in the garage.



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When my Portofino is parked,I attach the tender every other day. It takes an hour or less to be fully charged. My original battery is doing fine after three years.

Try to have a fully charged battery when starting to avoid problems. If that is not practical,spend $2000 for a Braille lithium battery (which should be standard or at least optional). That will be my next battery.

 

It is not only a Ferrari thing. It's an all modern cars issue. Modern vehicles have a plethora of microprocessors that never truly turn off with the key. Battery "maintainers" should be used on any vehicle not regularly driven.

 

If you buy a car and it has a built-in battery tender port, you should plan to plug in the tender when you are not driving the car.

 

True battery maintainer/conditioners (CTEK and others) also help to ensure that batteries last a long time. I have had several go 12-15 years...

 

My 355 has a switch- Never had an issue-

458 will go dead in two weeks or less if alarm is set- Where I store my cars does not have power so before I got my Antigravity battery I would just take a portable power unit with a 4amp Battery Tender and top it off weekly if I was unable to drive it due to weather or travel. The factory tender/charger worked fine but slow to actually charge- fine for floating. So just used the Battery Tender which was much faster and still 4-stage.

Newer factory tenders are much better- But yes- any time you are not driving it and at home or whatever just plug it in- keeps the battery topped off and healthy and even a low battery can cause all sorts of issues with modem Ferrsris.

Or just have an Antigravity installed and call it a day

Cheers

 

Yup! That said my 2018 GT3 Touring has a built in "battery saver" that kicks in if the car has not been driven- warns you it was enabled when you start the car and that you need to drive "an extended distance"- I just keep it topped off with a Battery Tender since it does not have a factory port like the 458 does- Never had an issue.

Cheers

 

I have both Porsches on battery tenders, but will often park at the airport for 4 or 5 day trips, naturally without power. Haven't ever had a problem. Sounds like late model Ferraris are more sensitive to less-than-perfectly-tended batteries?

 

Definitely- First, Porsche factory batteries are better and second, the electrical systems management seems to be more "battery friendly"- But credit to Ferrari for realizing this and providing factory-fitted and fairly high quality battery chargers/tenders/conditioners with the cars and sexy plug-ins. I think their rationale is that most people that own newer Ferraris don't leave them at airports or store them in places without power- you obviously are the former and I'm the latter but we are a small percentage I imagine

 

I do place my cars on battery tenders, some need it more than others depending on age of vehicles and brand...

More of a question than comment here...does anyone know if battery tenders have any ill effects on agm batteries?

 

The CTEK 7002 has a snowflake program on it. I believe it is for batteries kept in non heated spaces but also for the higher charging requirements an AGM battery need. My AGM has been in my 488 for about two years to the date and on a 7002 set for the AGM battery and it’s been flawless. The car is always on a tender when it’s not driven.

For the Porsche guys… Is a Porsche like a Mercedes in that it has a battery for starting only and a second battery for the cars ancillary’s? I wouldn’t be shocked to see Ferrari take a similar approach to their cars in the future.

 

Thanks ssgshark_, it seems like every time there is a "new" tech/product, such as gel batteries, something new with maintenance is attached to them.

I may be able to answer your porsche and mercedes q, although bear in mind my porsche was pretty old 2002. But that porsche only had one battery. My 2007 cl600 has 2 batteries, and it seems that system works really well against drainage, of course the negative is added weight, I believe my ancillary is an H7...very large and very heavy in the trunk

 

It’s weird and random. The cars that gave Ferrari the reputation for me were bullet proof battery wise
My 16m with factory battery can sit for weeks. No issue.
360 was impervious to sitting. Never put a tender with interstate battery I think.
My 430 Had a tender which prior owner installed. Lived On the charger Unless driven on consecutive days. .
My FF died in days and no dejan could be found so it lived on the tender
Replaced the battery frequently under warranty after the second one.

Lusso goes a week but not weeks or theirs hell to
Pay.

F8 812 didn’t care about sitting and had no gremlins at all.

I have three tenders for four cars in my main garage. I keep the cars I’m not driving that day on the tenders and everyone is happy.


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I have all on tender all time. Just make it a habit.

 

The Boxer does not need a tender, at least for for 6-weeks.
My Gulia has sat for over 2 months with no issue.