Another flat battery

My 575 came back from its annual service 2 weeks ago and my wife put in in the garage. I am currently travelling so I asked her to simply turn it off and leave it. She wanted to use it yesterday but she rang to say that she opened the car but noticed the fuel pumps didn't buzz. When she put the key in the ignition and tried to start it, it was a flat as a pancake.

The battery is only 2 months old. The old battery was on trickle charge (Ferrari unit) and failed during the charging cycle - it just would not retain a charge so I bought a new one.

I am interested to know how long a Ferrari can stand before before it flattens it's battery!

I told her to disconnect the battery using the rotary swtich just in case the car pulls all the life from the battery...but is this the right move or should she have left it connected.

I am not back for another 2 weeks and I am worried the battery will be useless when I get back

 

Has nothing to do with the car being "a Ferrari."

It sounds likely that something is draining the battery.

 

also, there isn't much problem with the disconnect switch if you follow the proper way to re-start the car. I once started mine after dialing it off, and had a few 'issues' until the car found its way again.

 

That is not normal at all. Both my non-daily drivers are on battery monitors all the time. There should be no need to shut down the battery. Something is doing a drain. Leave nothing on, not even a fuel hatch. Believe me an open fuel hatch will drain the battery.
The on-boards will drain you down in three-four weeks if you don't use the monitor. I go away for several weeks and don't drive in bad winter weather for as long as a month. No problem as long as I'm plugged in.

 

Damn women drivers I say, Damn women drivers

 

I turn my battery switch off after every drive. Ferrari dealer said no unusual drain detected upon my complaint, and further, the battery will go flat in 2-3 weeks and is 'normal'. I am using Optima against their recommendation.

 

My 575SA needed a new battery after about 2.5 years. I never switched the main battery isolator off during that time and initially lasted no problem over 4 weeks. Then it very quickly went downhill and could not hold charge more than a few days...then a few hours.
Now, I switch the cut-off every time I leave it for more than a week. So far no problem.
PAUL

 

i turn off the battery after every drive in the 512tr and the 512 bbi. never have an issue and the battery lasts for years.

i never turn the battery off in the 456 since i use it most days, and it is a pain with the window etc. BUT the one time i did try it before a trip, it all worked fine. so, i leave the 456 many times for weeks without running it, and it starts right up. sounds like you have another issue, something shorting your battery

 

That just isn't what my dealer said.. my battery is brand new Optima, and they found no unusual current draw, so I don't know what to say.

 

I had a couple problems early on in my ownership--glovebox light stayed on, draining battery, and stereo stayed on while car was off. Fixed those issues and can leave car for a month, no problem.

 

My 550 can easily stand for a couple of weeks without any issue.


Onno

 

My 456 can sit for a month and the battery is just fine, no problems. I did have a problem a while back where the battery would drain in a couple of days - problem traced to a sticky microswitch that kept a door lock motor energised. Easy fix.

The 456 WSM gives a procedure for checking and allowable amounts of battery drain, about 30 mA max, if I remember. There may be a corresponding procedure for the 575?

It doesn't sit for a month very often - I enjoy driving it too much!

 

The 575M WSM says to check absorbtion by disconnecting the battery switch and then connecting an absorbtion meter between the positive cable and battery. Charge the battery at the following intervals depending on what absorbtion you measure:

>40 mA 25 days
40-60 mA 20 days
60-80 mA 15 days
80-100 mA 10 days

Seems to me if you measure absorbtion and it is in the 60-100 mA range, you should be looking for a leak of some sort. My 575M holds a charge for at least 2-3 weeks, but normally if it will not be driven that long, I put a battery tender on it.

Taz
Terry Phillips