Is the stock battery tender good enough? | FerrariChat
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Is the stock battery tender good enough?

Discussion in 'FF/Lusso' started by robstand, Oct 11, 2023.

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  1. robstand

    robstand Karting
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    May 13, 2019
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    Robert S.
    #1 robstand, Oct 11, 2023
    I had a '15 California T and the general consensus was the Ferrari-branded battery tender was garbage, and a CTEK charger was a must. Is that true for the GTC4Lusso? I'm using the stock tender with my 2018 and I haven't had any issues, but Winter is Coming and I want to be prepared to not have to replace the battery in Spring.
     
  2. Elferink

    Elferink Karting

    May 16, 2018
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    Mark Elferink
    #2 Elferink, Oct 11, 2023
    I don't know which battery tender comes with the GTC4Lusso, but with the FF the Ferrari-branded battery tender is a CTEK charger, but with a Ferrari sticker.
     
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  3. robstand

    robstand Karting
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    #3 robstand, Oct 12, 2023
    Yes, but the issue is whether it is powerful enough. Given that I don't see threads about it in this forum, I'm going to assume "yes."
     
  4. gilly6993

    gilly6993 F1 Rookie

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    #4 gilly6993, Oct 12, 2023
    The Lusso tender works just fine. I left my lights on overnight and car wouldn’t start. Put on the tender and it charged the battery enough to get things going again…..


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  5. Elferink

    Elferink Karting

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    #5 Elferink, Oct 12, 2023
    The tender has worked fine for the FF so far, so in my experience it is powerful enough.
     
  6. Caeruleus11

    Caeruleus11 F1 World Champ
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    #6 Caeruleus11, Oct 12, 2023
    Yes, it's good enough. And that should be the end of it. But, the tender is sensitive to surges/ brownouts. The bigger Ctek, the 7002 model, handles these better. I also have taken to using a computer UPS (uninterrupted power supply) for this era of Ferrari tender, because the power comes off the battery, its always smooth, and the tender really doesn't need much power. I started this with the Pista as they dont make an upgraded big brother type model. So far so good. Note, you can't do this with the newer plug in hybrid tenders- those must be plugged directly into your wall outlet- per Ferrari's literature.
     
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  7. Nospinzone

    Nospinzone F1 Veteran

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    #7 Nospinzone, Oct 12, 2023
    The Ferrari branded CTEK works fine for my 612. When I bought my FF it came with the wrong socket (fits my 612). So I bought the CTEK 7002. I like it because it offers other functions not available on the basic tender.

    That's an interesting idea to use a UPS. A number of years ago the power went out to the tender on my 612. If the tender is not getting ac power, it actually drains the battery. By the time I realized the tender wasn't getting power, the battery was dead. And BTW, the tender won't charge a dead battery, but the 7002 will.
     
  8. 350MH83

    350MH83 Formula 3

    Jul 11, 2014
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    #8 350MH83, Oct 13, 2023
    This is a battery tender, not a battery charger. As such, yes, it is definitely powerful enough, as power has very little to do with its function. The real issue is the battery and parasitic draw.
     
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  9. andyrichter

    andyrichter Karting
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    #9 andyrichter, Oct 13, 2023
    I highly suggest you install a battery monitor. That is the best way to know if the factory CTEK is sufficient and watch if any future issues are battery, alternator, or factory CTEK related. I was about to switch all off my tenders to CTEK based on forum suggestions. After installing monitors on all batteries, it turns out the factory ones were sufficient and that I didn’t even need to keep the vehicles on tenders as often as I was, based on my driving frequency. Good luck


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