458 - Relocating the 458 Battery Tender Plugin Location? | FerrariChat
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458 Relocating the 458 Battery Tender Plugin Location?

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by Rexcat458, Jun 5, 2020.

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  1. Rexcat458

    Rexcat458 Formula Junior

    Dec 11, 2019
    609
    Full Name:
    Steve
    #1 Rexcat458, Jun 5, 2020
    Hello,

    In a previous message, I mentioned that getting the battery tender wire in the proper location (per manual and other members help) through the door on my 458 was problematic.

    I spent time this afternoon working on it again and I was finally able to get it into the lower gap between the passenger door and the right front (rear portion) wing.

    However, the sliding space is a wee bit tight and the wire drags across the lower door skin and the top of the lower door sill before it gets to the area where is can slide back and forth easily. I think over time, this would wear the paint in this area, especially with any road grime on the contact surfaces.

    This begs the question can the plugin be relocated to an easier to access location like inside the frunk, or maybe somewhere tethered in the front bumper area?

    I had been putting the window all the way down (to prevent seal compression damage) to plug in the tender, but I think over time and with lots of charging cycles this may result in excessive wear in the window regulator motor/operating mechanism, resulting in a shed load of £‘s to repair.

    If relocating the plugin is contraindicated, is the next best thing just getting a lithium ion battery like the Anti-Gravity or similar? I use the tender regularly, but do not want to induce damage to the door/sill from completing this necessary after drive shutdown protocol.

    P.S. The current Ferrari battery is only five months old...

    Thanks for any assistance!

    Cheers!
     
  2. RayJohns

    RayJohns F1 Veteran
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    May 21, 2006
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    #2 RayJohns, Jun 6, 2020
    Braille i48CS and never have to use a tender again...

    Ray
     
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  3. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie

    Nov 3, 2003
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    Morrie
    #3 Carnut, Jun 6, 2020
    I have changed my tender to an Noco (I only use their tenders on my car) genius, and they make extension cables that should make it easy to move the location of the plug in. I have no issue with where mine is but if you have never taken things in cars apart I'd have someone that has do it.
     
  4. Graz

    Graz Formula 3

    Oct 15, 2012
    2,329
    New Jersey and Florida
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    Graziano
    #4 Graz, Jun 6, 2020
    Steve, I think you should leave it as is. Wire “crimping” has never been an issue on the 458 (I’m on my 2nd one). The rubber seal on the bottom of the door prevents wire damage. Just drive the car more and you won’t have to worry about it ;)
     
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  5. Rory breaker

    Rory breaker Formula Junior

    Apr 17, 2017
    270
    #5 Rory breaker, Jun 6, 2020
    agree. I see these posts here and always question what the issue is. I plug in, shut the door, walk away. No crimping issues at all.
    Now, is it a stupid place for the tender plug in? Yes. 488 got it much better with the rear plug in. But I have no issues with crimping or worrying about shutting the door on the wire at all.
     
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  6. Need4Spd

    Need4Spd F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2007
    6,678
    Silicon Valley
    #6 Need4Spd, Jun 6, 2020
    +1 on just shutting the door on the cable. It’s not very thick, and it’s not like you drive in heavy rain or deep pools of water very often where a slight imperfection in the bottom door seal will be a problem.


    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     
  7. TUTTSF

    TUTTSF Karting

    Sep 21, 2018
    166
    So. Cal
    #7 TUTTSF, Jun 6, 2020
    Ray is like a shark to blood when he see's battery anywhere in the title =) made me laugh. Still must be getting a kickback from Braille j/k
     
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  8. RayJohns

    RayJohns F1 Veteran
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    #8 RayJohns, Jun 6, 2020
    Lol :) I probably should be getting a kick back, given the amount of PR I give them.

    The main reason I chime in all the time is because swapping over to a Lithium Ion battery is one of the single best things I ever did on my 458. Not having to use that stupid battery tender is such a breath of fresh air and makes 458 ownership such a joy. There's nothing worse than going some place and then coming back to the car and having an unnerving feeling in the pit of your stomach and then "hoping this thing cranks over when I push the start button".

    But yeah, it doesn't matter to me if someone buys Braille or Antigravity or makes their own DIY battery. The only reason I always mention the i48CS is because that's the one I have first hand experience with.

    Ray
     
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  9. SVCalifornia

    SVCalifornia F1 Rookie
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    #9 SVCalifornia, Jun 6, 2020
    Not sure who posted the discharge curves for LA vs Lithium w the threshold point but they showed exactly why the LA batteries would fail quickly.

    I don’t have a Lithium battery yet but the flat discharge curve proves why it would be preferable! I’m still wondering why Ferrari would ever engineer the system they have with a threshold set so high virtually every customer would run into it! And why the trickle current is way too high as well...

    SV


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
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  10. MalibuGuy

    MalibuGuy F1 Veteran

    Sep 18, 2007
    5,888
    #10 MalibuGuy, Jun 6, 2020
    Take the advice from RayJohns
    Buy a Braille!
    Cheapest way to kill several birds
    Best battery solution!
    No worrying about trickle charging !
    Cheapest way to lose weight too!
     
  11. Rexcat458

    Rexcat458 Formula Junior

    Dec 11, 2019
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    #11 Rexcat458, Jun 7, 2020
    Thanks Ray,

    I plan to switch to a Braille or Anti-Gravity battery when the new one gets knackered. Since it’s only five months old, I plan to wait a wee bit, then give it the old heave-ho.

    Until then, I’m married to the current Ferrari battery. Luckily, I did not have to pay for it, so I’m as happy as when I’m eating a scone with clotted cream. [emoji16]

    Cheers!
     
  12. Rexcat458

    Rexcat458 Formula Junior

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    #12 Rexcat458, Jun 7, 2020
    Thanks! I’ve extensive experience in working on cars, so no worries. Is there a specific model of the Noco tender that is best for the 458? Cheers!
     
  13. Rexcat458

    Rexcat458 Formula Junior

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    #13 Rexcat458, Jun 7, 2020
    Thanks for your assistance! My plan is to do just that, after the current new battery gets a wee bit older. Until then, I’m using the F-tender and trying to do that in the best way possible. Cheers!
     
  14. Rexcat458

    Rexcat458 Formula Junior

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    #14 Rexcat458, Jun 7, 2020
    Thanks! My concern stems from a bloke who mentioned that his passenger door sill developed wind noise in the tender wire closure area, after a few years of repeatedly closing the door (daily) on the tender wire. A fluke perhaps, but perhaps not especially if you regularly use the car. Cheers!
     
  15. Rexcat458

    Rexcat458 Formula Junior

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    #15 Rexcat458, Jun 7, 2020
    Cheers and thanks for the reassurance. I just don’t want to develop bad practices that result in “Homer Simpson” like Doh’s! [emoji50]
     
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  16. Borrow’d Mine

    Borrow’d Mine Formula Junior
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    #16 Borrow’d Mine, Jun 7, 2020
    Interesting thread. Does switching to Lithium ion require anything “special” and is a DIY battery change complicated/recommended?


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     
  17. TUTTSF

    TUTTSF Karting

    Sep 21, 2018
    166
    So. Cal
    #17 TUTTSF, Jun 7, 2020
    Pretty straight forward. The hardest part will be getting the old battery out as it's pretty heavy.

    Ray has a video on you tube showing how to do it,

     
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