Charging battery | FerrariChat

Charging battery

Discussion in '360/430' started by CrazyDream, Aug 15, 2018.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. CrazyDream

    CrazyDream Rookie

    Dec 10, 2017
    48
    Hi everyone - just picked up a beautiful 2003 F360 and am completely in love !! Quick question - can you use a battery trickle charger to keep the battery charged through the cigarette lighter or will it not work because the power to the lighter cuts off when you turn off the car ?? For now I am just killing the power with the kill switch but that obviously resets all the radio settings, clock etc and also not sure whether it’s ok to do this so often. Any thoughts ?? Thanks everyone !!


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     
  2. Skidkid

    Skidkid F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 25, 2005
    8,683
    Campbell, CA
    Full Name:
    John Zornes
    It should hold for up to about 4 weeks, 2 weeks minimum. If you are running less than that you have some other issue and need to track down the drain on the system. If you drive it once per month I would just use a trickle charger. Cutting the power is for service and long term storage, think winter. The startup from power off requires a startup procedure. Then you have a drive cycle to get the monitors set AND if there were any stored codes in the ECUs you erased them so it makes it difficult/impossible to diagnose problems.

    The cigarette lighter stays hot and I believe a few on the board use a trickle charger there. You can also attach directly to the battery in the passenger footwell OR behind the driver's seat under the panel there is obvious connect spots so the cable is right there when you open the door. I have a connection behind the driver's seat.
     
    Walt Gamble likes this.
  3. CrazyDream

    CrazyDream Rookie

    Dec 10, 2017
    48
    Thanks for the info - I just checked and the cigarette lighter in mine doesn’t stay hot. The charger doesn’t seem to activate when I put it in the socket. Not sure what the issue might be.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     
  4. Skidkid

    Skidkid F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 25, 2005
    8,683
    Campbell, CA
    Full Name:
    John Zornes
    There is a fuse for the lighter and my phone charger blew it in the past. They may have changed it in the later cars so that it is switched but I didn't think so. Then again, I am no expert on the lighter since I never use it.
     
  5. shad99

    shad99 Formula Junior

    Dec 12, 2013
    300
    Japatul Valley, CA
    Full Name:
    Andy
    The lighter fuse is 15 amps, however the owner's manual admonishes against using it as a power source. I have my tender connected directly to the battery with access in the passenger foot well and fuse protected. I also carry a tire air pump which uses the same connector (SAE) as the tender. Tender is a Granite. which I highly recommend.
     
    billy.gif likes this.
  6. Walt Gamble

    Walt Gamble Formula Junior

    May 22, 2014
    425
    Go with skidkids advice.. the. Battery lugs are equipped to make the connection...10 minutes tops...ps count on replacing the battery every 4 years. All sorts of weird stuff happens as the battery fades...search my threads for the details...


    Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk
     
  7. Zcobra1

    Zcobra1 Formula 3

    Oct 9, 2012
    1,247
    So Cal
    Full Name:
    Bert
    Yes replace battery even if it shows good voltage. Just replaced my 5 year old Diehard at it was showing a healthy 12.79 volts after being on the battery tender, and removing the surface charge, but......only 396 cca, while it is rated at over 715 cca, so half the humph is gone...
    Replaced with a Bosch AGM from Pep boys, after charging showed almost 900 cca's. Great price too....
     
    Walt Gamble likes this.
  8. RedNeck

    RedNeck F1 Veteran
    BANNED Silver Subscribed

    Jul 8, 2016
    9,875
    The CSA
    Full Name:
    Me
    I'll tell ya, even if the battery holds for a couple weeks, the car freaks out. just keep it on a tender and save headaches. When I first got mine I let it go for a couple weeks thinking "it'll be ok" but I was met with a Christmas tree of error lights. Charged it...fixed everything.
     
  9. Walt Gamble

    Walt Gamble Formula Junior

    May 22, 2014
    425
    Zcobra1 is giving us the technical explanation...heed it...even if the battery tests 12v...it tells you nothing about the capacity, expressed in cca's, that's amperage. You don't want to experience the "Christmas tree" lighting show on your dashboard...200 miles from anywhere. Out there getting a jump is going to do more harm than good!
    Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk
     
  10. CrazyDream

    CrazyDream Rookie

    Dec 10, 2017
    48
    Hey friends - me again - quick update ... hardwired the pig tail of the battery tender directly on the battery behind the passenger floor panel - it is discreet and works like a charm ... thanks for all the info ! Ciao


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     

Share This Page