Battery Replacement for 2013 California

I had similar intermittent issues early on, replaced with an Odyssey (don't know specific model) and a new CTEK 7002 tender, and everything has been tip top since then. Knock on wood!
Does your Cali have HELE? My Cali has HELE, so it needed an AGM battery.
Had the dealer install.
T

 

Do not use a battery of the wrong physical size, regardless of its technical specifications. If the battery doesn't physically fit, it can vibrate or shift when the car is in motion. Constant vibration can kill car batteries. There are reasons why Ferrari didn't say "go enough" and spec a physically smaller battery.

Battery sizing is stated under different codes depending on the geographical location of the market. In NA, our battery industry here uses BCI codes but for the ease of car owners, suppliers will cross-reference to European codes to match up an equivalent battery because many cars in NA are made in the EU using EU specifications.

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The correct NA size for the Cali is BCI size code 49. This is equivalent to the European DIN codes H8 or L5. Any of the 3 will specify the correct physical size. After matching the physical size you need to AT LEAST MATCH or EXCEED the performance requirements of the factory specifications (or OE battery) - NEVER use a battery of lower spec. as you may even damage the electrical components if the battery supplies too low a voltage. 770 CCA is way too low, we need at least 850 CCA. Some service garages are clueless about batteries (they are not battery shops) and will sell you anything that seems to look "OK".

Currently in NA, Interstate offers 2 car batteries in the 49/H8 size, the AGM battery MTX-49/H8 (900 CCA) and the standard lead-acid MTP-49/H8 (730 CCA). As I said, we need at least 850 CCA because our cars contain a lot of electronics (especially because our cars may be used in cold Winters, with radar detectors, upgraded audio,...etc.). So the most common Interstate replacement batteries for the Cali is the more expensive, Interstate MTX-49/H8, even though AGM batteries were previously only used on Ferraris with HELE (stop/start). Otherwise Interstate cannot supply a non-AGM BCI 49 battery with sufficient CCA capacity for the Cali.

Ferraris sit at the top with regard to battery capacity requirements.

BTW, the 14.4V test reading you got with the car running is MEANINGLESS - you were reading the charge voltage FROM THE ALTERNATOR, not the BATTERY. You can only test the battery WITHOUT the alternator running. If you test with the engine running you are then testing the alternator voltage - and it changes depending on ambient temperature... "a bit of knowledge is sometimes a dangerous thing".

To get a proper reading, the battery must also be tested UNDER LOAD. There are ways to do that but those exercises are ALSO USELESS IN MODERN FERRARIs. I have been telling people on FChat many times that our cars' electronics draw power from the batteries even when the ignition is off and this prevents correct battery test readings with ANY CHARGER except the special EXP-899 tester that is custom-made for Ferrari (see photo below).

The EXP-899 compensates for the attached electronics - I have verified this on several occasions comparing my EXP-800 readings with my dealer's EXP-899. I have to apply a conversion factor to account for differences in readings. EXP testers are very expensive.

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So your 14.4V reading is not valid. Aside from what I said above, your battery may also suffer from a "surface charge" phenomenon whereby only the "skin" of the battery plates get charged. A simple voltage test will then show a high voltage but the battery actually has NO CAPACITY so it cannot start the car or can only start it once or twice before it strands you.

 

Excellent post! This info will be useful to many of us later!

 

Some very good info. Thanks for posting.

Another holy grail pursuit many undertake is seeking to answer the question: "what is the best battery brand?"

Consumer Reports test batteries every year for each BCI group covering most brands and types and ranks them in order of performance for a number of tests. Useful information, however, be aware of one caveat if using the CR results for evaluating one brand against another. Use only the most recent CR test results and not one from a few years ago. Here is why. CR has commented that there are only a few factories that actually perform the basic manufacturing for all the battery brands according to the specs they are given. And battery brands frequently switch their manufacturing supplier from year to year. Thus, a brand that scored tops in a particular BCI group could score last in a following year if the supplier has been switched or the specs changed. Similarly, brands may use different manufacturers for different BCI groups. This is why a particular brand may be best in one group yet last in another group. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Sorry I was a little rushed, very busy today.

 

I used to read CR many years ago but I find them "too pedestrian" and inconsistent from personal experience. It's better to contact actual owners or the factory instead and to check the Internet to compare experiences. Normally factory tech support will be very frank with you because they are not sales staff, more interested in technology and also want to avoid customer complaints.

FYI, I was informed the Interstate MTX-49/H8 is made in Germany as are most other AGM batteries, because while this may change in the future there are currently, very few AGM battery makers in the world. Most batteries, as you noted, are re-branded.

 

This summer I followed the advice from 4th_gear, and upgraded my battery to the Interstate MTX-49/H8, as well as upgraded the tender to a CTEK MXS 5.0. Best upgrade for reliability that I've made to the car.

 

Yes, you did state you were checking the alternator, sorry Patrick, my bad.

I think if you complain and explain the issues to your dealer, they will replace the incorrect battery. Mine immediately did, with the 900 CCA Interstate AGM battery, covered under warranty. They were also very good about checking it and spending time with me to go over my questions when I requested. My battery is now 4 years old and still working fine.

No dealer should unilaterally reduce factory specifications because that can really screw up other systems in the car (and an under-spec battery clearly has, all the time, to the detriment of Ferrari's factory reputation) and the 850 CCA *IS* part of factory specifications - it's very clearly-stated in the owners' manual.

 

Yes. Snowflake mode for AGM battery...T