yet another battery jump question | FerrariChat

yet another battery jump question

Discussion in '360/430' started by aslowdodge, Nov 25, 2019.

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  1. aslowdodge

    aslowdodge Karting

    Jun 5, 2004
    206
    Marietta, Georgia
    Reading the past threads have put a big fear of jumping my 430.
    It seems some say it's okay, some say it's not.
    I bought one of those smaller Type S brand lithium batteries that can recharge your usb devices and also jump your car. Are these ok or always recharge the battery or swap out a fully charged one. I'd hate to get stranded somewhere.
     
  2. delaney

    delaney Formula Junior

    Nov 8, 2003
    704
    St Petersburg, FL
    Full Name:
    PETER DELANEY
    There are mixed reports about jumping. The ‘surge’ to a flat battery can transfer to the cars electronics and nuke them. Sometimes this happens... sometimes it doesn’t. I wouldn’t take the chance... just keep the battery fresh with a tender...some folk replace every 3 years even if the battery shows no signs of failure.
     
  3. EastMemphis

    EastMemphis Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    May 25, 2019
    1,718
    Memphis, TN
    Full Name:
    John
    There's a difference in charging your battery and jump starting your car. There's a difference in jump starting your car with a battery and doing so with another car. The worst scenario is jump starting your car with cables from another running vehicle.

    Charging your battery first, then starting the car normally is the safest way to go. Second would be to start your car using a jumper battery. The voltage would be stable and spikes avoided. Using another car as a jumper can cause large swings in the voltage as the alternator tries to compensate for the large draw.

    Obviously, the best bet is to keep a good battery in the car and when it gets weak, toss it and get another.
     
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  4. aslowdodge

    aslowdodge Karting

    Jun 5, 2004
    206
    Marietta, Georgia
    Thanks guys. I keep my car on a tender all the time. I was just wondering in case I went on a drive and then accidentally left something on that drained the battery down.
    So as long as the battery isn’t completely dead, just not charged enough to crank a jump starter should be okay and much more preferable than taking a jump from a running vehicle.
     
  5. imahorse

    imahorse F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 25, 2017
    2,646
    WI
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    Dustin
    It's best to avoid jumping it. I had a friend with a F430 that kept dying. He kept jumping it. I kept telling him it would fry some stuff but oddly enough, to my amazement it never did. Meanwhile my 360 kept dying at the dealership (before I bought it) and they kept jumping it. I later found out my dashboard doesn't light up. Will it mess things up? Probably not. Is it worth the risk? I would say no.
     
  6. Gizzi

    Gizzi F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Dec 3, 2011
    5,182
    Brisbane, Australia
    Full Name:
    Gezim
    FFS just put a new battery in it.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  7. aslowdodge

    aslowdodge Karting

    Jun 5, 2004
    206
    Marietta, Georgia
    Do you drive carrying a new battery with you in the car?
     
  8. Skidkid

    Skidkid F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 25, 2005
    8,682
    Campbell, CA
    Full Name:
    John Zornes
    Does your battery fail that often?
     
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  9. Gizzi

    Gizzi F1 Veteran
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    Dec 3, 2011
    5,182
    Brisbane, Australia
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    Gezim
    You shouldn’t have to. If your battery is discharging that quickly, either it’s buggered, your alternator isn’t charging or you leave the ignition on with the headlights and fan running when you stop. I’m guessing it’s the first. It isn’t rocket science.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  10. Bob in Texas

    Bob in Texas F1 Rookie

    Apr 23, 2012
    2,665
    Just East of Weird
    Full Name:
    Bob
    While some folks seem to have gotten away with jump starting, others have had expensive damage as reported on this forum. To me it seems like a huge unnecessary risk. $1000 to fix an instrument cluster plus a new battery.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
     
  11. 24000rpm

    24000rpm F1 Rookie

    i have a question: if I
    1. put battery charger to the batter without disconnecting the battery connection to the car.
    2 will disconnect the charger before I start the car
    3. am not starting the car until I charge the battery in full.

    Is that ok?
     
  12. Skidkid

    Skidkid F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 25, 2005
    8,682
    Campbell, CA
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    John Zornes
    Generally, that should be fine. If it is a high power charger I would turn it on after connecting.
     
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  13. mike32

    mike32 F1 Veteran

    May 13, 2016
    5,828
    Isle of man- uk
    If you have a multi meter then connect it to the system and see what volts it drops to when you hit the starter, a good battery will hold about 10.5 volts if the battery is any good. A poor one will drop lower as it cannot deliver enough to maintain the volts when the start load goes on.
     
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  14. aslowdodge

    aslowdodge Karting

    Jun 5, 2004
    206
    Marietta, Georgia
    So far no, but if it happens I’m trying to prepare for it.
    I will ask again, do you carry an extra battery with you?
     
  15. Skidkid

    Skidkid F1 Veteran
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    Aug 25, 2005
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    John Zornes
    No and I had my 360 for over 12 years. You are trying to solve for the fractional issue.
     
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  16. aslowdodge

    aslowdodge Karting

    Jun 5, 2004
    206
    Marietta, Georgia
    By asking about an issue that others have brought up and seems to be one discussed quite a bit?
    I have never had issues with jumping any car I’ve owned and now as a new owner of a F430 I see lots of discussion about the dangers of jumping this particular car. I’ve had a few occasions of coming out and finding a car that I had to jump and never fried any electronics doing so. This is the first car that I’ve seen that might be sensitive to it so I’m trying to get an idea of what I can and can’t do. Just because you don’t find it a concern based on threads on this forum as well as a few responses here maybe it’s not as fractional as you think.
     
  17. Skidkid

    Skidkid F1 Veteran
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    Aug 25, 2005
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    There is a big jump between trying to understand and carrying around a spare battery 'just in case'. Sensitivity of the instrument panel and a few other parts to jump starting is well documented. Generally, don't do it. If you must, use a battery boost system not jumping from another vehicle and be sure to attach the points in the correct order. You are much more likely to get a flat tire than a flat battery so I wouldn't worry about this very much. After 12 years of ownership and DD driving my 360 for about 6 years I have more experience than most so I can tell you that it is definitely a fractional issue when out and about.

    You do see threads on here (quite often) where they let the car sit for long periods, not on a tender, and the battery is flat. Or, they battery has gone flat multiple times and is now marginal. But those happen in your garage/storage and not out and about driving so no need to jump the car from a running vehicle.

    Be sure to have the cable to your alternator checked regularly when you get service. They get a lot of heat and can fail. THAT could cause an apparent battery issue when out and about. This to is not an issue if you have a knowledgeable mechanic helping to maintain your car because they will check it as matter of course.
     
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  18. George Vosburgh

    George Vosburgh F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    I'm not that familiar with the 360s and the 430s but on my 599 there is a plug between the pigtail and the battery. After learning the hard way, I discovered the plastic plug was intermittent. So we took the plug out and wired the pigtail directly to the battery. No more problems.
     
  19. Fixjets777

    Fixjets777 Karting

    Oct 16, 2016
    96
    Treasure Coast, Florida
    Full Name:
    Jeff
  20. BOKE

    BOKE Beaks' Gun Rabbi
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jul 13, 2009
    33,965
    600 East Fremont Street
    Full Name:
    Lucky
    If your battery is over two years old toss it and get a new Interstate. In two years, lather, rinse, repeat. It is a friggin' cheap battery in a 15-year-old car.

    Jump it with the buzz box at your own risk. A flatbed tow is a lot cheaper than a few ECUs in case your buzz box wasn't the way to go.
     
  21. aslowdodge

    aslowdodge Karting

    Jun 5, 2004
    206
    Marietta, Georgia
    Thanks that was very helpful. I do keep the car on a tender when parked and now carry one of those lithium jump starter packs just. In case. If for some reason the battery is low I will try it but if the battery is really low I won’t.
     
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  22. Need4Spd

    Need4Spd F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2007
    6,644
    Silicon Valley
    +1. My tech does that and some time ago found a weak connection and fixed it.


    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     
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  23. shad99

    shad99 Formula Junior

    Dec 12, 2013
    300
    Japatul Valley, CA
    Full Name:
    Andy
    I always have my battery connected to a tender unless on a trip. I use a Granite "Save-a-Battery". My Interstate battery is now over six years in the car and still performs as new. Probably will replace it next spring at the six and a half year point.

    The alternator wiring harness in the 360 appears to have insufficient ampacity, whether due to mass or heat. Probably a combination. This to my mind is the most important reason to keep the battery connected to a tender as often as possible. Battery longevity is a related benefit.
     
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  24. bellwilliam

    bellwilliam Formula Junior

    Oct 25, 2014
    398
    question: why would connect to another batter (one of those jumper box, basically just a battery) would destroy anything? how is that different from you having a parallel 2 battery setup?
     
  25. Skidkid

    Skidkid F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 25, 2005
    8,682
    Campbell, CA
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    John Zornes
    There is a fairly long thread where we discuss it in detail but the answer is technical (not simple). In short, the two batteries don't have exactly the same potential when you connect them together. The spark creates a high frequency pulse and there is a surge current that is trying to equalize the batteries. Either one can damage electronics. In a two battery system the two are already connected and at exactly the same potential.
     
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