458 Interstate Battery Replacement

Any group 48 battery will fit up, but it's always nice to have some specifics. Costco sells a nice battery also.

The best setup for the 458 is using the Braille i48CS. As long as you drive the car once in a while, no battery tender should be required. I ran one (now for sale in the classified ad section) on my 458 for about a year and it was fantastic. The Braille lithium ion battery is really the best solution - especially for the 458

Ray

 

For anyone changing their battery, please make sure that the specs are correct!
It needs to be an AGM-type battery with at least 760 CCA, and size H6 (group 48).
If it doesn't meet or exceed those specs, you will most likely have electrical gremlins (I'm sure that the Lithium battery listed above exceeds the specs, and it's lighter which is a nice bonus, however $$$$).
There were at least 3 guys (that I know of) in our local club that had problems due to an improper (but healthy and strong) battery. In ALL cases, installing the proper Interstate battery (listed above) corrected all of the issues.
Also, make sure that you do the proper startup procedure listed in the shop manual to make sure everything will work properly.
I attached a file with those instructions.

 

Odyssey makes a suitable group battery as well

 

Great follow up on the Braille! One of the things that is important is that the lithium ion battery be insulted from heat. In most ICE applications, esp front engine layouts, the battery location is not suited for a Li Ion. In the Ferrari model line-up, the mid rear V8 is the only one with a battery location inside the cabin and away from engine bay heat.

I know you’ve been trying to sell your used Braille. Good luck. Folks just aren’t used to buying used batteries. (No offense.)
used batteries

 

Mine is about a year old. The life span is about 8 years.

I've had a few offers, but nothing worth parting with the battery over

Ray

 

Very good point. The battery in the F12 (and all the many other releases with the same chassis) uses a laminated heat shield around the battery. All rubber and plastic materials used in the same area are rated at least from -40F to +300F. I measured the heat at the battery clamp atop the battery and it was +150F after ten minutes of engine idling with ambient air at 62F. Could not get a reading alongside the heat shield (which is right up against the passenger side engine header) or just under the battery box which is super hot. If you do replace your battery its a good idea to carefully add some commercial aluminum tape to the engine side and underside of the heat shield. Adds a little weight but don't want to be replacing that battery again any time soon.

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Same issues.batt replacement required

 

Just saying --> https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/braille-lithium-ion-battery-i48cs-group-48-size-just-18-lbs-great-standby-time.590678/

 

$2000 is a drop in the bucket when compared to the hassles of having deal with an unexcpteded dead battery and/or having to constantly use those silly battery tenders

Ray

 

Here's a picture of the Interstate compared to original Ferrari. The batteries are identical right down to the screw holes on top for the fuse holder and the vent hole on the side.

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Question about the vent hole tube. Is it supposed to be connected to something? I found mine just dangling off the battery when I pulled my old Battery out to be replaced. Did I accidentally rip it apart?


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Mine was the same and there's nothing the WSM about the vent tube.

 

If $2,000.00 is a "drop in the bucket," please forward any extra drops to me.

 

Well -- I'm no cheapskate but I would tend to agree with your assessment here !!! LOL

 

What I find interesting is the weight differential between the OEM FIAMM brand and a good AGM replacement. If anyone has the chance the weigh both please post the values.

On the F12 my 1000A AGM replacement weighs eight lbs more using a very accurate scale. Some may think that's a giant step backward but these are not race cars and the higher capacity batteries have more go juice in the mats and thicker internals to produce the increased power output longer and handle the heat (very important if placed in the engine compartment near the headers).

With regards to the $2k drop in the bucket, not so crazy if you do the work and its jammed in tight like on the V12's. That said, after the first one subsequent replacements at less than $190 all in are much easier to swallow and you get to do the work yourself.

 

I didn't weigh the Interstate vs. OEM, but did lift them both one right after each other and didn't notice any weight difference at all. To me they looked and felt identical in every way.

 

If you care about weight, definitely look at antigravity batteries (lith ion), which weighs about 10-14lb depending on the CCA. I am a bit hesitant to try it on a 458 (with the rep on italian electronics and having experienced it first hand), but many others have done it on a gt3 and audi r8 (same battery groups h6 as the 458). For about $600-800 with emergency jumpstart reserve, it's worth the weight reduction and it's so popular that's it's always out of stock (standard H6 lead batteries weigh on average of 45lb each)

 

New battery time for the 458. Most instructions are adequately written, my biggest problem is I’m not a small guy, so it is tight working under the dash. Use a blanket so you don’t bugger up the passenger seat.

Most instructions are adequately written. Just remember the two clips and separately, the two screws on the black protector cap.

I replaced a Ferrari battery with an Interstate MTP as shown in the pics (recommended by dealer). Unfortunately no date on the last battery, so I don’t know how long it lasted. Oh well..... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I would not use that interstate. It is only 730 CCA, The car calls for a 760 CCA to be equivalent to stock. While any logic would say that the battery should work fine, and the battery has PLENTY of power to turn the engine over, even in the cold. BUT....
I know from personal experience that logic has nothing to do with it. I have a friend that was having the typical error light issues, randomly for no reason. I asked about the battery, and he said it was fairly new. Of course I didn't expect to hear that based on the symptoms. I took a look at the battery and saw the 730 CCA, so we decided that even though the battery seemed perfect, it was worth gambling the $140 to know for sure. What do you know, after putting in the "proper" 760 CCA interstate battery, the car has been perfect ever since. Since the batteries are so cheap (relatively speaking), I always recommend to replace it (with a 760 CCA, like stock) every 4 years without question, even if it's perfect. I am fairly new to Ferraris (owned since 2012), but followed this rule, and thankfully never had any electrical gremlin in my 360 nor my 458 (keeping fingers crossed, lol)
This is the proper battery:
https://www.interstatebatteries.com/products/mtx-48/h6

Since you already replaced it with that battery, and I assume it's fine (so far), keep in mind that if it weakens slightly, or in cold weather, it may start giving you problems. If it does, don't freak out, just install the proper battery.

Oh, by the way, just because the dealer tells you it's the correct battery, they are not always right. It also happened to another friend with a California. They put in a battery for him, he also had electrical gremlins. I looked at the spec, and the CCA's were a little short. I talked him into trying a proper battery, and sure enough, ever since then, his car hasn't had a problem either. I "fixed" a minimum of 5 or 6 cars for people already.

 

Does this battery replacement also pertain to the Lusso V12?

 

Check out Sam's club. Their Duracell is awesome. I had that exact Interstate in my lambo and just swapped it for the Sam's club Duracell which has 3 year free replacement, no questions asked. It's working great and same size. Some pics, did myself and not bad at all.

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This is why I so highly reccommend the Braille B4875. These cars are super power hungry when starting. Why mess around with 760 CCA when you can have 1115 CCA? 730 is just way too little. Won't take much drainage for that to cause a low voltage condition once the current is drawn.
A big surplus is exactly what you want to avoid a low voltage condition, and the Braille AGM batteries are probably the most powerful AGM packs on the market today, relative to their group size.

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I have zero experience with the lusso. I don't know how sensitive the electronics are to gremlins if the battery isn't 100% perfect, nor do I know which battery is proper for that car. I would say that it can't hurt to change it every 4 years, but I also can't say that it's "necessary" to change like the 360/430/458.
If you don't change it, that's fine. Just know that if you have any random electrical issues, and the battery is over 4 years old, just replace it before you drive yourself crazy trying to troubleshoot.