360 - Kill switch or Charger? | FerrariChat

360 Kill switch or Charger?

Discussion in '360/430' started by rudkinjc, Apr 2, 2020.

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  1. rudkinjc

    rudkinjc Rookie

    Apr 27, 2019
    45
    Jacksonville Fl
    Full Name:
    Joe C Rudkin II
    #1 rudkinjc, Apr 2, 2020
    I've wondered before what is better/safer when the car is left unattended for long periods of time. I've gone on vacation for over a month before and I just turned off the kill switch. My reasoning was if there was an electrical issue I didn't want a fire to start and burn down the house and car. Is there any downside to doing this? I know that the ECU codes will be erased and people that live in a state with emissions may have to drive 800+ miles to collect all the smog codes but I live in Florida with no emission testing.
     
  2. hessank

    hessank Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Aug 8, 2005
    1,741
    Canada, Florida
    Full Name:
    Fred
    #2 hessank, Apr 3, 2020
    My car is still sleeping as the cold weather is slowly coming to an end.
    As a matter of fact only today I returned the Insurance to allow driving it.
    I like to keep all my settings intact from the last day of driving in the Fall before hibernation to the first startup in Spring (tomorrow for me).
    This way I know how it is supposed to drive in the Spring. Consequently I keep it on a floating charge across the 5 to 6 months of Winter.

    Note: Previously I used the kill switch and kept the battery on a charger. Then one time the CTEK died and when spring came I could not open the doors
    because the windows did not want to retract. Took a lot of fiddling around to jack the car up, remove the 2000 #@*# screws that hold the bottom cover, and put power to the starter cable to get the windows to move down. NEVER AGAIN. So now, I keep the doors unlocked and the window down 1/2" before hibernation. You learn as you go along.

    My $0.05
     
    rudkinjc likes this.
  3. Need4Spd

    Need4Spd F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2007
    6,645
    Silicon Valley
    #3 Need4Spd, Apr 3, 2020
    A discharged battery could freeze in cold temperatures, so a charger would help prevent that.


    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     
  4. rudkinjc

    rudkinjc Rookie

    Apr 27, 2019
    45
    Jacksonville Fl
    Full Name:
    Joe C Rudkin II
    #4 rudkinjc, Apr 5, 2020
    I live in Florida so I'm not worried about freezing. More concerned about when I travel. I have a home in the Philippines and if I'm gone for a month or so..leaving the car plugged in when no one is home to see/smell if something were to start melting or burning. Is there any problems or issues for just using the battery kill switch?
     
  5. ttforcefed

    ttforcefed F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 22, 2002
    18,859
    #5 ttforcefed, Apr 5, 2020
    no i do it all the time with 360 and 430. i sleep at night better knowing i dont have a car plugged into the wall of my garage.
     
  6. KC360 FL

    KC360 FL Formula 3

    Jun 20, 2017
    1,693
    Melbourne Florida
    Full Name:
    KGC
    #6 KC360 FL, Apr 6, 2020
    I would just use the kill switch in the frunk. I know of two confirmed cases of battery chargers that have caused fires in ones garage. Now, no telling if they were the cheap Harbor Freight model chargers, but one did burn down the mans garage and his mid-sixties Corvette with it. Ouch. In my shop all chargers are unplugged at the end of the day.
     

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