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Battery

Discussion in '348/355' started by drbob101, Apr 10, 2020.

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  1. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
    3,814
    Tinton Falls, NJ
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    Bob Ferraris
    I know this topic had been beat to depth but this is nuts.

    I am about to buy my third Interstate 34 battery for this car in 7 years of ownership.

    The car is on the trickle charge all the time. It started last week and now the battery is dead, won’t take a charge.

    if I put the portable battery thing on it acts like it wants to start but just not enough juice to turn it over. This is the same thing that’s happened twice before. When they test the battery when I bring it in for the new one it’s confirmed as dead cell.

    I think I’ll try another brand. What brand/size other than Interstate has been used successfully?
     
  2. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    Jun 11, 2004
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    John Kreskovsky
    I don't know Bob. I read so many posts here about batteries dying is 3 years or so that are maintained on tenders. Me, I disconnect the batteries in my 308 and F355 when not in use for a couple of weeks or stored for the winter. No tenders. The 308 battery lasted 15 years before it died. The 355 battery is 7 yrs old on my watch, and wasn't new when I bought the car. My 355 is a 95 so I have to relearn the ECU when reconnected. With an OBD II car there is no relearn so I don't see why people don't just turn the switch. After winter storage I always measure batter voltage before reconnecting, just in case. Just measure the 355 last week. 12.3V after sitting for 6 months. That's around 70% charge.

    The 355 has a no name battery. The 308 currently a NAPA. My pickup has a 9 yr old NAPA. Personally, when I replace a battery I just get the best standard batter I can find at the cheapest price. Typically NAPA's or Sear' best. Size is 34R I believe.
     
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  3. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    26,292
    socal
    Actually john if you cut the battery it zeros the obd2 readiness for smog testing which is a huge deal in many ferraris. Some ferraris set all ready monitors easy. Some really difficult.

    My cure for this is using tender 1 or 2 weeks on then 1 or 2 weeks off. For some reason topping off a battery shortens life. Cycling a battery prolongs it. That's not what is supposed to happen but that's my experience.
     
  4. The Outcast

    The Outcast Formula 3

    Apr 19, 2011
    1,561
    Royal Oak Michigan
    Do you drive your car very much? I mean this sincerely...there are amazing hands-on owners (especially you) on this site; guys (and gals) with knowledge superior to mine...I am just a guy who loves to drive the F355. I would rather go driving for 3 hours in a dirty car than blow the day on washing/detailing, so in no way do I judge what others do with their cars...it's a very personal choice.

    The only time I've ever had battery problems was when I didn't take it out every three weeks for a good couple of hour blast with plenty of high revs. Also, I bought a battery tender called the NOCO Genius G3500, and it seems to keep making my battery better as I use it. I bought this car in March of 2018 and I can honestly say I don't know which battery is in it (battery charge cable was installed on the car when I got it), since it just runs great I just keep fluids fresh and drive it.

    Anyway...stuff you probably already knew. Also, I have had very good experience with DieHard, but that was 8 years ago (put it in my first F355 in 2012, had no problems with battery before losing car to fire in 2018) and I'm sure they don't make them anymore. I'm seeing Lithium-Ion batteries out there and I am tempted to get one, but they are very expensive.

    I hope you get problem solved to your liking!
     
  5. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    #5 johnk..., Apr 10, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2020
    Yes, the monitors will have to be reset. But it's not like a 2.7 car where you have to let it idle for 10 minutes.

    But I think we seem to agree that leaving a battery on a tender eff's it up long term, at least if I believe what I read on FChat.. I have to admit that I do put my Porsche on a tender because there is just to many other setting that get lost: traction control, window position, seat memory position,.... And in my Boxster that battery went in 3 or 4 years from new, for what ever reason. But I don't one of them super smart tenders. Just an old Schumacher SE-1-12S.

    One other thing. I haven't hear of too many 355s having problems with monitor resets. With all the dead batteries I read about I think that would be an issue that comes up regularly if so. Other models, I don't know.
     
  6. m.stojanovic

    m.stojanovic F1 Rookie
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    Dec 22, 2011
    2,743
    Malaysia - KL
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    Miroljub Stojanovic
    Perhaps you should check your trickle charger. What is the voltage on the battery after, say, a week of trickle-charging? If the charger does not have regulated charging voltage (which should be no more than 13.4 volts), it may be overcharging the battery in the long run and causing damage to it.
     
  7. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
    3,814
    Tinton Falls, NJ
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    Bob Ferraris
    Thanks guys.

    No I don’t drive the car very much. Last time was in October.

    I have a dual delran tender. Right now the light is solid green on it for this battery that won’t start the car.

    I’ll do a hygrometer test on it when I take it out of the car and I bet it has a dead cell or two
     
  8. bellwilliam

    bellwilliam Formula Junior

    Oct 25, 2014
    398
    I don't know anything about 355, but I have ton of experiences with battery tender. owned over 20 and currently have 10 on tender.

    crappy branded ones will shorten battery life. But C-Tek and Battery Tender (super cheap when on sale at Costco) branded ones will definitely prolong battery life.

    I always go for AGM vs. Flooded. AGM is less prone to temperature fluctuation. You don't have to worry about fluids in the battery drying up or freeze up.
    only issue with AGM is you can't let it drop below 50% charge, or it will shorten its life. so always keep one on a battery tender if you have any power draw.
     
  9. emac

    emac Formula Junior
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    Sep 14, 2014
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    upstate SC
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    ernest
    Bob, that is unusual. I think it must be your battery brand. I would change brands. I dont think I have any interstate batteries. I have batteries that are 2012, 2015x3, 2016 in cars that stay on deltran chargers a lot. I have never had one die like yours. If you have the smaller Deltran chargers and try to bring up a weak battery it will kill the charger, as they aren't designed for that. The bigger ones do better for that.
     
  10. Wade

    Wade Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Mar 31, 2006
    32,793
    East Central, FL
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    Wade O.
    I consider car batteries to be time-change items, 4 years max. Although your experience (3 in 7) seems excessive. However, my wife's series of Cadillacs (Escalade followed by two SRXs) ate through batteries every three years. Fortunately, Cadillac's CPO warranty covered them 100%.

    For my 348, I just buy the Duracell/Energizer battery at Sam's Club. They're 3-year batteries and fully covered with no pro-rating. Warranty ends... time to replace. Works for me. :)
     
  11. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    Bob Ferraris
    Just called Costco and they have size 34 battery for 88.99.

    brand: Interstate

    the interstate distributor wants $115 for same battery.

    I think I’ll just go get #4...
     
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  12. Wade

    Wade Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Almost balances out... money saved on gas (by not driving) you spend on batteries. :D
     
  13. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    26,292
    socal
    I run 2 costco interstates in my ram diesel. They are awesome and 48 month 100% return...which might be less now. The OE battery for my ram in almost
    300 each!

    And I start the truck stone cold when skiing in dead of winter no problem. Batteries now 3 years old
     
  14. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    They said 36 months Carl. Maybe I just take it back in 35? ☺️
     
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  15. GTO Joe

    GTO Joe Formula Junior
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    Feb 15, 2013
    989
    Charlotte, NC
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    Joseph Troutwine
    Last month the Interstate battery in my 348 died. It was already in the car when I purchased it just over six years ago and was good up till the end with a tender on whenever I wasn't driving the car. I have all my non driver cars either on CTec or NooCo units that do the de-sulfate routine and I get long life out of my batteries. I researched which brand to replace with for the Ferrari and had heard good reports about East Penn Battery mfg. that is located here in the USA. They produce the group 34 for NAPA and that is what I purchased. It was approx. $150 and if you have a AAA membership they gave me 10% off. Would recommend them because Interstate seems to be overpriced for what you get.
    Side bar: For those with early 348's with rear batteries I had read that it was difficult to pull the battery from the top so I decided to just pull the left rear wheel and remove the fender liner. When I did this I discovered it was not necessary to remove the entire liner because there is a small panel on the liner held on with three screws that once removed allows the battery to be slid out after an easy removal of the hold down bracket.
     
  16. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    Jun 11, 2004
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    I just checked my 355. LOL, last fall I forgot to turn off the battery switch. So, from Oct until now the voltage dropped to 12.3V with no tender attached. It's a 95, 2.7 so propbably a different draw on the battery when not in use.

    As for my other cars, I always but the battery with the longest warranty, typical 7 years prorated. The are always flooded batteries. They are all maintenance free as well.

    As for who makes them Check out this article.

    Notice what it says about AMG batteries in the first sentence under Will the Car Sit for Long Periods of Time?
     
  17. GTO Joe

    GTO Joe Formula Junior
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    Feb 15, 2013
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    Joseph Troutwine
    Those are awesome prices on Interstate. Local distributor here in Charlotte was almost $300 for a group 34. I also needed a simple 6V for my 356 and they were the only game around and it was $180 for the exact same mfg. one that Tractor Supply used to sell for $80.
     
  18. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    Jun 14, 2011
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    Tim Dee
    Put your tickle charger on a timer, say 2 hours a week :)
    Or just disconnect it
     
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  19. bellwilliam

    bellwilliam Formula Junior

    Oct 25, 2014
    398
    like I said. AGM is better with temperature fluctuation, but do need to be on tender.

    trickle charger don't hurt the battery if it is a good brand. like C-Tek or Battery tender.

    another advantage buying battery from Costco is easy exchange policy. With Interstate and Walmart (Sam's), they want to test the battery between 3-24 hours before they will give you another one. Costco, on the other hand, will just hand you another one right there.
     
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  20. AceMaster

    AceMaster Three Time F1 World Champ

    Feb 6, 2009
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    #20 AceMaster, Apr 10, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2020
    Third battery in 3 years means = something definitely wrong, and I wouldn't necessarily say it is the brand of battery.
     
  21. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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  22. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    Tinton Falls, NJ
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    Bob Ferraris
    Thank you Daniel
     
  23. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    Bob Ferraris
  24. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    Jun 11, 2004
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    John Kreskovsky
    I would start by checking what the amperage draw is from the battery when the car is off and without the charger connected. If it exceeds the charger's rating, 1.25 amps, you may have another problem. Any after market accessories on the car that draw power when stored?
     
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  25. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    Will do John.

    Not to my knowledge. There is an aftermarket sound amp and radio installed. There is nothing lit on the display when the car is off but maybe it’s drawing something?
     

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