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Battery

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

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  1. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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    Winner winner, chicken dinner! (that is, if the supermarket has any chicken left)
     
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  2. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    Bob Ferraris
    Just watched a YouTube on how to check for parasitic draw. Not like I have anything better to do so may give it a go.

    This particular video mentioned that some cars respond to the presence of the key electronically and to keep the key away from the car.

    We know the immobilizer is on and blinking so that will be a draw. I wonder if the key presence is waking something else up ???
     
  3. jimmym

    jimmym Formula 3

    Sep 30, 2008
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    Jim
    I use deltran as well. Have had a few go bad, but over all had good luck with them. I have an interstate battery that has been in the car quite awhile without any issues. I keep all my cars on battery tenders when not in use.

    I have heard good things about saveabattery but have not tried one. Some members on Fchat have used Ctek as well.
     
  4. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    Just checked parasitic draw. It’s drawing 1.1amps with doors and lids closed. I do have top and windows down as well. Wonder if that increases it.
     
  5. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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    If you have an easy way to kill the amp/radio, it'd be interesting to see the draw once those are removed.
     
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  6. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 10, 2002
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    1.1 is big
     
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  7. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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    That's what she said.
     
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  8. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    I buttoned it up without going through the fuses to determine where the draw is coming from.

    Another day.

    The radio/amp , the open top and windows down and the key proximity are on my radar.

    The manufacture date of the battery I took out was 7/16
     
  9. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    I can check it right from the battery switch terminals so I can mess with this without having to access the battery.

    Same reading at the switch with the bonnet open.
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  10. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    Jun 11, 2004
    10,628
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    Well, I suspect that is your problem. Not sure if that draw is normal of not. I can not compare since I have a 2.7 car. But with 1.13 draw and a charger of 1.25 A max, I would think the tender just can't keep the battery charges. It just has marginal output above the draw to feed the battery.
    You're all amped up, Daniel. :)
     
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  11. m.stojanovic

    m.stojanovic F1 Rookie
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    Dec 22, 2011
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    That's a serious current draw by something. A current draw considered normal for most cars is about 0.03 Amps. My 2.7 348 draws about 0.01 Amp. I have a Ferrari (Becker) radio with no external amps and I have no alarm nor remote locking/unlocking.

    With 1.1 Amps, your battery will last for just about 2 days parked. This draw also "eats" most of the current from the trickle charger so it is not actually maintaining the battery. You can check the voltage on the battery after the trickle charger being connected for a day or two - you will probably see much less than the required 13.4 Volts.

    If a battery is allowed to sit at some 12-12.2 volts for a long period of time, it will sulfate and lose its capacity. The best for the battery long life is to keep it close to 100% charged which is at about 12.6 V off charger or at a minimum of 13.2 V while on the trickle charger.
     
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  12. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    Here's a quick video on diagnosing parasitic draw. Unlike Ratarossa's video, you won't need to pull the fuses to do voltage checks.



    As far as I know, the F355 doesn't have a long "sleep mode" (other than the electric window and interior light delays), but you might have to find a way of depressing the door open microswitch near the door hinges (as you will probably need to leave the door open to access the relay panel).

    If you can pinpoint a big voltage drop across one of the fuses, I can probably help you track down all the unlisted components connected to that particular fuse.
     
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  13. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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    shocking, isn't it?
     
  14. Skippr1999

    Skippr1999 F1 Rookie
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    Dec 22, 2009
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    Bob,
    I have four Fcars with Interstate batteries on the Battery Tender brand tenders.
    Over the past 10 years, I’ve had a few failures. It seems to be simply hit and miss.
    I just use them till they quit which seems to be a bit random.

    hope your doing well.

    Skipp
     
  15. m.stojanovic

    m.stojanovic F1 Rookie
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    Good point you mentioned the "sleep mode". On my Daimler Super V8, numerous modules go progressively into the sleep mode over a period of 60 minutes and that's when you record the actual parasitic draw. I had to bring two wires from the battery (in the boot) to inside of the car and keep the ammeter on the back seat so that I can read it through the window of the locked car.

    In the case of Bob's 355, I would first check whether perhaps the lights in the glove compartment (if present) or in the boot (trunk) stay on when these are closed.
     
  16. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    Ian,

    That's a great video. My tuner taught me that method a few years ago when my 1987 944 turbo suddenly developed parasitic draw. My multimeter read 790 mA with the engine off and key removed. The battery would run low, unable to start the car if it sat for more than two days. Normal discharge rate should be <60 mA

    I isolated it to the radio circuit and specifically to the antenna booster located behind the radio. It was then a simple matter to rewire the antenna booster which had shorted out. After the repair, the discharge rate went down to 19 mA. The only draw for my car when the engine is shut down is the LCD clock and the radio clock and presets.

    Barry
     
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  17. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    I heard recently that there are no gloveboxes on USA F355's, so I think Bob will be ok in that respect. Also, the luggage compartment light is only activated with the steering column light switch being on, so perhaps not a likely cause.

    I wonder if the alarm siren or other components are drawing too much power? How fast is your clock running, Bob? :p For info, the clock uses the interior light/door lock fuse.

    The roof ECU and components use two power sources:
    AC System Fuse in footwell
    Dedicated fuses in the centre console fed by the battery.
    The window system uses two fuses in the footwell fed by battery power and power from the ignition key (in RUN/ON) with no fuses.

    I can't see how there would be power usage with no buttons being pushed. The window and roof down position microswitches may (or may not) be active, but I find it hard to believe they would draw over 1 ampere.
     
  18. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    Can't say I would have ever found that one, Barry. The F355 has an antenna booster behind the radio, too.
     
  19. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    You would have found it easily, Ian. Electrics are far from my specialty but I did just what your video instructed and found the right circuit. All the time I was thinking how nicely these fuses are made with cutouts to allow me to place the multimeter probes.

    The label on the inside of the fuse and relay box's cover told me what fuse was what...


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    It was the 15 A fuse in position #39 that showed a high draw. The only things on the circuit were the radio and antenna booster. I pulled the radio and I still got a high draw so that left the booster.

    I treated myself to my first multimeter for that occasion...


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    I hope I never have to use it again! :D
     
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  20. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    #45 308 GTB, Apr 13, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2020
    Ian, my F355 Challenge doesn't have a radio. Instead I have toggle switches for the L and R fans and a shielded master ignition toggle switch on the blanking plate...


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    The shielded master ignition switch is just like the ones found on the B-52 Stratofortress to fire the bomb bay door explosive bolts...






    :D
     
  21. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    .. and quite a few other Boeings since then. Some are even lockwired to remind you not to play with them.

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  22. m.stojanovic

    m.stojanovic F1 Rookie
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    You just reminded me of the trouble I had on my 1999 Daimler Super V8. After a few days parked, as I approached the car, I heard a humming noise from under the bonnet. Opened it up and could hear that the throttle body and the charge cooler electric pump were energised / running. The battery was at some 11.5 volts only. Then I found that a relay that normally operates the two devices when the ignition is "on" was permanently "on". Looking at the diagrams, I could see that the ignition switched line that activates this relay also branches to one of the 6 pins of the alarm siren. When I disconnected the siren, everything was back to normal. The siren has a rechargeable NiCd battery pack and, due to some fault in the siren's circuitry, there was backflow of current from the siren battery into the wiring energising and keeping on the relay.
     
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  23. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    Ok. My bad.

    I didn’t move the lead on the DVOM ovef to the amp location.

    My draw is .031.

    Sorry guys. But the bad battery thing still occurred. That battery lasted 3 years. I’ll check the tender output.
     
  24. Badabing!

    Badabing! Formula Junior

    Mar 30, 2014
    731
    NYC
    I recommend a CTEK MUS 4.3. Simple, cheap, effective.

    I have 3.

    No affiliation.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     
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  25. fboutlaw

    fboutlaw Karting

    Dec 3, 2014
    237
    Woodside, CA

    Also using CTEK MUS4.3's. Have had no issues on F355 (3 years) or truck (4 years) with these and not a lot of miles on either.
     

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