Cali T Battery Question | FerrariChat

Cali T Battery Question

Discussion in 'California/Portofino/Roma' started by Akajak1, Jul 7, 2020.

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  1. Akajak1

    Akajak1 Karting

    Jun 24, 2020
    82
    UK
    hi, newbie question again
    drove the car for 50 miles Sunday, today put the battery conditioner on (supplied with car) and I was surprised it was only showing 4 orange lights rather than being fully charged.
    the conditioner is the Ferrari item (stickered B91 on rear).
    Is this normal, or does it suggest either an unsuitable conditioner and/or battery ?
    Any feedback gratefully received.
     
  2. whatheheck

    whatheheck F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Mar 27, 2006
    4,138
    Seattle, Wa
    Full Name:
    Dan L.
    Very normal.

    Every time you put the charger on it will usually start at about 3 or 4 green lights.
    It will slowly turn to 7 green dots in about 6 - 8 hours.

    The charger slowly charges the battery to avoid heating the battery and shortening its life.
     
  3. Akajak1

    Akajak1 Karting

    Jun 24, 2020
    82
    UK
    thank you, only diff is my conditioner displays orange lights and a final green light ,once i presume , is charged
     
  4. whatheheck

    whatheheck F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Mar 27, 2006
    4,138
    Seattle, Wa
    Full Name:
    Dan L.
    My apologies, my error, I meant it starts at 3 - 4 orange lights, then slowly moves to the right & turns to green light when battery is fully charged.
     
    Akajak1 likes this.
  5. Akajak1

    Akajak1 Karting

    Jun 24, 2020
    82
    UK
    Many thanks for your help
     
  6. whatheheck

    whatheheck F1 Rookie
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    Mar 27, 2006
    4,138
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    Dan L.
    You're welcome.

    Glad I can help.

    Dan
     
  7. vjd3

    vjd3 F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2005
    2,565
    Massachusetts
    Full Name:
    Vic
    As I understand it, the LEDs on the factory tender are not a linear scale of the charge ... first light checks for desulphation, second is testing if it will accept the charge, third is increasing voltage, fourth is declining current to completely charge the battery, fifth is checking for voltage drops, sixth is floating the charge, and last is pulsing the charge. So LEDs 5-7 are really just checking things, 3 and 4 are the charging stages.
     
  8. whatheheck

    whatheheck F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Mar 27, 2006
    4,138
    Seattle, Wa
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    You may be right about that Vic.

    I will read my battery charger owners manual soon and confirm.

    Thanks.

    Dan
     
  9. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
    25,865
    DFW, Texas
    Full Name:
    Tom C
    If it were me, unless I knew the battery was very recent, I would assume it's rubbish and replace it. Ditto for the tender. After a long drive, my Cali goes green on the CTEK 7002 within an hour. What you describe sounds like how my Cali acted when I first got it with an older battery and the OEM charger...T
     
    Justicepool likes this.
  10. Justicepool

    Justicepool Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 17, 2019
    254
    Texas
    Full Name:
    John L.
    I'm using a more up to date ctek with an adapter for the Ferrari charge port on mine. Works great, and its not unusual for the lights to take awhile to show fully charged.
     
  11. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
    25,865
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    Tom C
    How old is your battery? Do you have HELE?
    T
     
  12. Justicepool

    Justicepool Formula Junior
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    Apr 17, 2019
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    John L.
    My battery was replaced last summer. Not a HELE T. 2014 California 30.
     
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  13. robstand

    robstand Karting
    Rossa Subscribed

    May 13, 2019
    133
    Seattle, WA
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    Robert S.
    Is there a guideline for an alternative battery tender for the California T?
     
  14. Justicepool

    Justicepool Formula Junior
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    Apr 17, 2019
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    John L.
    The charger that comes with the Ferrari is actually an older ctek model.
     
  15. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
    25,865
    DFW, Texas
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    Tom C
    Ctek 7002 is what I use. As Justice said, the OEM is a ctek, but in my book 7002 is better. I have a HELE Cali ('11) and so I charge in "snowflake" mode on the 7002...T
     
  16. Justicepool

    Justicepool Formula Junior
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    John L.
  17. Justicepool

    Justicepool Formula Junior
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    John L.
    I have a 2014 California 30. I use the snowflake mode also (its for AGM batteries I believe).
     
  18. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
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    That's what I was told re HELE, AGM batteries and using snowflake mode...T
     
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  19. russellmcg

    russellmcg Formula Junior
    Owner

    Aug 3, 2014
    479
    Houston
    Full Name:
    Russell McGuire
    How often should you put your car on the charger? I tend to drive mine daily but never more than a handful of miles since I work from home.
     
  20. Justicepool

    Justicepool Formula Junior
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    Apr 17, 2019
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    If the car is home and I'm not driving it, then I hook the battery tender up. The only time its removed is when I'm driving it or out of town.
     
  21. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
    25,865
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    24/7/365 unless I'm driving it. Even if I'm driving it the next day, it's on the tender. If there's a big electrical storm imminent, I might take it off tender for the duration of the storm, since we live in a 110 year old house. I also plug the tender into a surge protector as an added layer of security...T
     
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  22. russellmcg

    russellmcg Formula Junior
    Owner

    Aug 3, 2014
    479
    Houston
    Full Name:
    Russell McGuire
    Thanks for the input. Sounds like I will be hooking it up moving forward.
     
  23. whatheheck

    whatheheck F1 Rookie
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    Mar 27, 2006
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    Ferrari’s are famous for being very sensitive to voltage irregularities. It will throw all sorts of CEL and cause the car to malfunction. From transmission malfunctions to engine malfunctions.

    Hence it’s always a great idea to keep the battery fully charged and hooked up to a battery tender when not being driven.

    There’s parasitic drain that occurs when car is sitting with engine off. (Alarm system, incandescent bulbs being monitored by light ECU, etc. )

    Mine is a 2016 Cali T. The guidance I received from the dealer is to hook up the car to a battery tender if you think you won't drive you car for over 2 weeks.

    I hook up mine as soon as I pull in too my garage. A well maintained battery will usually last longer.

    Dealer installed a new Interstate AGM battery on my car and provided me a brand new CTEK MUS 4.3 battery charger before I took ownership 2 months ago.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
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  24. robstand

    robstand Karting
    Rossa Subscribed

    May 13, 2019
    133
    Seattle, WA
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    Robert S.
    Thanks for the info. My 2015 Cali T is being delivered Friday and I am sure it includes the factory-included battery tender. I have a Battery Tender Plus for my '71 Mercedes-Benz 250C and I didn't really want to use it with the Ferrari. :)
     
  25. SLViper1

    SLViper1 Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 25, 2014
    742
    Nashville/Destin
    Full Name:
    Steve
    You will love the magnetic charge port, hidden on the left of the license plate. So easy my Cali T stays on unless being driven!
     

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