488 - Does Key Fob In Car Increase Parasitic Draw | FerrariChat
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488 Does Key Fob In Car Increase Parasitic Draw

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by Hopeful, Jul 14, 2022.

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  1. Hopeful

    Hopeful Karting

    May 31, 2019
    153
    Vero Beach, FL
    Full Name:
    Tony M.
    #1 Hopeful, Jul 14, 2022
    I leave my key fob in the car for convenience (car is well protected from theft). Is there any chance this increases the parasitic draw on the battery while the car sits in the garage?
     
  2. mdrums

    mdrums F1 Rookie

    Jun 11, 2006
    3,200
    Tampa FL
    #2 mdrums, Jul 14, 2022
    Good question but i'm going go "guess" I doubt it.

    Go out in the garage pitch black... like at night and you'll see the rear 3rd brake light LED's glow. I bet that draws more and probably other things.

    This is about the only thing I can't understand how Ferrari could not get right on the 488 and other models. My Porsches, my wife's new Aston all can sit not on a charger for weeks and no battery issues
     
    MANDALAY likes this.
  3. Chizz

    Chizz Formula Junior
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 21, 2017
    995
    Atlanta
    #3 Chizz, Jul 15, 2022
    That is a great question. We were advised by Porsche not to leave the key fob in our 911. It actually causes the battery in the key fob to draw down.
     
    ScottS and rotaryrocket7 like this.
  4. Viperjoe

    Viperjoe F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    May 20, 2016
    2,663
    Washington Crossing, PA
    #4 Viperjoe, Jul 15, 2022
    A freind and fellow F8 owner was told by a dealer that the fob should not be left in the car as it will drain the battery. I would argue that the "Smart Alternator" and well known problems with the OEM "Fiamm Battery" are more of a cause than leaving the key fob in the car.
     
    MANDALAY and Chizz like this.
  5. Hopeful

    Hopeful Karting

    May 31, 2019
    153
    Vero Beach, FL
    Full Name:
    Tony M.
    #5 Hopeful, Jul 15, 2022
    Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'll sacrifice convenience for some cranking amps. Even on the tender 24/7, I had a 2 month old Interstate read 11.9 last time I tried to start it.
     
  6. Viperjoe

    Viperjoe F1 Rookie
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    May 20, 2016
    2,663
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    #6 Viperjoe, Jul 15, 2022
    11.9 before or while cranking?
     
  7. Hopeful

    Hopeful Karting

    May 31, 2019
    153
    Vero Beach, FL
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    Tony M.
    #7 Hopeful, Jul 16, 2022
    I think it was after I tried to start it to no avail. I looked the next day without trying to start it and it read 12.5. I did not try to start it but guess it probably would have.
     
  8. MANDALAY

    MANDALAY F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    May 23, 2013
    14,168
    AUSTRALIA
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    ANGELO
    #8 MANDALAY, Jul 17, 2022

    Just in case you didn't know there is such a thing as surface charge which will show the voltage to be slightly higher than what the battery truly is.

    You can still have 12.5 with faulty cells in the battery.

    I wouldn't start the car just to confirm it will start because the next time it might not. Start her if you are intending to go on a drive.
     
  9. Hopeful

    Hopeful Karting

    May 31, 2019
    153
    Vero Beach, FL
    Full Name:
    Tony M.
    #9 Hopeful, Jul 21, 2022
    Not sure what the caused the original low voltage situation but I did eventually man up and get the car started (it read 12.5V at the time). Drove it around for 15-20 miles while monitoring the left TFT voltage display (that display will drive you nuts the way it bounces around from 13.x to 11.x). Got home, shut it off and checked the voltage (13.9V). Started it up a few minutes later with no problem. Still 13.9V. Been fine ever since. Don't know, maybe something was accidentally left on although I would think the tender would take care of that.
     
  10. 56 Spider

    56 Spider Rookie

    Jul 25, 2010
    30
    #10 56 Spider, Aug 23, 2022
    Back to the original question. My Audi Q5 would quickly run down the key fob battery, sometimes in a couple of months. Hung up just inside the garage door it was about 8 feet from the car. I noticed that I could lock and unlock the car while the key was still on its hanger, so clearly it was within range and probably trying to repeatedly communicate with the car. I started to keep the keys in the kitchen and never had another problem.
    My 488 is on the other side of the garage and I have not seen any problem.
     
  11. ipsedixit

    ipsedixit Formula 3

    Aug 21, 2014
    2,203
    Behind the wheel of a Pista
    #11 ipsedixit, Aug 23, 2022
    Don't leave your FOB in the car.

    And if it's parked in your secure garage, still lock the doors. It allows the car to go to sleep, which saves vampire drain on the battery (assuming it's not on the tender).
     
  12. Bigbobo

    Bigbobo Karting

    Jul 25, 2020
    211
    Northern CA
    #12 Bigbobo, Aug 23, 2022
    So are you saying the locking the car will draw less from the battery with the alarm on vs having the car unlocked?
     
  13. Need4Spd

    Need4Spd F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2007
    6,678
    Silicon Valley
    #13 Need4Spd, Aug 24, 2022
    It’s counterintuitive, but on most newer cars, yes. If you lock and alarm it, all major systems go to sleep (except the alarm, of course, which in modern cars draws very little current). If you don’t, some systems stay awake in anticipation the car will be driven “soon.”


    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     

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