Battery chargers/starters 488 spider 2018

[DG27]

I have a 2018 488 spider (5000 miles), I find the battery runs flat very quickly. Since new the car has already has a new battery (after 250 miles) and been recovered three times, last time it went flat the warning sign immobiliser yellow light came up on the left had dash and the starter button wouldn’t even click, as it does when the car has a flat battery. Then the head lights came on and of course the battery went flat as it drained them.

The dealer keeps saying that I have to keep it on trickle charge.

I was thinking about buying an instant jump starter as a back up plan...any recommendations on which one?

Do others face the same problems?

I had a 458 for 5 years and that was fine.

D

[Ferruccio]

This is a good jump starter but best to leave it on a trickle charger.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B015TKSSB8/ref...

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/9...

[Mark20]

I always leave my 488 on the conditioner. Dealer told me to do it. Did not do it with my 458 and after a month of no use it went dead and so always did it after that. Just taken delivery of a pista and dealer told me the same thing ie leave it connected always to the conditioner. Don’t use them as daily drivers so can’t comment on what would happen if that was the case.

[Durzel]

I'm surprised you weren't told that it needs to be on the conditioner when you're not using it. I made the mistake early into 458 ownership thinking I could leave it off for a while, wasn't even that long - maybe 2-3 weeks, and the next time I started it up the dash was like christmas lights with all sorts of horrifying messages about going to the dealer. Pretty terrifying so early into ownership.

These cars do not like not being on the conditioner for extended periods.

[jon66]

If you’re not going to be using the car on a regular basis (at least once or more per week) then the only way not prevent this is to keep it on a trickle charger. I have done that with the California for the last 4 years and have never had an issue. Still on the original battery as well despite being 10 years old now.

Letting it go flat and then jump starting can, I believe, cause problems with the electronics. A friend of mine in Oz has had that happen and the car needed to go back to the dealership to be reset.

For the relatively minor cost of the charger unit it really doesn’t even need thinking about. You could probably pick one up cheap on EBay if don’t want to pay full price

[Order66]

Every 458 and 488 came with the charger from the factory. It says in the manual you need to use it. Even with the charger I find that after the winter downtime I can get all the dash lights and warnings - just switch off, restart and all fine, just doesn't like that first fire-up when it has to work a bit harder.

[DevonPaul]

Order66 said:

Every 458 and 488 came with the charger from the factory. It says in the manual you need to use it. Even with the charger I find that after the winter downtime I can get all the dash lights and warnings - just switch off, restart and all fine, just doesn't like that first fire-up when it has to work a bit harder.

If he hasn't still got the original, are these still made by CTEK?

ISTR that the price for a conditioner can vary 10-fold depending upon who makes the label.

[Durzel]

It often goes missing between owners, along with the cover.

Once I got over my heart attack the first (and only) time it happened to me, and a frantic call to my dealer ended with a guy saying “yeah they do that” I just chalked it up to Italian electronics.

Strangely it seems to just be a feature of their cars, they do not like being off the conditioner for very long, certainly much shorter than any normal car can manage.

EDIT: Don’t know about 488 one but 458 is a CTEK unit, but has a proprietary connector (of course)

[Order66]

Durzel said:

EDIT: Don’t know about 488 one but 458 is a CTEK unit, but has a proprietary connector (of course)

Yep, can't imaine there's anything special about them except the connectors (the 488 has the magnetic bumper connector IIRC). If lost I can't see any harm in buying a conditioner elsewhere and wiring it to the battery like any other car - it'll be way cheaper than anything with the Ferrari badge on it.

[DG27]

Thanks chaps

The problem is if you are in an underground car park in London with no power 😔

D

[Speculatore]

I am using the same CTEK on my California that I used on my DB9 and Bentley Continental. All I did was purchase the correct CTEK connector for the car from CTEK or eBay if you want to risk it.

[DG27]

Thanks I have the right battery conditioner as I bought the car from new, what I lack is a plug!!

[willy wombat]

You raise an interesting point. You’d have thought that there would be a market for some sort of battery powered trickle charger that could trickle charge the car while slowly depleting the charger’s batteries which could then be taken indoors to recharge. I am no techie but it could be a challenge for someone.

[willy wombat]

PS. Wasn’t it the case that 458s which were fitted with “stop start” had a heavier duty battery fitted to cope which would presumably last longer off the charger, or am I imagining this? Even if I am, would fitting a heavier duty battery not help the situation for those who cannot plug in a charger?

[X-Box]

There was a vid that showed a 488 in a dark garage, switched off and locked, where you could actually see some of the interior lights very dimly lit.

Electronics have some leakage issues it would seem, hence the always on trickle charge, which most (if not all) CTEKs drop into after the charge/test phase.

[DevonPaul]

DG27 said:

Thanks I have the right battery conditioner as I bought the car from new, what I lack is a plug!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jWAnWRBQOM

Also saves on Gym fees.

[Durzel]

willy wombat said:

You raise an interesting point. You’d have thought that there would be a market for some sort of battery powered trickle charger that could trickle charge the car while slowly depleting the charger’s batteries which could then be taken indoors to recharge. I am no techie but it could be a challenge for someone.

Buy an electric car, charge it up and jerry rig some kind of system where it acts as a giant battery pack for the 488

Or maybe a diesel generator?

Joking aside, it's a real problem on these cars if you don't have access to use the conditioner. I don't know whether an isolation switch would help, intuitively it seems like the car would fare better if you could completely disconnect the battery? I know it doesn't like starting on a weak battery, and as I understand it jumping it is a no-no.

[DG27]

The RAC for Ferrari recovery always jump start it to move it to go onto the flat bed

No one seems concerned about that in Ferrari

I think I will buy one of those portable jump starters

D

[Durzel]

I wouldn’t test jump starting a car that is that temperamental electrically myself, but I guess it can be done without damage by sheer luck.

[jon66]

DG27 said:

The RAC for Ferrari recovery always jump start it to move it to go onto the flat bed

No one seems concerned about that in Ferrari

I think I will buy one of those portable jump starters

D

I'm assuming that in this instance they are taking the car away to a dealers to be "sorted" though. Whilst there they will re-set whatever systems need doing before returning it to you.

My only experience of this is from my friend in Oz and whilst they managed to jump start their own car OK it still required a dealer visit to sort it. Not sure you would want that hassle every time.

Perhaps it's just a good reason to use it as your daily driver instead !