[az968]

I am worried about the addl voltage on the circuits.  Can you call the dealer and ask the question?  I would think the service department would give you an answer over the phone.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[MCL968]

It's not additional voltage, it's additional amperage. If you use a very very low amp charger it should have no impact on the car whatsoever.
It's not additional voltage, it's additional amperage. If you use a very very low amp charger it should have no impact on the car whatsoever. A 1 amp trickle charger would solve the problem.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

I can guarantee the dealer will say no way no how should you ever do that ..the owner's manual states categorically ( and in bold red letters, lol ) that the battery should never be jumped , although we all know that's absolute B.S.

So attaching any external power sources to the cables is also no doubt a no-no as far as they're concerned.


I'll check to see if I can get any info on the amps the portable unit has ..

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Checked : it states that it has 900 amps " peak power " .

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[banditsc]

Should be no issue with keeping power to it. Just be careful not to short the cables out when swapping batteries.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[MCL968]

Honestly, you could do it with 8 D cells, all you need is enough power to hold the memory. You are not trying to start the car, just keep the memory active.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Wish I had something with less amps just enough to hold the memory, but I don't . If there is such a thing I can always buy it before doing the switch . Otherwise, maybe a good idea to bring someone with me just to help hold the cables from moving and elther touching each other or anything else around to avoid a possible short . The battery is in the trunk and the compartment looks very well isolated, and insulated so should be fairly safe .

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[az968]

Matt's suggestion on a trickle charger may be what you need, a "battery tender". 900 amps is a lot for maintaining the memory. What's the amp rating on your battery tender? Mine only puts out 1.25 amps.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Yup, the same : 1.25 amps but that one has to be plugged in so I obviously can't do it in the dealer's lot.   So I'd have to do it at home, and then take the old battery core back to the dealer ..all that driving back and forth seems rather unnecessary , if I can hook up a portable unit instead..      

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[az968]

Hook it up, remove the old battery, drive to the dealer and exchange for the new one.  Install and remove trickle charger. One trip.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Bulti]

"I can guarantee the dealer will say no way no how should you ever do that ..the owner's manual states categorically ( and in bold red letters, lol ) that the battery should never be jumped , although we all know that's absolute B.S."


I would be very careful making such statements. When disconnecting the jumper cables, there's a brief spike in current which could fry one of the modules, and there are plenty in modern cars. You need equipment to protect the electronics or deal with a possible hole in your pocket.


Do you feel lucky ? ;-)

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[MCL968]

Hook it up, remove the old battery, drive to the dealer and exchange for the new one.  Install and remove trickle charger. One trip.

That will do it.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

LOL, that should accomplish the task - evidently I had a " senior moment ",  and an extended one if I may admit it , so did not think of that option ; I was focused on doing all this at the dealer, just in case someone there with knowledge about this car might give me a few pointers .

 

Philippe, what kind of equipment to protect the electronics ?   You don't mean simply those felt fabric "gaskets" I've seen placed on some of the batteries' posts ?  Something more sophisticated ?       

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Kim]

My suggestion to you, as cruel as it may sound, is that you should go to the dealer.  If the process is this complicated the risk to your car may be equally great.  The cost of battery repalcement may pale in comparsion to the cost of electronics at that point.

 

If you can afford a Maserati you cannot afford to do some things yourself if you are worried about consequences.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[MCL968]

Take it to Sears, buy a die-hard, have them install it.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

I would have had the dealer do it at the time of my upcoming service appointment in mid August but I'm planning to drive it to L.A. in a couple of weeks and don't really want to take a 400 mile each way trip ( with my wife riding along also ) with a 4 year old battery ..having AAA tow the car several hundred miles is not fun , had to do that with the 968 , and once was more than enough. I called the dealer but they have no time to do anything - even a ten minute job, mind you - prior to my appointment .

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Take it to Sears, buy a die-hard, have them install it.

Lol, Sears batteries may die hard, but the company seems to have died , or at least is in a coma ( with a DNR provision ) so at this point I'm not sure I want to have anything to do with Sears , much less take a Maserati or a Porsche there for battery service .

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[az968]

Can you run a battery specific gravity test to see how it is doing? How many months is it rated for? 800 miles isn't that far a trip to wear down the battery if it's in good condition. I'm sort of in Kim's camp, you could do it but what if something doesn't go right, then you are on the hook for it. It hear Mas parts are pricier than Porsche parts.

 

Sounds like you need to find a better place for service, these guys don't seem to give a flip about their customers.  Course you didn't buy it new from them so you are now at the bottom of the pecking order :o

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

Wait just a doggone second. Do mean that a man of your stature, age, wisdom and experience can not get a battery changed at a dealership? We all realize that you folks on the west coast are different than all of the rest of us, superior even at least in your own minds, but you can't make this happen verbally or even by subtle convincing. $$$$$. Oh my this is terrible.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Yeah, I'll check the cold reading with the trusty voltmeter I keep just for these occasions , and if it seems decent enough I'll probably take the chance on it for this trip and wait to have the battery replaced during the service appointment next month. It starts immediately and really well right now , but I keep reading on the Maserati forum that some batteries will fail suddenly without a single advance clue that it may be staring to go bad. Particularly those pushing past the 3 year mark of their life ..


Finding another shop who gives a hoot about the Maserati - Ferrari customer around here is about as easy as finding water on Mars.

There are only 3 dealers within a 50 mile radius , and NO independent shops whatsoever that can work on any recent models ..late 90s is about the cutoff point..none of the independents can afford the computers which are essential to any diagnosis or service, so one is pretty much at the mercy of the dealer , where demand exceeds supply ( aka available time ) by such a huge margin, they can easily afford to ignore anyone for months and months and not lose any business ..

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.