[BeeYouZeeZee]

OK, so I went to the Bay Area and Santa Cruz for a week of vacation. The second night I awoke from a sound sleep in a panic. Oh Crap! I left the map light on in the Maser while I was looking for my glasses! Did I turn it off?

NOPE! Got back and the poor baby was stone cold dead! Super high end battery charger said to dump the FIAMM (shorted plates). Remebering EXCELLENT advice from Ed and the others on this board, I ordered an Optima 34R Red Top from Summit Racing (through amazon.com). I paid $159 + $10.00 shipping/handling. It arrived in 3 days, fully charged.

Removing the battery is straightforward but it's tight in there under the relay/fuse boxes. The Red Top's terminals are closer together so the positive terminal sits uncomfortably close to a metal bracket. I turned the positive terminal cluster clockwise to maximize clearance and replaced the red cap. The strap fit perfectly and screwed right back into place, holding the battery securely. None of the supplied adapters were needed.

Surprisingly, after turning on the master power switch everything came right back up. I think the alarm was confused and needed an arm/disarm cycle but the radio didn't need its code and everything else checked out.

So I started the car.... Remembering comments like "wow it really spins"......
Well guess what? WOW IT REALLY SPINS!!!!!!!! I've never heard that car come to life with more vigor! I started it a few more times just to hear how positive the starting is. VERY IMPRESSIVE and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

 

[cardiffGiant]

Yea, it's quite an epiphany those first few cranks with the new Optima It should be the first thing anyone does to these cars.

 

[Troesma]

Yep Buzz, once you plug-in an Optima, you NEVER look back. And you're right anyone contemplating a DIY replacement should be EXTRA CAREFUL with the fuse box. The fact that it is narrower than the FIAMM means that you have also to be careful with alignment to avoid any shorts. Save that, it is one heck of a battery... looking at my next job in my GS.

Just came back from NY today in the morning... got awashed by tornado times last week and evenly baked over the week-end (it was hot by UK standards)

Next week back, but to DC...

 

[BeeYouZeeZee]

Yep Buzz, once you plug-in an Optima, you NEVER look back. And you're right anyone contemplating a DIY replacement should be EXTRA CAREFUL with the fuse box. The fact that it is narrower than the FIAMM means that you have also to be careful with alignment to avoid any shorts. Save that, it is one heck of a battery... looking at my next job in my GS.

Just came back from NY today in the morning... got awashed by tornado times last week and evenly baked over the week-end (it was hot by UK standards)

Next week back, but to DC...

Crap Ed.. What do you do where you keep pond hopping? When I lived in Hong Kong, I got to experience 2 typhoons (and a couple of wonderful Chinese New Years with a couple of wonderful Chinese girls) while living on HK island (Jardine's look out). Kowloon and the new territories are for wimps. I was a regular at Jumbo. At least I stayed in one place for a while

 

[GCalo]

FIAAM's are OEM on Ferrari, too, and they are absolute junk!

I used an Interstate, keep it on a tender at all times, and boy does that car crank now!

So in actuality you are not a "bonehead" because you learned from the experience and gained a great deal.

That's what experiences do.

 

[RVADRCHI]

Just to reiterate what eveyone else has said - it is amazing what a new good battery can do after living with the FIAMM. I just got an Interstate last 2 weeks ago and it's like a new car on start up. For anyone who has been questioning whether their car will start up when you turn the key - the $150 or so is well worth it. There's nothing more embarassing or depressing than trying to start your car and it just fizzles out.

 

[Skidkid]

Consider the Odyssey battery

When the battery died in my 360 I ended up with an Odyssey. I did a bunch of research before settling.

Basically it is very light, approximately 1/2 of the Optima or Interstate. It has very low internal resistance so it cranks well. It is very small and short so no shorting problems but you have to take care in bolting it down. It has a very low leakage so holds a LONG time if no draw. It is completely sealed, no venting or leaking possible.

Possible downsides: it is starved electrolyte so it has less overall charge. It is slightly more suseptable to low temperatures. Have to work out bolting it down.

I like my Odyssey but both Optima & Interstate are good batteries so you won't go wrong. If you want a lot of detail, I posted a long writeup on ferrarichat.

 

[Troesma]

Crap Ed.. What do you do where you keep pond hopping? When I lived in Hong Kong, I got to experience 2 typhoons (and a couple of wonderful Chinese New Years with a couple of wonderful Chinese girls) while living on HK island (Jardine's look out). Kowloon and the new territories are for wimps. I was a regular at Jumbo. At least I stayed in one place for a while

Client work... media business. In DC to tie-up some more work, but a short stop-over towards Buenos Aires (final destination) to await the birth of my 2nd daughter, expected for the 28th. Wife of course is there (otherwise, kinda difficult...) as we decided it was better for her to give birth in the homeland rather than the UK (the wonders of proper private healthcare... it was public hospital here or an all-sorted, all taken care of, your choice of medical team, plus hotel-like facilities down in Argentina for peanuts).

About those "wonderful Chinese girls" guess the wifey is not lurking around

Last Wednesday in NY it was bad; I was in CT and about 4:30 AM woke up due to wind noise and car alarms firing (and I was in a Hilton, not a shed) and outside it was a real deluge, when the storm passed through south CT. One of my colleagues had to go to a client meeting on NY on Thursday which had to be cancelled, as the road was a mess and the Metro North inactive.

Weekend a piss in NY as there was a Dominicano parade on the 6th and transit was chaos, so getting to JFK a real PITA (was in the Sofitel on 44th between 5th and 6th, straight in the middle). Luckily had time over the WE to meet friends and engage in some retail therapy... wonders of a nicely-aligned exchange rate.

Optimas here fare for 150 GBP delivered, or 300 US, so you get the picture. In fact, came back from the US with a 300 US car cover I ordered for the Maser (a Weathershield cover by Carcoverworld; same fabric cover here is -guess- 300+ GBP).

Ed

 

[BeeYouZeeZee]

Client work... media business. In DC to tie-up some more work, but a short stop-over towards Buenos Aires (final destination) to await the birth of my 2nd daughter, expected for the 28th. Wife of course is there (otherwise, kinda difficult...) as we decided it was better for her to give birth in the homeland rather than the UK (the wonders of proper private healthcare... it was public hospital here or an all-sorted, all taken care of, your choice of medical team, plus hotel-like facilities down in Argentina for peanuts).

About those "wonderful Chinese girls" guess the wifey is not lurking around

Last Wednesday in NY it was bad; I was in CT and about 4:30 AM woke up due to wind noise and car alarms firing (and I was in a Hilton, not a shed) and outside it was a real deluge, when the storm passed through south CT. One of my colleagues had to go to a client meeting on NY on Thursday which had to be cancelled, as the road was a mess and the Metro North inactive.

Weekend a piss in NY as there was a Dominicano parade on the 6th and transit was chaos, so getting to JFK a real PITA (was in the Sofitel on 44th between 5th and 6th, straight in the middle). Luckily had time over the WE to meet friends and engage in some retail therapy... wonders of a nicely-aligned exchange rate.

Optimas here fare for 150 GBP delivered, or 300 US, so you get the picture. In fact, came back from the US with a 300 US car cover I ordered for the Maser (a Weathershield cover by Carcoverworld; same fabric cover here is -guess- 300+ GBP).

Ed

Edwardo,

Had no idea you were Agentinian! My best friend Gabriel (yes another girl) is from Buenos Aires (how does my wife put up with these hot "friends" of mine)?

Anywho.... AWESOME about the new addition (I'm not talking about the GS)! I hope you guys get to visit Dallas some day.

Wife edit...... "Hi Ed"


Well, that was benign........... Hey, I am a stud that drives a Maserati

 

[Troesma]

Edwardo,

Had no idea you were Agentinian! My best friend Gabriel (yes another girl) is from Buenos Aires (how does my wife put up with these hot "friends" of mine)?

Anywho.... AWESOME about the new addition (I'm not talking about the GS)! I hope you guys get to visit Dallas some day.

Wife edit...... "Hi Ed"

Well, that was benign........... Hey, I am a stud that drives a Maserati

No s**t your *best* friend is from down south (yeah, down there we manufacture some of the finest a** available anywhere, hehehe...)

Interestingly, the links with Maserati have a family-long tradition as my dad was a close friend of the late De Tomaso.

As for the new addition (yes, another girl) I just hope she'll love riding in the Maser as my 3 1/2 old eldest... love her motto (despite feeling somewhat shameful about it) which is "daddy, why are you not going faster..."

I'm a bit anxious about the event, despite now having some experience, and just hope everything will go as planned.

And sure bet I'll be in the TX area at some stage. In fact, as there is some upcoming business with Coke (Atlanta) I might just take a shot to see a friend who works at the Dallas Fed.

Ahh, and say "Hi" to your wife

Ed

 

[milanojess]

Glad to learn that another Argentino on the forum I wasn't born there but I did grow up there in Bs. As. Totally agree with Troesma about the finests...

Jess

 

[BeeYouZeeZee]

No s**t your *best* friend is from down south (yeah, down there we manufacture some of the finest a** available anywhere, hehehe...)

Interestingly, the links with Maserati have a family-long tradition as my dad was a close friend of the late De Tomaso.

As for the new addition (yes, another girl) I just hope she'll love riding in the Maser as my 3 1/2 old eldest... love her motto (despite feeling somewhat shameful about it) which is "daddy, why are you not going faster..."

I'm a bit anxious about the event, despite now having some experience, and just hope everything will go as planned.

And sure bet I'll be in the TX area at some stage. In fact, as there is some upcoming business with Coke (Atlanta) I might just take a shot to see a friend who works at the Dallas Fed.

Ahh, and say "Hi" to your wife

Ed

LOL! I have three girls! 21, 12, 9 (the 21 and 9 YO are from my first wife, the 12 YO is from Jennifer's previous.. And Jennifer's 12 years my younger.. Rany bugger aye?). Wait.. I stand corrected.. I have 5 girls. My 3 daughters, Jennifer and Angel (our dog). They all seem to be "grumpy" around the same time.

 

[Troesma]

LOL! I have three girls! 21, 12, 9 (the 21 and 9 YO are from my first wife, the 12 YO is from Jennifer's previous.. And Jennifer's 12 years my younger.. Rany bugger aye?). Wait.. I stand corrected.. I have 5 girls. My 3 daughters, Jennifer and Angel (our dog). They all seem to be "grumpy" around the same time.

Heheheeee... and now I'm preparing some work for the OB (tampons) brand. Maybe will need some insights

As for Milanojess, hey dude! Asi que criado en Argentina? Je, ya somos al menos dos..! (sorry for the language slippage here...)

Car flat-bedded today to the dealer, remember it died on me just before going to the US..? Went in and spoke to chief mechanic (this dealer is not the one who brokered the operation, as the car was a Maserati GB unit). Just by hearing the engine he senses something is not quite right; he looked as someone who knows the cars inside-out. Fortunately it is under factory warranty, but if there happens to be a MAJOR issue, I'm going to have some words...

Ed