Battery cable snafu

[Gary Fowler]

Neighbor lady came over yesterday to get me to look at her Jeep to see why it wouldn't start. Turn the key just produced a clicking sound so we figured the battery was dead but attaching jumper cables didn't change the scenario. I told her that something was fishy since if the battery was dead, I should get a spark when attaching them but I was getting nothing.
Another neighbor came over and said it could be the solenoid so I tried to jump it but nothing but some weak sparks. That is when I thought, bad connection to the battery.
Well the connections didn't look dirty at all, in fact the connections looked new but they were a replacement someone had put on, the type with the two bolt strap that attaches the original cables to a new battery clamp. Well all looked clean but upon removing the strap, it was evident that a lot of corrosion had developed. It took a bit of time to remove all the corrosion from the two cables that attached to that one connection (the battery clamp seemed to be made for just one cable)and the strap that held them to the connection was really corroded, but when finished it started right up.

If I had been making the original repair to these cables, I would have tinned the copper cables with some lead solder prior to putting them under the strap. I think this would have made a more secure connection that would have lasted much longer without corrosion. That and also getting the right type of battery clamp would have worked better.

In retrospect, even if the battery cable appear clean, it is always a good practice to start there with a good cleaning of both terminals when a bad battery is suspect. That would have saved me from crawling under the car several times to find the starter then trying to jump the solenoid.

 

[Zebrafive]

My 1999 Chevy Suburban has two positive cables. It has side terminal battery. My daughter has it at college 100 miles away. When we visited Christmas, she said it would not start. I jumped it and got it started. January it still was not starting. Her sister and boyfriend were visiting and I asked them to buy a battery and put it in. At first it started, then no start issues again. Two weeks ago she was to bring it home. She had to call road service to get it started. She said it took them 15 minutes to get it to start. I had asked her if the cables were tight. She said she asked the road service guy and he said it looked fine. I am thinking parasitic drain.

She got it home and first thing I find is the positive battery cables are loose. One has an insulated cover that slides over it. This one was on first, then a spacer, then the uninsulated (terminal end) cable. The bolt was tight, but cables loose. The spacer had arc marks on it. The insulator on the first cable prevented good contact with the side terminal of the battery. I reversed the cables, spacer between and tightened the bolt. This time the cables were tight. Since it was home I also checked for any map lights, left on, visor, glove box, under hood lights, etc. The only drains I found were the radio, .080 amp and trailer brake controller .020 amp. I felt these were acceptable.

 

[aczlan]

She got it home and first thing I find is the positive battery cables are loose. One has an insulated cover that slides over it. This one was on first, then a spacer, then the uninsulated (terminal end) cable. The bolt was tight, but cables loose. The spacer had arc marks on it. The insulator on the first cable prevented good contact with the side terminal of the battery. I reversed the cables, spacer between and tightened the bolt. This time the cables were tight.

My brother in law had something like that happen. New battery and the new felt spacer was thick enough that the top of the clamp was taller than the terminal post.
I pulled the felt spacer, tightened the clamp and it was good to go, however, he had already called a tow truck and had to pay for the roadside service anyway.

Aaron Z

 

[Gary Fowler]

My brother in law had something like that happen. New battery and the new felt spacer was thick enough that the top of the clamp was taller than the terminal post.
I pulled the felt spacer, tightened the clamp and it was good to go, however, he had already called a tow truck and had to pay for the roadside service anyway.

Aaron Z

That was going to be the next thing, call the tow truck just before we saw a small spark come from one of the battery cables when trying the starter for the last time. Then I knew it was a bad connection. I think now I have to try to find out why my granddaughter car horn don't work. She is coming tomorrow from college to visit for the weekend.

 

[JRobyn]

I have tried with mixed success to tin battery cables before just like you said, to use with an aftermarket clamp. The copper wire is often corroded and crudded enough that tinning is very difficult.

Any chance that the horn circuit takes its own feed directly from the battery and that wire got "left out" during the clamp replacement job?

 

[TooTall69]

A quick corrosion cleanup tip that I picked up from an automotive electrical shop. Get a can of Fresca or any other carbonated sugar free citrus drink and use it like you would baking soda and water. The carbonation cleans the corrosion. I suppose any sugar free soda would work, but that's what they used and swore by and what I've used ever since. It has to be sugar free as the sugar will turn to carbon and acts as an insulator.