Do battery cables go bad?

[aczlan]

No, a cable that has a terminal cast to the end is not susceptible to corrosion, like the cheap clamp on replacement.

I have considerable experience repairing vehicles, and I have actually noticed nothing is perfect.

Not trying to help those who don't want it.

Think you know better, feel free to find your for yourself.

It can still get corrosion starting between the cast terminal and the insulation.

I can tell you as a retired electronic technician 43 years wires, cables can and do fail in bizarre ways. A wire can look perfect, looking at the insulated outside and there can be a problem inside, maybe manufacturing defect, movement, etc.
Most wires we use are stranded. One thing that can and does happen is one strand breaks. Now at that point you have resistance (which equals heat). It's like having a length of 10 gauge wire with a section of 14 gauge then back to 10 gauge.
You don't notice at first but over time just like a weak spot in a water pipe it cascades. Another strand breaks, etc. Finally it breaks altogether, snowball effect and no power.
I've found breaks by securely grabbing both wire ends, pull, it stretches and breaks at the weak point.

Yep, Volvo had an issue at one point with a positive cable that would corrode where it ran across the cross member under the engine. Ends were fine, but the middle would be bad.

I agree 12 volts is stupid. I think there would be a lot less problems if it was 50 volts or higher. You hardly ever see problem caused by a loose connection in a 110 volt system.

I would beg to differ...

The flywheel was perfect when I changed the starter 6 months ago. The truck either clicks or engages and cranks hard. There’s no half way turning over or turning over slow crap. I really doubt it’s bad cables or the truck wouldn’t ever crank hard. Right? The batteries load test good and when the starter does hit it cranks hard so I think the battery’s are good.

You need to put a meter on the small post on the solenoid to see how much voltage the key switch is passing to the starter.

Aaron Z

 

[Fuddy1952]

Here we go arguing.
I said "Meter still across battery while cranking up to about 15 seconds you should measure no less than 9.5V."
Yes, 10+V is better than 9.5V!
The OP said cranking the dash meter read less than 9V.
At the starter while cranking 9.5V or higher is ideal.
Yes, checking voltage at small solenoid terminal is great...rules out ignition switch.
Long test leads are useful.
I like to troubleshoot from easy/inexpensive rather than the shotgun/throw parts at it approach.
A quality meter such as Fluke I trust more than the free HF ones, but they're close. If it's off, it will be off proportionately on a known good working vehicle.
All I'm saying is troubleshoot...make voltage tests.

 

[radios1]

coat your battery connections with marine grease, and they'll never corrode again!..

 

[/pine]

...It can still get corrosion starting between the cast terminal and the insulation....

Anyone that has owned an electric golf cart etc. for any length of time can attest to the fact that cast terminals are no guarantee they will not corrode from within...

There are pages and pages of discussions about battery cables on many cart forums...one debate is whether to use heat shrink or not...the latest consensus I recall is that it is best not to use heat shrink...Also, not too long ago here on TBN there was a similar thread about terminal ends for battery cables and the best methods...i.e., crimping and or soldering etc...

 

[RickB]

Here we go arguing.
I said "Meter still across battery while cranking up to about 15 seconds you should measure no less than 9.5V."
Yes, 10+V is better than 9.5V!
The OP said cranking the dash meter read less than 9V.
At the starter while cranking 9.5V or higher is ideal.
Yes, checking voltage at small solenoid terminal is great...rules out ignition switch.
Long test leads are useful.
I like to troubleshoot from easy/inexpensive rather than the shotgun/throw parts at it approach.
A quality meter such as Fluke I trust more than the free HF ones, but they're close. If it's off, it will be off proportionately on a known good working vehicle.
All I'm saying is troubleshoot...make voltage tests.

Arguing? Really? You inferred that a minimum cranking voltage at the battery of 9.5v is acceptable. My experience is that it is not. If posting an opinion based on practical experience is being argumentative I give up.

 

[4570Man]

Once the starter actually does engage the truck cranks fast and starts easily. The battery gauge on the dash is obviously wrong. And it doesn’t fail to start every time. Most times it starts properly.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Arguing? Really? You inferred that a minimum cranking voltage at the battery of 9.5v is acceptable. My experience is that it is not. If posting an opinion based on practical experience is being argumentative I give up.

You're hung up on numbers.
No one...no one can argue with this fact, (and I speak from a little bit-43 years experience as an electronic technician...all I did was troubleshoot...I've been retired now over 4 years)
You have two similar vehicles. One cranks fine, other doesn't. Measure voltage at the battery and at the starter motor of the GOOD one. As I suggested to him, and I'll repeat, use a harbor freight meter!
It doesn't matter...and I'll repeat again...the NUMBER doesn't matter! (Now...for your satisfaction and delight we'll use instead a Fluke 117...it reads 10.497 volts at the battery while cranking).
However...the free HF one reads 10.08 at the battery, 9.72 at starter/cranking.
The HF meter is off a little...so what?????
Now check the defective vehicle. With that same HF meter he reads (cranking) 10.12 at the battery and 8.76 at starter.
See my point?!?
Yes...a quality, accurate meter, numbers are important. A free meter you're making a comparison.
All anyone needs to know, and it's simple, is what is cranking voltage at starter good vs bad with same meter.
Sheesh!

 

[Fuddy1952]

Hopefully I can help...117 replies to your starting problem and counting!
I re-read your post #1 and this last one.
I understand it's intermittent, you don't have (or I should say) want to "dump" a fortune in the dump truck.
It's probably been mentioned here somewhere but Hopefully the flywheel is ok (teeth and not bent, out of round) and starter was shimmed properly.
When it doesn't crank is the opportunity to safely, with a helper, while cranking move battery to starter and other associated wires around...see if it will crank.

 

[4570Man]

I was the one that installed the starter and it had a little shim which the directions weren’t clear on. It said to verify clearance which is impossible. I installed the starter without the shim and it started flawlessly for about 2 weeks on daily driver stats so I decided the shim probably wasn’t needed. Maybe it is.

 

[LouNY]

Most likely the shim was to move the starter drive outward away from the flywheel if it was hitting.
Many times I have found an intermediate problem to be solenoid related.