Do battery cables go bad?

[Fuddy1952]

To me, this was what was so funny.
I went to trade school, college, read lots of books...then there's real world.
Education is fantastic, but things that happen in real world don't always fit what should happen.
One of the smartest engine builders/inventors I've ever known dropped out of grade school many years ago. He would try something and if it didn't work move forward. The thing that didn't work however he didn't write off because it may work in another application.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I would have to see an internally defective cable (NOT THE ENDS) for me to be a believer. And not from over current, mechanical fatique, or broken insulation causing corrosion. So what causes such a failure? People say they have had such a cable but don't tell of the reason.

Those battery terminals with the clamps are only good as an emergency repair.

 

[zombie]

I would have to see an internally defective cable (NOT THE ENDS) for me to be a believer. And not from over current, mechanical fatique, or broken insulation causing corrosion. So what causes such a failure? People say they have had such a cable but don't tell of the reason.

I should have saved the one I changed a couple weeks ago. Carrier transport refrigeration unit that had been looked at multiple times and had two starters thrown at it. Did a volt drop on the positive cable and it was losing 3.8 volts. Cable looked fine visually, no breaks in insulation, no damage at cable ends. Stripped insulation off and the cable inside had corrosion in multiple places throughout. Visual inspection only works on really evident problems. A volt drop test is the most accurate way to determine cable condition. Look for a max of .5 volts on positive and .3 volts on negative. Just because the cable has insulation covering it doesn't mean that it can't get moisture inside of it. There is always a bit of condensation that will form inside.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Do you think that unit saw a salt environment? I mean, that would be a game changer. But I would say it's not possible for the ends not to be corroded, if the insulation mid length was intact.

And, voltage drop, at what load?

I have a piece of 6AWG aluminum conductor sitting here on my desk making a white mess. It was installed on the ground in temporary fashion, but had some minor insulation damage, and the 110V leaked to vegetation and just totally ate the thing to bits! Not quite on topic, but interesting. Curious if anyone knows if you can use a hex crimper on insulinks.

 

[k0ua]

And, voltage drop, at what load?

At the rated load. In other words if the cable size was designed to pass 275 amps of starting current with maybe a .5 volt drop or less, then you have to assume the engineer did the math and the cable originally met that spec. When you attempt to apply the rated load that it was designed for and it drops too much voltage at that load, then by definition the cable is defective. I have seen so many that looked so good from the outside, and then you remove the jacket, and then the true nature of the degradation becomes apparent.

 

[D2Cat]

I've seen starter not turning troubles caused by lack of ground. I removed the starter and wired brushed the mounting surface of the bell housing and the starter. Engine started right up after that. Easier to put a ground cable from the starter.

 

[zombie]

Do you think that unit saw a salt environment? I mean, that would be a game changer. But I would say it's not possible for the ends not to be corroded, if the insulation mid length was intact.

And, voltage drop, at what load?

I have a piece of 6AWG aluminum conductor sitting here on my desk making a white mess. It was installed on the ground in temporary fashion, but had some minor insulation damage, and the 110V leaked to vegetation and just totally ate the thing to bits! Not quite on topic, but interesting. Curious if anyone knows if you can use a hex crimper on insulinks.

No salt environment, our company has had it since new in Clackamas Oregon. These have a four cylinder Kubota in them just for reference. The ends looked fine, cut them off of it once I stripped the cable just to check that and the wire in them looked ok. Check voltage drop with the highest load the unit will see. Typically a cranking condition, even better if you can run the grid heater or glowplugs at the same time.

What was conductor hooked to? Temporary ground in prep for a grounding rod or something?

 

[Industrial Toys]

No, it was for powering a radio shack, over very steep and wooded terrain. Not conducive to trenching or overhead service. Thirty years is temporary, isn't it?

I'm just in the process of buying a hydraulic cable crimper. I always wanted one,as opposed to borrowing one.

 

[zombie]

I suppose the argument of "nothing is permanent" would make 30 years temporary!

A guy at work just bought a harbor freight hydraulic cable crimper. I couldn't believe how nice and tight of a crimp it made on 4ga battery cable. It had dies to go from 14ga-1ga I believe. Who knows how long it will last, pretty cool nonetheless though.

 

[WranglerX]

I suppose the argument of "nothing is permanent" would make 30 years temporary!

A guy at work just bought a harbor freight hydraulic cable crimper. I couldn't believe how nice and tight of a crimp it made on 4ga battery cable. It had dies to go from 14ga-1ga I believe. Who knows how long it will last, pretty cool nonetheless though.

Yes a quality crimp is best thing for repair, just be sure to seal end of crimp to cable insulation with a oxidization preventing compound.... Over the years I have made hundreds of crimps with circumferential dies and all were requires to have oxidation preventing grease and no bare conductors showing between end of terminal and cable... In industry I retired formally all conductors from about 12ga to 750,000CM were crimped....And crimper and dies were regular tested with "go/no gauges" to ensure the quality was there...

Dale