Do battery cables go bad?

[Industrial Toys]

When you only have 13.8 volts to start with, taking voltage drop measurements becomes difficult. Just jabbing your probe a little harder, already gives you different readings!

I have worked on thousands of electrical/electronic problems. Many thousands! But the 12 volt starting circuits are the worst! A bad battery can destroy your starter motor. So you replace your bad battery thinking everything is OK and yet you still have problems. Usually just a bit later, just to mess with your head. I was stuck a whole night at the side of an Interstate in the early 80s because of this!

 

[Gary Fowler]

I had the cable go bad on my Yanmar. It started fine at the shop but refused to do anything a few minutes later. Cables looked fine, no corrosion. I removed the starter, took to the shop and tested it, it worked fine. Put it back on, nothing. I removed the cables, cleaned up every thing even though nothing was corroded. While replacing the battery clamps to the battery, I discovered the problem. I had to tug a bit on one cable to get it on the battery and the clamp came off in my hand. It had corroded inside the crimp of the post cable clamp and was just powder inside the crimp. I replaced the cable and no more problem. It was hard to believe that absolutely nothing was visibly wrong with it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I always solder the ends when making heavy cables. Trouble is, the solder wicks up the cable a bit making them hard and ugly. Better that, than a connection issue later though.

 

[k0ua]

If you suspect a cable with a high resistance, then a simple voltage test of the cable will prove it one way or another.

Take your digital voltmeter and place one probe on one terminal and one probe on the other end. Attempt to start the vehicle, so as to draw a large amount of current. If you read much over .1 volts difference in potential end to end, and of course the higher the voltage you read the worse off the cable is. It has a high resistance.

Think of it this way in the extreme. If the cable/wire had zero ohms of resistance there would be no voltage difference end to end because the wire is "perfect" and has no resistance to current. Of course no wire is "perfect" and actually has zero ohms of resistance, but a bit ole starter cable certainly has low, near zero ohms of resistance. Of course a resistor will show a difference in voltage from one end to another as the load tries to draw current from the battery. A defective corroded battery cable is a resistor and resists the flow of current.

Without drawing a load current thru the wire, there will not be a voltage difference so doing a static voltage test will not show you anything. If you replace the starter cable with a 1000 ohm resistor you would still measure the 12 volts on both ends with a simple static voltage test.

 

[ray66v]

YES,,, Not really go bad, but the terminal and the wire contact can become insufficient enough for problems.
You can just cut the bad end off and get a wire clamp terminal to replace it, if the wire is long enough.

Replacement cable ends have a tendency to corrode where they clamp on to the wire.

You can't always see this corrosion, until you take it apart and inspect it.

I have been repairing vehicles for decades, and I have seen many vehicles towed because of those clamp on ends.

They have caused breakdowns, with batteries and starters being replaced damaged, or unnecessarily replaced, before someone realizes the actual problem is that connection.

The replacements ends are fine for a short term temporary repair. But, battery cables are not that expensive. Do it right, and replace the whole thing. You may save yourself a lot of trouble later.

 

[WranglerX]

This has to be the poorest solution for rapair of battery cables....

IF you suspect bad cable just replace it....At least it removes it from hard start equation....

I have had batteries in vehicles up to 8 years with out any problems with corrosion at clamps or cables, I borrow knowledge for the industry I uses to work in.... We use NO-OX-IDE compound (grease) to coat thoroughly cleaned battery posts and cable clamps to prevent corrosion.... I do not have battery terminal corrosion problems, EVER... Battery usual just die from old age for me ...

If it takes several "clicks" of ignition switch to start vehicle I usually suspect the high amperage contacts in solenoid as being issue, they fail because the constant arcing of high current (amperage) causes burned or carbon coated contact inside solenoid....

Dale

 

[standup616]

Battery has acid, corrosive fumes, attacking the copper and internal corrosion. Seen parking brake and shifter cables weld internally while working in repair industy and even one myself because that was path of least resistance for current to flow. I had a honda civic in about 1990 and the bearing on the input shaft fried/welded due to poor ground. Could see the electrolysis marks on ring gear teeth. I imagine it looked like sparks around brushes on a electric motor while cranking. I try to run a ground to starter brace, bolt or bellhousing on everything.

 

[k0ua]

This has to be the poorest solution for rapair of battery cables....

IF you suspect bad cable just replace it....At least it removes it from hard start equation....

I have had batteries in vehicles up to 8 years with out any problems with corrosion at clamps or cables, I borrow knowledge for the industry I uses to work in.... We use NO-OX-IDE compound (grease) to coat thoroughly cleaned battery posts and cable clamps to prevent corrosion.... I do not have battery terminal corrosion problems, EVER... Battery usual just die from old age for me ...

If it takes several "clicks" of ignition switch to start vehicle I usually suspect the high amperage contacts in solenoid as being issue, they fail because the constant arcing of high current (amperage) causes burned or carbon coated contact inside solenoid....

Dale

I have been telling people that for the better part of 40 years now. If you use NO-Ox-Id, you will never have a battery cable problem or connection terminal problem. It is also good for sheet metal screws in automotive used, like mounting radio equipment in vehicles where the screws are exposed to the elements (thru transmission hump, and antenna brackets etc). But a lot of people don't believe me. It is their loss. I have treated every battery/terminal/connectin in every vehicle I have owned .

It amazes me, that such a simple inexpensive solution for no start problems exist, yet very few know about it, and those that do, don't believe it.

 

[k0ua]

By the way what industry did you work in to use NO-Ox-Id. I found out about it when it was sent with every PBX battery plant I ever installed. I worked in Telecom for decades.

 

[ultrarunner]

petroleum jelly also works to coat exposed surface and I found that in a Model T Ford book...

I've had very good luck with the treated felt pads... some will say it is a waste of a dollar...