truck battery help!

[jack707]

On my 2500hd I wanted a top mount battery not a side mount so I changed it, now I have questions about my splice because when I turn the key I get oil lights and radio but the engine doesn't turn over. Should I move the battery cable splice to the ends with the set screws? maybe that's the problem I spliced it in to a wire coming from the red box on the side of the engine?.

 

[George2615]

I'm guessing you went from a side post to a top post battery. Weren't the cables long enough to reach the top posts, cut off the side posts and install top post connectors.

AutoCraft Top Post Battery Terminal, Lead AC178/A1500101: Advance Auto Parts

How did you splice the cables?

 

[arkydog]

are you sure that you got the starter cable hooked up also? sometime the starter cable is just a singe like 4 guage wire running from the red box to the starter, it i a separate wire from the electronic wires

 

[jack707]

After talking to one of the Chevy dealers here the starter wire I found out is on the hot side and that the wire I have to get another wire same ga. to splice so it can reach the battery post.

Before I cut the side post connecters off it had two wires in both ends - you would think auto stores would carry post ends to except two cable ends and I cant find any!.

 

[Mendonsy]

Auto Zone is the only one I could find that lists those adapters, but it seems like all the stores should carry them.
Battery Terminal End and Adapter at AutoZone.com - Best Battery Terminal End and Adapter Products for Cars, Trucks & SUVS

 

[jack707]

I should of quit before I started!. Went to Napa to get wire and battery ends that open up, spliced the wire to the short one connected the ends to the post looked up saw a little smoke took the ends off the battery fast I hope I dodged a bullet!.

 

[dickfoster]

Having just been down this road, I suggest that you replace the cable all the way from the battery to the starter and not use any splices at all in high current cables. I did and after several years of trouble free operation the splice went bad right out of the clear blue sky. The solenoid would click but not turn the engine over. I spent some time chasing the problem since I was working on my own. Off course I was out on the road in a snowstorm when it decided to act up. Lucky for me there was someone around to give me a pull start. If I'd had an automatic tranny that would not have been an option.
It took one person starting and one wiggling the cable to find it. I ended up replacing the entire cable with 2 gauge welding cable so now I know it won't fail again.

 

[Xfaxman]

Can you post a picture of the way it is now, but not so close up, need to see the top of the battery and where the cables go.

What was smoking?

 

[jack707]

The wires in front of the master cylinder was smoking so I took off the battery cables fast!.

Your right dick foster about splices failing at the WRONG TIME! two cables were to short so I took it in today to the Chevy dealer.