My positive battery cable is in pretty bad shape. If it's ever-so-slightly loose or there's any moisture at all, it cranks slower than it should. There's a cut in the wire and the exposed wire is green and corroded, the terminals are attached with ghetto-rigging and hope, and the terminals themselves don't look too pretty.

Luckily, the IDI gods have smiled upon me: the previous owner bought a new cable back in '05 or so, but never bothered to put it on. When I mentioned the renewed slow-cranking issue, he dug up the cable for it. Score! No more confusion over ordering the wrong cable and getting screwed!

I'm not very mechanically inclined (I broke an oil dipstick, I can break ANYTHING), but even to my simpleton eyes, this looks like a dead easy job. Am I correct in assuming these are the steps?

1: Keep a fire extinguisher and a phone with 911 on speed dial handy
2: Disconnect both negative terminals
3: Disconnect Old Positive Terminal A, connect New Terminal A
4: Disconnect Old Terminal B, connect New Terminal B
5: Continue until the old positive cable is completely removed, and the new one installed in its place
6: Reconnect negative terminals, check for fires, start truck, check again for fires, put out fires, give up and get a pedal bike?

It sounds like a logical path to me, but I don't know $^*#, so it's probably wrong. Someone correct me before I break something else on my truck, please?

Also, is it worth replacing the negative cables while I'm there? They have little to no corrosion and no cuts in the wire (I'm going to double check this, but I don't remember seeing any), so I'm assuming "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," right? I ask because you guys often know things I don't >.>

 

Nothing special about it.. disconnect the negative lead from both batteries and then the positive. Follow the red wire and it will lead you where you need to be and install the new one just the same

 

Yes, always remove the negative cables first and install the negative cables last! Here is why. If you attempt to remove the positive cables first and somehow connect your wrench to other metals (vehicle ground) you can cause a short, arching, paint damage, battery explosion, acid contamination, and bodily injury.

Remove the negative cables first and it will not matter if your wrench connects vehicle metal- just don't touch the positive terminal with the wrench while you are removing the negatives. You also might have two batteries.

Install the negative cables last so that you have no danger of shorting your wrench to the vehicle and you don't have to worry about the risks of shorting your battery- unless you touch the positive terminal.

Whatever you do, wear safety glasses!

 

If the negative cables look intact, you should be OK. I have seen greyed terminals and cable clamps cause all sorts of problems. Make sure all you cable connections are close to being very shiny. If you want, now is the time to check all your battery electrical connections to the frame and the starter since the batteries will be disconnected.

Always wear safety glasses. Somewhere around 1985 I had a battery blow up in my face, from a spark that I made about six inches away from the battery. I was wearing prescription glasses, which were blown off my face, and I did not get any acid in my eyes. (EDIT)- However, I was scrambling to get that acid off my face and head. It was a FORD I was working on and the ignition switch was bad and I bypassed the ignition switch with a screw driver at the starter solenoid. Who needs one of those handheld remote starter switchie things anyway? I have had one since, lol.

 

Personally, I would disconnect both positives before installing the new cable. Disconnect both sides, then install both sides of the new one. That way you have control over both ends of the unconnected cable.

 

Always a good safety practice. After you remove the negatives on both batteries there is no connection back to the battery.