URGENT- battery cable?
New User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: La Grande USA
URGENT- battery cable?
Hi Everyone,
Truck died today, traced teh problem to corroded battery terminals, and the negative cable terminal is very loose on the battery post, so i am intending to replace it tomorrow. If i remember correctly, the negative cable on the 300 runs to the front of the engine and bolts on, not to the starter?
Also...any tips on easy ways to do this from anyone who's done it before are appreciated...i'm kind of teaching myself as i go, i guess.
Mike
La Grande, OR
Truck died today, traced teh problem to corroded battery terminals, and the negative cable terminal is very loose on the battery post, so i am intending to replace it tomorrow. If i remember correctly, the negative cable on the 300 runs to the front of the engine and bolts on, not to the starter?
Also...any tips on easy ways to do this from anyone who's done it before are appreciated...i'm kind of teaching myself as i go, i guess.
Mike
La Grande, OR
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
From: Nebraska
URGENT- battery cable?
If it is just the connection that is bad, go spend about $2 on a replacement end. Cut off the old one, strip back the wire and clamp on the new end. A bit of advise, don't buy the SUPER cheap ones.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,728
Likes: 0
From: Keweenaw Bay, MI
URGENT- battery cable?
On my 88, 4.9, the ground cable ran from the battery all the way to one of the mounting bolts on the starter. Almost 7 feet! Anyway, I replaced it with a heavy #2 cable and grounded it to the alternator bracket. Now, it cranks alot faster, my dash voltage gage reads higher and my radio does not loose it's memory and I had a stalling problem, and that does not happen anymore either. Do yourself a favor and ground it closer with a heavier cable. That long distance on the ground cable with OEM size cable has alot of resistance under a heavy load.
New User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: La Grande USA
URGENT- battery cable?
Well, went out this morning to scope out the cable location...it grounds on the front of the engine, so it turned out that the 6 feet cable length i bought was a little too much, but it started up easier than it has been lately, now i just gotta reprogram the radio and everything, and we'll see if this fixed it for sure...the battery is almost 4 years old, so will be keeping an eye on that!
Thanks for teh tips...i've got spare parts along for the cable and a post/terminal cleaner in the toolbox now...although hopefully won't have a repeat of this!
Mike
Thanks for teh tips...i've got spare parts along for the cable and a post/terminal cleaner in the toolbox now...although hopefully won't have a repeat of this!
Mike
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 390
Likes: 1
From: South East Alabama
URGENT- battery cable?
Ensure that the cable is is securely fastened so as not to contact the hot exhaust manifold. That would ruin your new cable, battery and possible your truck in a hurry!
Chris
Chris
