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Negative battery cable - where does it run?

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Old Nov 23, 2015 | 07:45 AM
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Negative battery cable - where does it run?

Last night I discovered that part of the negative battery cable is bad on my Explorer. Right where the cable meets the terminal on the battery, some of the copper strands are severed and the truck wouldn't start or do much of anything else for that matter. If I moved the cable just right, it would re-establish a connection temporarily (and arc) and everything would come back...but the moment I let go of the cable to go try and flip the key to start it, everything died again.

I did get it started by my brother holding the cable in place and I flipped the key, and it came right to life. But clearly I need a new cable. I'm wondering how far down it goes and where it connects to the block.

Thanks...BTW, the vehicle is a 2003 Explorer XLT with the V6.
 
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Old Nov 23, 2015 | 04:01 PM
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About 10 years ago i had the same problem with my 87, I found a pigtail at Kragen for about 8 bucks. Connected the new to the old with set screws and problem solved. The pig tail looks identical to what you have, but only about 6 inches long.
 
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Old Nov 23, 2015 | 10:40 PM
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Per the service manual there are two grounds on the negative cable. There's the short pigtail that grounds at the radiator core support only a few inches away from the battery. There's also a ground at the block near the oil pressure sending unit which is forward of and a bit above the end of the starter motor, not too far from where the dipstick tube enters the block. The ground cable appears to come up in the same loom as the positive cable to the starter from low in the engine compartment.

-Rod
 
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