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I drove my Navigator on Wednesday, then on Thursday it wouldn't start. I diagnosed a dead battery, so I replaced that. While replacing that, I saw this:
So obviously I need a new positive battery cable (the negative one is fine).
I traced the positive cable today and found that it goes into a bundle, and the bundle goes under the engine. I don't really want to undo the bundle, so what is the best way to do this job? I have been looking on YouTube for howtos, and the Ford 5.4 install is just enough different from this one that I can't follow those howtos.
My mechanical abilities are intermediate: I'm not a total beginner, but I'm also not advanced. With a good howto, I can do most basic jobs. I'm not sure this is a basic job.
Thoughts? I'm about to just take this to my mechanic. In any case, the unit is parked until this is fixed -- that terminal is dangerous.
Well, wife's Expedition looked the same, maybe worse. Used a dixie cup filled with 50/50 arm and hammer and water and soaked the terminal there for a while. The amount of green foam generated was impressive. Rinsed, repeat a couple times and it is squeaky clean. Managed to do our whole fleet this summer and even cleaned and painted the hold down brackets. Follow up with the dielectric grease and the obligatory red and black washers.
I traced the positive cable today and found that it goes into a bundle, and the bundle goes under the engine. I don't really want to undo the bundle, so what is the best way to do this job?
... I'm about to just take this to my mechanic...
That sounds like your best bet. The dirty way to fix this is to replace the cable end, but I've never been happy with the terminal ends that are readily available. If the cable is still available as an assembly that's probably the best way, and the compromise if its available is to find a high quality cable end and crimp it on.
Yeah, unfortunately the original cable is not available from Ford anymore. I think that's wild, since the 5.4 was (is?) a common engine. Anyway, I found a shop interested in doing the work and I'm taking it there on Tuesday. Unit is parked until this is fixed. The shop is going to crimp on a new end, or run a new cable with appropriate ends. I don't really care how they solve this, I just know they will do a much better job than I would.
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