Battery note
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,192
Likes: 7
From: Belgrade, MT
Battery note
All,
Something interesting on battery testing I ran into this afternoon. Friends 2001 was very weak rolling over and needing jumped the last week or so when i stopped by his house. So I took out the trusty digital volt meter, and put it to the battery terminals on the drivers side first, 14.4 volts. Put it on the passenger side, 12.3 volts. Thinking, ok, this is wierd.....
So, I went to pass side again, put the meter to just the battery posts, same thing, 12.3 volts. Put it on the cables on pass side next, and it read 14.4. So, that told me instantly, bad connection. Took them apart, cleaned, nolaxed, and now they read 14.4 at the battery
(did the driver side with nolax as well)
Just a note on trouble shooting bad connections in the future, I thought it quite interesting anyhow....
Something interesting on battery testing I ran into this afternoon. Friends 2001 was very weak rolling over and needing jumped the last week or so when i stopped by his house. So I took out the trusty digital volt meter, and put it to the battery terminals on the drivers side first, 14.4 volts. Put it on the passenger side, 12.3 volts. Thinking, ok, this is wierd.....
So, I went to pass side again, put the meter to just the battery posts, same thing, 12.3 volts. Put it on the cables on pass side next, and it read 14.4. So, that told me instantly, bad connection. Took them apart, cleaned, nolaxed, and now they read 14.4 at the battery
(did the driver side with nolax as well)Just a note on trouble shooting bad connections in the future, I thought it quite interesting anyhow....
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,156
Likes: 0
From: Yuba City, CA.
Great tip Tom. Tried to rep you, but.................
I will be building my own cable shortly and will be using some extra 2/0 welding cable I have extra and these solder on battery terminals from NAPA. I used these terminals on my Dad's Cummins and they are solid copper and very easy to install.
Store Locator | NAPA Online
I will be building my own cable shortly and will be using some extra 2/0 welding cable I have extra and these solder on battery terminals from NAPA. I used these terminals on my Dad's Cummins and they are solid copper and very easy to install.
Store Locator | NAPA Online
Elder User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 546
Likes: 0
From: Rialto, Ca.
Great tip Tom. Tried to rep you, but.................
I will be building my own cable shortly and will be using some extra 2/0 welding cable I have extra and these solder on battery terminals from NAPA. I used these terminals on my Dad's Cummins and they are solid copper and very easy to install.
Store Locator | NAPA Online
I will be building my own cable shortly and will be using some extra 2/0 welding cable I have extra and these solder on battery terminals from NAPA. I used these terminals on my Dad's Cummins and they are solid copper and very easy to install.
Store Locator | NAPA Online
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Great tip Tom. Tried to rep you, but.................
I will be building my own cable shortly and will be using some extra 2/0 welding cable I have extra and these solder on battery terminals from NAPA. I used these terminals on my Dad's Cummins and they are solid copper and very easy to install.
Store Locator | NAPA Online
I will be building my own cable shortly and will be using some extra 2/0 welding cable I have extra and these solder on battery terminals from NAPA. I used these terminals on my Dad's Cummins and they are solid copper and very easy to install.
Store Locator | NAPA Online
Steve
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Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,156
Likes: 0
From: Yuba City, CA.
No problem Carlos, will do. Probably a couple of weeks out from starting them though.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,777
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From: Buckingham, IA
I used to use solder on, but found it faster and works as well to use hammer-ons. The vice to hold the cable end doesn't cost much and one blow of a ball peen is all it takes. If you need to make more than a couple of cables, it is worth trying. The hammer-ons are also solid copper.
Steve
Steve
Tom, thanks for the thread. Just goes to show that nothing should be overlooked when tracing a problem. And it was an easy fix.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
One thing I should have mentioned is they only are available for a threaded post. If you are using a post you have to clamp to, they will not work, although you can get ends that wrench on or pinch on (not the emergency clamps most folks buy at the auto parts stores). You can get the material you need for hammer-ons at Battery Cable and Power Distribution. I like them because they save me a good deal of time and I have to make cables of all sizes routinely. You can also find hammer-ons at Lowes in the specialty parts section with the nuts and bolts. You will not find a full selection of sizes, however.
Good luck,
Steve
More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 636
Likes: 7
From: La Mesa, Ca.
If you are going to use the compression connectors, make sure the cable and connector are shiny clean inside and out. Next make sure to use a product like Noalox inside of the barrel of the connector before you insert the cable, to prevent corrosion by sealing out the oxidation. Now you are ready to crimp the cable into the barrel of the connector.
Nick
Nick
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 0
From: SE Wisco
Not to knock the compression/hammer-ons, but I think solder is necessary in the connection. As Nick pointed out some form of corrosion inhibitor is also necessary.
When I was in the marine industry we would use the compression ends and then solder them to make a better connection. We would also place shrink wrap tubing over the end to seal the connection. Don't forget to do this before you beat your end on!!! I never forgot...right In addition, don't have the shrink wrap too close to the heat or you will shrink it on way up the wire. Copper is a great conduction of electricity AND heat.
To solder, place the battery terminal end in the vice. Some say you should heat just hte connector and put the solder and others say put the wire in the connector and then the solder. I am a wire in the connector and then heat and solder. I have seen solder just kind of pool around the wires when you put it in the molten puddle so I prefer heating the whole deal. Plus you don't waste as much solder.
We would get all of our connections at NAPA. They had everything we needed.
When I was in the marine industry we would use the compression ends and then solder them to make a better connection. We would also place shrink wrap tubing over the end to seal the connection. Don't forget to do this before you beat your end on!!! I never forgot...right In addition, don't have the shrink wrap too close to the heat or you will shrink it on way up the wire. Copper is a great conduction of electricity AND heat.
To solder, place the battery terminal end in the vice. Some say you should heat just hte connector and put the solder and others say put the wire in the connector and then the solder. I am a wire in the connector and then heat and solder. I have seen solder just kind of pool around the wires when you put it in the molten puddle so I prefer heating the whole deal. Plus you don't waste as much solder.
We would get all of our connections at NAPA. They had everything we needed.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,192
Likes: 7
From: Belgrade, MT
thanks all
Thanks for the comments, just wanted to add to the seeming never ending battery issues we all seem to have to diagnose. Hadn't seen any yet that kind of isolated the bad connection so easily, at least if it is at the terminal, hence the post.
