Positive Battery Cable

[pssbarry]

Has anyone ever had to replace their positive battery cable? My Jeep has been a little sluggish starting so I took it to Advanced to have them run the electrical test.The battery was low so they charged it so they could run the complete system check. It came back that there is an issue with the positive battery cable. I guess my question is can I replace just the positive battery cable or is it the complete battery harness.

 

[ridenby]

Yellocoyote replaced hers,I think there is a post here somewhere about it. It is a little more than your average cable.

 

[riptricket]

i just wish that I could get a replacement end for the terminal on my positive... none of my local places sell it... Anyone point me in the correct direction?

 

[ridenby]

i just wish that I could get a replacement end for the terminal on my positive... none of my local places sell it... Anyone point me in the correct direction?

I just clipped old one off,replaced with fancy brass? side terminal ends use top posts for winch.

 

[Uncle Krusty]

There are two upgades to the battery that will more than pay for themself over the life of the vehicle.

1. Get rid of the cheap lead/acid battery and go with something like a Optima, or even a good sealed AC Delco. Less venting/leakage translates into a cleaner area and less corrosion.

2. Make yourself a good set of battery cables, and replace the factory ones. It will mean cutting open wire harness wrappers, but at least gives you the abillity to replace one if it fails (I've yet to have one fail in 10 years) without popping for that $70 or more wiring warness.

I did both for my last Jeep, and my Dodge truck as well. I've purchased most of the parts, just need a weekend and the Liberty is next (I should do a "HOW TO" as well).

On both of the previous vehicles, it put an end to annoying little gremlin problems in the ECM, as well as smoothed out the engine and transmission shifting.

 

[ShafferNY]

Don't take what Advance says as gospel. I had one of their stores tell me my alternator was bad, when it was the battery. Check things over good yourself or take it to a good mechanic.

 

[mntnbkr]

(I should do a "HOW TO" as well).

Looking forward to seeing that!

I'd like to do this to my wife's, since I have to clean the corrosion off the pos terminal every other week it seems (not really, but at least twice a year).

Adam

 

[maverick7321]

i just wish that I could get a replacement end for the terminal on my positive... none of my local places sell it... Anyone point me in the correct direction?

The only place I could find the replacement one for my 05 locally was from the Stealership and of course they wanted my arm and leg for it but had no other choice for a quick bolt on fix for I did not have time to wait for one I might have ordered for the libby is my only vehicle.

I might still have the part number somewhere for it I dont know I will look tonight and see if I might be able to find it.

 

[rockymountain]

Has anyone ever had to replace their positive battery cable? My Jeep has been a little sluggish starting so I took it to Advanced to have them run the electrical test.The battery was low so they charged it so they could run the complete system check. It came back that there is an issue with the positive battery cable. I guess my question is can I replace just the positive battery cable or is it the complete battery harness.

how old is your battery?

 

[pssbarry]

how old is your battery?

2 years old but they went ahead and replaced it as it was still under warranty. When they tested it with the new battery the readout said " Check starter circuit for loose, worn or corroded wiring". I am going to take it to another shop and have it tested again before I try replacing anything.

 

[boebr1]

Walmart sells battery terminal connectors...
As a rule of thumb... If the battery cable (positive or negative side) is stiff (no longer flexible), or makes cracking noises when you try to bend it, you need to replace it.
When making your own, I have heard the best is making them out of arc welder(can't remember for sure which welder), cables. They are made for high amperage draws, are very flexible, and contain a lot of small individual wires (the fewer the wires, the easier for it to fail) Also when making your own, it is easier to use bolt on contectors, but I'd recommend using the brass solder on connectors... not sure where to get them, but any diesel repair shop (semi tractor, not oldsmobile type diesel) will have them. strip the end of the cable, slide a heat-shrink tube up it sufficiently far from the end, clamp the brass connector into a table vise, heat them up while getting them about half full of solder, then stick the stripped bit of cable in and hold it til it sets. once it has cooled, slide your heat-shrink tube down over the connection and heat it up... this connection will be trouble free for most of the life of your rig.