Loose positive battery terminal cable

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My positive battery terminal cable has been loose even though I have tightened the bolts the best I can. This insecure connection has caused occasional issues with providing power to start my car. Are there any suggestions to get a tighter connection without buying a whole new cable? (It is a dealer-only item and costs $250).

I was thinking about putting aluminum foil around the terminal to make the connection tighter but I imagine this is a horrible conductor and will cause more issues than it will solve.
 
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If I was trying something like that, it would be copper sheet formed to fit.

They do make replacement terminals if you have cable slack.
 
can you not cut the wire end and buy a new terminal clamp?

my Ex's focus was one of those clamp+wire in one deals with a "Permanent clamp"

well in florida, clamps go bad

her uncle and I just cut the wire instead of buying a 30$ wiring set, and slapped on a new clamp Autocraft from AAP,

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_top-post-battery-terminals-autocraft_6280781-p?navigationPath=L1*14920%7CL2*15001

with the 2 nuts on top, multiple wires arent a problem, she had 4 wires, 2 were the main, one was lights, one was radio i guess, anyway the 2 main were mounted normal, the 2 smaller ones were clamped with electrical hooks (round thingy for screwing down ground wires) and mounted to the nuts on top.


If you can buy the marine ones if theyll fit or the rust/corrosion ones, they last longer and are better built.

I use easy access marine ones that have a lever on them so theyre tool free.
 
Originally Posted By: GumbyJarvis
IMHO i would risk my safety on Aluminum foil.

Keep the foil in the kitchen, keep the tools in the garage.


Keep the foil for a hat that blocks the mind control rays, and use a metal that won't have a problem with oxidation and melting.

Is this a bolt tightened clamp around a projecting post, or a screw holding a ring terminal onto a side terminal battery?

Is there a single thick cable coming out of the terminal, or a few additional wires?
 
we cut off the cable end and put on a copper cable lug with an eyelet that fits in to a marine battery cable end the Standard motor products part number for the terminal is BP22U the cable lugs are in the catalog for wire and cable from Standard as well.
 
In a pinch, I've cut a sheet from an aluminum can, wrapped it around a post, melted fishing sinkers and poured to the level of the post. Have the aluminum a tad loose around the post to help make it's diameter a little bigger.
No time - I've wrapped a few turns of thin solder around the post squeezed it a bit with pliers.

add - oh yeah, the old penny and nail trick in a pinch too.
 
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Loosen the clamp as far as possible and slip in a shim. Use something shaped like a nail, but not a nail. Use something made of glass, ceramic, or lead: whatever junk you can find. Clamp it down tight and call it good.
 
Originally Posted By: Errtt

add - oh yeah, the old penny and nail trick in a pinch too.


The penny may work for a while but will grow green fur that has high resistance.
 
Do you have one of those felt washers under the terminal? Sometimes they raise the terminal enough so they can't clamp the tapered post securely.
 
Is this one of the big tapered lead battery posts? It may be if you spread the terminal clamp apart, you can push the terminal farther down onto the tapered post before tightening.

For a replacement terminal, put battery terminal into the search box of an auto parts place. Here is such a search: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accesso...omString=search

Note that the results are on more than one page.

Ooooh! Ooooh! look at this one: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accesso...ier=257147_0_0_

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/epm/07769/image/2/
 
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Its always possible that someone used one of those "reamers" on the post or terminal (many times) rather than a wire brush type of cleaner. I have both. But checking to see that the terminal is all the way to the bottom is a good idea. Good to know they make shims for battery posts.

I once had the brain surgeons at Walmart break the bolt on the battery clamp and say "we cannot fix it so we squeezed it tight with a vise grip". Of course a battery terminal has no "spring" qualities to accept being squeezed.

A Lowes was walking distance which is where I found a new bolt & nut for maybe 20 cents.
 
If the clamp is closing on itself at the pinch bolt, we use to use a hacksaw to remove the lead of the terminal at the pinch bolt (take the terminal off the battery, and just cut down to the bolt, around the bolt). That would allow the terminal to get a better clamp on the post.
 
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I used to use "precision" bits of 1/2" copper pipe for shim as it already has about the right curl to it. If you only use 90 degrees of the circle you still have lead-to-lead contact on the other side of the terminal.
 
Couple of pennies work. I have it on my van for umpteen years now. I tried the store bought battery post shims but with the tapered post, they were not fitting well.
 
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