Battery Terminal problems

[madder]

ok, now don't shout at me but here is what has happened so far!
The smaller cable was far too small to go into the top of the new clamp. The screw never gets near it to hold it in place. It's only slightly bigger than a standard 3 pin appliance plug cable. The fatter side worked fine.
Furthermore, even though I saved almost all of the smaller cable, it wouldn't reach the hold on the terminal anyway.
I did a temporary fix so that I could use the car for an hour this evening and it worked although I'm not sure it's safe!! See the picture below for illustration as to what I have done so far.
I know that Stivino asked me to not cut unless it was a last resort, but it really was a last resort. The full terminal and plugs etc were very badly rusted.

No now I need to know if there is any way I can get an adaptor to extend the thinner cable and connect it to the clamp in a safer more secure manner.
My first idea is to buy a joining block, screw the cable into one side of it, buy a short length of cable and screw it into the other side of the joining block. Seal the block with insulation tape. Strip the end of the new cable long enough to fold it a few times thereby making it thicker, thick enough to get held in the terminal clamp by the screw? Perhaps it's safer, and just as easy to secure both the fatter cable and the smaller cable into the same side of the clamp together?
If any of this is an awful idea, then I am open to more suggestions?

Thanks again guys.

 

[Stivino]

If you make a good job of it with connector block, it should be fine. If you can get one of these, you can connect it to the clamp bolt.

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• Stivino
• 28 Sep 2010
• 1

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[madder]

If you make a good job of it with connector block, it should be fine. If you can get one of these, you can connect it to the clamp bolt.

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• Stivino
• 28 Sep 2010
• 1

[/img]

Thanks Stivino. Although that picture looks like the thing that the bigger cable was stuck in previously. Will the very thin cable go onto that?

 

[Mursal]

Yes you can get one small enough for your small wire.
But the block will also be fine, and if you could but the small wire when extended in beside the big one it will hold it tight.

 

[Stivino]

Those things come in all different sizes and are available in little bags with only about six in them.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=42711&OrderCode=JH69A
http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/56
http://www.thetoolboxshop.com/automotive-terminals-132-c.asp

 

[madder]

Yes you can get one small enough for your small wire.
But the block will also be fine, and if you could but the small wire when extended in beside the big one it will hold it tight.

I could, right, now, quite easily put the big and small wire together in the same side of the clamp? WOuld that be safe? The reason I ask is because it seems pointless then to have the 2 screws in the clamp at all?

 

[Stivino]

The two big screws are mainly to get a good grip of the main cable and, to make a good connection because that one carries a lot of current. But as long as they are are gripped properly it should be ok.

 

[wotan]

If using junior hacksaw to saw off terminal bolt, be extremely careful you don't cause a short circuit and a spark, having a battery explode in your face is not pleasant.

Wotan

 

[Mursal]

The two screws can be used to catch one wire underneath both screws to ensure a large contact area between the copper in the wire and the terminal clamp. You need good contact area for reliability starting in the cold weather.

 

[madder]

The two screws can be used to catch one wire underneath both screws to ensure a large contact area between the copper in the wire and the terminal clamp. You need good contact area for reliability starting in the cold weather.

Ok Mursal, thanks. I'll put both cables(fat and thin) into the same side of the clamp, and screw down both screws on top, and then I'll tighten the clamp around the terminal. That should be it so. Thanks again.

 

[madder]

OK, so I'm not in the clear yet it seems. After connecting it all up yesterday and tightening the new clamp around the battery terminal, I started the car. The same thing as the last week or 2 happened. It ran fine for 5 minutes, then everytime I stopped in traffic it would cut out. I'd have to start it up again. Soafter 20 minutes or so of that, it'd run fine. I figured that the battery had flattened somewhat during the ups and downs of the last week or so. With that in mind, I drove for over an hour to give it a good run.
However, this morning, the exact same thing happened again.
Anyone know why this is happening? The new clamp is tight around the terminal. The battery is only a few months old. There are a couple of chips out of the terminal pole on the battery itself, from when the fitter had to squeeze the loose(old) clamp around it a few months back. The chips are very small, more like little scratches. Surely they wouldn't be enough to kill the battery?
How can I tell if it's the battery, alternator or something else? And are there any suggestions?

 

[Mursal]

Its not the starter or battery.
Sounds like the engine is sucking in air from a broken rubber hose on the inlet manifold. Do a visual check of all the small hoses around the engine. You are looking for a crack in one. There is only air inside them (a vacuum) so you wont see a leak to easy.
It runs ok for 5 minutes because the cold start mechanism is giving the engine more fuel and the leak doesn't affect the tick over speed.

If you wanted to also try a carburettor cleaner (aerosol) take the air filter off the engine and spray the cleaner into the manifold.

Let me know how you go

 

[madder]

Its not the starter or battery.
Sounds like the engine is sucking in air from a broken rubber hose on the inlet manifold. Do a visual check of all the small hoses around the engine. You are looking for a crack in one. There is only air inside them (a vacuum) so you wont see a leak to easy.
It runs ok for 5 minutes because the cold start mechanism is giving the engine more fuel and the leak doesn't affect the tick over speed.

If you wanted to also try a carburettor cleaner (aerosol) take the air filter off the engine and spray the cleaner into the manifold.

Let me know how you go

Hi Mursal. It seems weird that these 2 things would happen together though? Before I changed the terminal clamp, I had the same symptoms. Sometimes if I turned the car off and then tried to start up again nothing would happen. I'd have to get out, pop the hood and wiggle the terminal clamp, and then the car would start again perfectly.
Also, it seems to me that once the car has run for 20 to 30 minutes, I can stop, get out, do some shopping, come back start her up fine and do another half hours drive without any problems. It's just that if I leave it for more than around 3 or 3 hours, I get the problem I decribed in my previous post.
Do you still think it might be the hoses? Or could it be something else.
I should also add that, occasionally, it looks like the dashboard warning lights are trying to light up, they're very, very faint. You know like the door open warning or the low petrol warning lights are very very dimly lit, almost un-noticable, but there, when I'm driving. This is why I think it's battery related too? I am doubting the alternator because the car runs fine after the half hour, almost like it has a charge and then it doesn't feel like it wants to cut out.

 

[Stivino]

If you're getting a faint dash light when driving along the road, you should have your whole charging system checked.
Is your Carina a 1600/1800, like the Avensis engine?

 

[madder]

1.6 petrol. It's extremely faint. You wouldn't even notice it only I was looking for it. And it's not always there either.