battery cable failure on F150
#1
battery cable failure on F150
I thought I should share my experience re: the above. I had a "no start" situation a few days ago. When I turned the key to start, I only got a click from the starter relay located on the passenger side firewall. Battery was good. So I went to remove the starter thinking it had failed. When I began to unscrew the nut on the starter solenoid where the positive battery cable attaches, I discovered the copper lug on the end of the battery cable had corroded away to nothing. The cable basically fell off leaving half the lug attached to the starter.
So, I removed the positive cable completely. It is part of an "assembly". The assembly includes the negative battery cables and a fusible link, basically a maze of cables about 3 feet long. The dealer wanted 315 bucks for a new assembly. They don't sell the positive cable separately.
Instead, I performed surgery on my positive cable end that had corroded off. I ground the remaining half of the lug down to totally copper in appearance. I cut it a bit shorter to remove the green corrosion on the very tip of the cable wires. With a nice copper end (leaving the factory crimped part still on), I bought a new copper lug from my auto parts store. I believe I used a lug for 2/0 cable and a 5\16 hole. My cable end would not fit inside without cutting one side of the lug open a bit, but with that slit, I pushed the cable inside the new lug. Got out the propane torch and filled the lug with new solder and around the end and where I made the slit. Worked real nice. Then I stretched some 1\2 inch heat shrink tubing over the entire lug and cable and heated it. Better than factory. Truck started fine after this. Total cost, 2.50 for a lug and 4.50 for a lifetime supply of big heat shrink tubing.
Moral of the story, check your positive cable ends. A ford mechanic at the dealer told me he has seen this cable failure often on F150's.
So, I removed the positive cable completely. It is part of an "assembly". The assembly includes the negative battery cables and a fusible link, basically a maze of cables about 3 feet long. The dealer wanted 315 bucks for a new assembly. They don't sell the positive cable separately.
Instead, I performed surgery on my positive cable end that had corroded off. I ground the remaining half of the lug down to totally copper in appearance. I cut it a bit shorter to remove the green corrosion on the very tip of the cable wires. With a nice copper end (leaving the factory crimped part still on), I bought a new copper lug from my auto parts store. I believe I used a lug for 2/0 cable and a 5\16 hole. My cable end would not fit inside without cutting one side of the lug open a bit, but with that slit, I pushed the cable inside the new lug. Got out the propane torch and filled the lug with new solder and around the end and where I made the slit. Worked real nice. Then I stretched some 1\2 inch heat shrink tubing over the entire lug and cable and heated it. Better than factory. Truck started fine after this. Total cost, 2.50 for a lug and 4.50 for a lifetime supply of big heat shrink tubing.
Moral of the story, check your positive cable ends. A ford mechanic at the dealer told me he has seen this cable failure often on F150's.
#3
rock auto on the cable for $76. On ur 99 plz
Jetthat plz Can u give part number for rock auto on the cable for 7$76. On ur 99 plz
Last edited by Patman; 03-29-2022 at 12:02 AM. Reason: fixing quote boxes
#5
Once DRY, GLOB on grease onto the battery posts, right down to the case. Now, thoroughly coat the cable terminals. Assemble and tighten, torqued properly. Grease will squish forth. Dielectric? Yes, but use any grease except long-thread, tractor trailer extreme shear grease... (which half of you have never seen. It acts as if it had fiberglass or taffy strands within it,) squishes out. Smooth the grease over the terminals and leave a good thickness on them... up to 1/16th inch. (Red synthetic greases are "thinner," so leaving a full sixteenth is more difficult.)
Now, acid fumes cannot reach the metals. I continued this for our general contractor fleet, well after the army, plagued with this problem, and never had an issue thereafter.
Last edited by Patman; 03-29-2022 at 12:06 AM. Reason: fixing quote boxes