Strange Starting

[Chief Brody]

on my 1999 Ford Ranger

I bought a new battery because I thought that was the problem.....

It won't turn over unless I barely move the negative cable on the post...and the contacts are clean...I don't get it.
I go out to start it and nothing...take some pliers and just barely move the cable connector on the post 1/16 of an inch and boom it starts up.

Drive it...stop somewhere...no start...do the same thing again...starts...

 

[The Griff]

Could it be the connections between the cables and the actual connectors?

Heres another possibility, the same little connectors are split, like they've been over-tightened, the ground on my Cummin's secondary battery is like that, and to get a connection you have to wiggle it a little bit, but sometimes you put a pair of vice grips on it.

 

[Chief Brody]

I'll have a closer look at them...but they seem to tighten very well

 

[rampage]

Internal corrosion on the battery cable?
You could try soaking the end in a solution of baking soda and hot water to see if that helps.

 

[Chief Brody]

I cut off the factory connecter and stripped the wire back till I saw shiny.

I put a new terminal on...so far it works.

Will try again after it has sat overnight in freezing temps...

 

[Chief Brody]

What sucks is that the negative cable on the Ranger is integrated into the wiring harness...so you can't just buy and replace the cable.

 

[sweetk30]

yes you can . there is cables with 1-2-3 pig tails to crimp the extra wires to it other than the main cable.

hell I have a huge pair of crimpers and make a lot of cables my self with bulk wire and ends . I can crimp up to 4/0

wires do go bad and on fords I think there my top customers for new battery cables over the years.

and cheep parts store $1.00 enew ends suck for bare wire in them . I always crimp eyelet ends on then bolt them to the universal ends for better conections .

 

[Chief Brody]

I always crimp eyelet ends on then bolt them to the universal ends for better conections .

dang...I had those in my hand and almost bought them, and talked myself out of it...I though the eyelet connected to the terminal wouldn't be as good as full cable contact on a standard replacement terminal...at least I did buy Zinc...they were $5.00

 

[sweetk30]

also if you do have to use just the ends and no eyelets I always flip the metal tab over and use the 2 dimples that normaly point up now down as a pinch point.

good SOLID mechanical conection is best. your don't get this with just bare cable in cheep ends . its min at best .

but I live in the salt belt and home of corrosion . so my info is from hard core wrenching in this stuff.

 

[Chief Brody]

but I live in the salt belt and home of corrosion . so my info is from hard core wrenching in this stuff.

I guess mine has done pretty good....it is 14 years old and that was an original cable end...
and it had no problems till I parked it for two months...apparently keeping the electricity flowing keeps them cleaner and less corroded

 

[blazer74]

Had to replace both terminals on my 97 ranger because of corrosion on one and the other split about 6 months ago.