diy solar

diy solar

Don’t trust auto parts store battery cables

Delmar

Delmar

Solar Addict
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
879
Location
Lake Conroe Texas
One of the original cable terminals on my golf cart corroded and I don’t have crimpers for heavy cables. I wanted to use the cart for the weekend, so figured I’d just buy a premade cable from my local auto supply. They have to handle lots of amps when starting an engine, right?

Worked for about a year then I smelled the magic smoke. The crimp must have a bad connection that overheated and melted the battery terminal of my Trojan T875. The bolt head was what was embedded in the terminal.

Oh well, it supplied my motivation for a SOK server rack retrofit that I’m extremely happy with. Yes I am having the correct cable premade by my local golf cart dealer.

Anyone need a deal on 5-1/2 used Trojan T-875’s with Hydrolink watering?
 

Attachments

  • battery cable.jpg
    battery cable.jpg
    134.7 KB · Views: 50
  • SOK battery.jpg
    SOK battery.jpg
    173.3 KB · Views: 50
I had a situation with my old ford recently and had to change out a cable and silly me, rushed down to the local UAP/NAPA and got one off the rack, I checked the crimps and just before I was about to add my own heat-shrink on the ends (they had none) I noticed the wire looked odd ! I decided to cut off am end (I have lots) and LO & BEHOLD ! CCA WIRE ! Copper Clad Aluminum !! Took it back and they didn't want to take it back, then I grabbed another off the shelf that SAYS ON LABEL "Pure Copper Wire" and after staring down the manager he gave me my cash back and pulled the stock off the shelves as the guy had an argument with "some head office bloke"... Seems they got scammed too ! Well, so it appeared.
 
Delmar said:
One of the original cable terminals on my golf cart corroded and I don’t have crimpers for heavy cables. I wanted to use the cart for the weekend, so figured I’d just buy a premade cable from my local auto supply. They have to handle lots of amps when starting an engine, right?

Worked for about a year then I smelled the magic smoke. The crimp must have a bad connection that overheated and melted the battery terminal of my Trojan T875. The bolt head was what was embedded in the terminal.

Oh well, it supplied my motivation for a SOK server rack retrofit that I’m extremely happy with. Yes I am having the correct cable premade by my local golf cart dealer.

Anyone need a deal on 5-1/2 used Trojan T-875’s with Hydrolink watering?
Click to expand...
Nice upgrade! Please tell me that's not painter's tape, and that the battery has some kind of weatherproofing on the open ports?
 
Steve_S said:
I had a situation with my old ford recently and had to change out a cable and silly me, rushed down to the local UAP/NAPA and got one off the rack, I checked the crimps and just before I was about to add my own heat-shrink on the ends (they had none) I noticed the wire looked odd ! I decided to cut off am end (I have lots) and LO & BEHOLD ! CCA WIRE ! Copper Clad Aluminum !! Took it back and they didn't want to take it back, then I grabbed another off the shelf that SAYS ON LABEL "Pure Copper Wire" and after staring down the manager he gave me my cash back and pulled the stock off the shelves as the guy had an argument with "some head office bloke"... Seems they got scammed too ! Well, so it appeared.
Click to expand...
Well, at least Delmar cable is pure copper judging from the blue/green patina discoloration.
 
At this point, I’m much more inclined to use some of the welding wire. I’ve got left over from solar projects than buy anything from the store.

I bet I can find some quality high amperage alligator clamps for it.

What amperage should jumper cables be rated for?
 
Bluedog225 said:
At this point, I’m much more inclined to use some of the welding wire. I’ve got left over from solar projects than buy anything from the store.

I bet I can find some quality high amperage alligator clamps for it.

What amperage should jumper cables be rated for?
Click to expand...
Starting a car can take a few hundred amps but only for a few seconds. Larger means less volt drop though, which means bigger starter or faster cranks.

That said, my long 12ft jumper cables are only 6 gauge and had no problem jump starting our van.
 
Bluedog225 said:
What amperage should jumper cables be rated for?
Click to expand...
That's actually not a useful rating, as per SparkyJJO, the jumper cables don't have to carry the starter current without a significant voltage drop, they just have to carry a few dozen amps for a minute to charge _your_ battery up enough that _it_ can supply the starter current.
 
I have a couple of premade automotive battery cables here (don't remember where they came from) that have steel lugs. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ be careful out there.
 
Steve_S said:
I had a situation with my old ford recently and had to change out a cable and silly me, rushed down to the local UAP/NAPA and got one off the rack, I checked the crimps and just before I was about to add my own heat-shrink on the ends (they had none) I noticed the wire looked odd ! I decided to cut off am end (I have lots) and LO & BEHOLD ! CCA WIRE ! Copper Clad Aluminum !! Took it back and they didn't want to take it back, then I grabbed another off the shelf that SAYS ON LABEL "Pure Copper Wire" and after staring down the manager he gave me my cash back and pulled the stock off the shelves as the guy had an argument with "some head office bloke"... Seems they got scammed too ! Well, so it appeared.
Click to expand...
False advertising? No way!
 
Yes automotive cables are intended to run a start motor for 1 to 20 seconds. Not the continuous power of a GC. At least look for the #2 cables instead of the standard #4. Automotive equipment uses SAE wire with less copper than AWG.

Otherwise get a crimper, lugs and some wire to do it right.
 
Delmar said:
One of the original cable terminals on my golf cart corroded and I don’t have crimpers for heavy cables. I wanted to use the cart for the weekend, so figured I’d just buy a premade cable from my local auto supply. They have to handle lots of amps when starting an engine, right?

Worked for about a year then I smelled the magic smoke. The crimp must have a bad connection that overheated and melted the battery terminal of my Trojan T875. The bolt head was what was embedded in the terminal.

Oh well, it supplied my motivation for a SOK server rack retrofit that I’m extremely happy with. Yes I am having the correct cable premade by my local golf cart dealer.

Anyone need a deal on 5-1/2 used Trojan T-875’s with Hydrolink watering?
Click to expand...

In the parts store cable's defense, what gauge is that?

Also, the lug is still crimped onto the cable. Are we sure our connection was tight?

Edit: Also, I'm not sure what I'm looking at now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Delmar
Server Rack Batteries fit Golf Carts
2
Replies
22
Views
796
Delmar
Delmar
Rabbit
Multiple Battery Banks
Replies
8
Views
1K
Rabbit
Rabbit
snoobler
Off-grid "Compound"
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
snoobler
snoobler
Back
Top