seattleslew

Hi,

I posted this in a thread on my car not starting but wanted to make a new topic for this specific issue.

The metal piece on the terminal connection for my 2008 Honda Accord battery had somehow eroded away. I went to remove the connector in order to clean it and the metal piece snapped off, apparently it was already partway snapped, which no doubt cause the starting problems.

I picked up a "universal top post terminal" to replace it. However I am having several problems:

1. The copper-colored metal from the broken terminal is really pinched tight on the wires. I do not know how I can get the old metal piece off so I can fit the wires in the new connector. Here are a couple of images of the old metal terminal:




I got the slimmest side cutters I could find but there was no way to get at the metal only in order to remove it from the wires.

2. The new universal terminal does not easily go over the post on the battery. I may be able to hammer it fully over the post but that didn't seem like a good idea. This image shows how far I can get the terminal onto the battery with some slight hammering:



Do I need a different style of terminal?

I tried putting the wires with the old metal terminal into the new universal terminal. When I put the key in the ignition the lights/fan/etc. came on, but everything pretty silently turned off when I tried to turn the ignition. I waited a few seconds and put the key in again and the lights/fan/etc. came back on again so I think the battery is OK at least. Here is a picture of what this looks like:



Any help on the above issues is much appreciated. Thanks!

lazlong

DO NOT hammer it on. You could cause the post to become detached inside the battery and then you need a new battery.

Pry the ends further apart until it fits.

94vtecmn

I recently replaced one of these on an older accord. You will be better off removing the wire from the car and working on it there, or take it to a shop that has the proper tools. They can probably do this for you in about 15 minutes if they know what they are doing.

As for the new post terminal, pry it apart, or file it out to fit the post properly, its all soft lead.

seattleslew

Yes, prying it apart worked. I was able to just cut the wires behind the old metal part, remove about an inch of electrical tape, and put the wires into the new terminal.

I get power through the first 2 or 3 key turn positions. But when I try to start the car I hear a single click and all power goes out. If I wait a few seconds I get the power back in the first couple of key positions. Could the battery just need a jump start at this point or do I need a new battery?

lazlong

Try to jump it first.

seattleslew

A friend is planning to jump start it after work. Would it make sense for it to need a jump start after I had problems starting it? Before the metal terminal piece snapped off completely it did the rapidfire clicking for several tries but then basically nothing.

94vtecmn

The battery may be low from not getting a very good charge with that corroded terminal. I'd hook it up to a charger overnight if you have one, either that or jump it as recommended, and drive it for a while, but don't shut it off unless you know you have another jump, or a charger at your disposal.

seattleslew

Well my friend jumped the car and it started up beautifully. I drove it for 20-25 minutes to let it charge. During the last 5 minutes or so the radio seemed to fade out a couple of times (I saw the volume drop to 0 then climb back up) and the car kind of 'hiccuped' once or twice. When I got home I waited 10 minutes and tried to start it and it wouldn't start. At first the lights and stuff came on in the first few key positions, but now the car has no power at all. Is the likely cause a dead battery?

My friend, who is not an electrician but is much more mechanical that I am (I am actually very clueless as you can tell), hooked up the wires into the terminal for me. Here are pictures of the new terminal:





I thought the wires being open to everything could be a problem but he says it's not. So I don't know if that is an issue.

lazlong

All exposed wires will eventually go bad. It just usually takes years. It won't be a problem unless you plan to have this thing for 10-20 years. Although, you need to have as many of those little strands touching as possible to get the best ground possible.

Go down to Autozone and have them load-test the battery. It's free.

Accordman1

Your new clamp is junk, it does not provide good connection to the wire and it does not even fit well on the post. Stop wrestling with it and throw it in the trash. If I was you, I would buy a new OEM battery cable ($35) and replace the entire positive cable since the old one is already compromised. The other option is to find one at the local salvage yard ($10-15) that still in good shape. Next, I would borrow or buy a car charger and charging the battery over night to make sure it got a full charge. Finally, bring the battery to where you got it from and have it tested. If it failed and still under warranty, you can get prorated refund for it to buy a new one.