Chassis Battery Connections loosen

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Chassis Battery Connections loosen

August 20, 2013, 05:50:16 pm

Anyone else have trouble with your chassis battery connections loosen over time as you travel? Seems like pretty regularly I have to grab a 1/2 wrench and tighten all the terminals on my four Optima Red Tops - symptoms include slow cranking/no start, etc, than once I tighten - off we go -

Anyone else having this issue? Connections to snug up good and tight, but after a while running down the road they loosen up again.

Any pros or cons to using one of the three strengths of lock-tite on the battery posts? (lock-tite comes in three versions as I recall - sticky, regular, and seems like the bolt is welded on!)

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #1 – August 20, 2013, 05:57:01 pm

Tim...

NO loctite, use poly-loc nuts.!

Hans

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #2 – August 20, 2013, 06:04:07 pm

hmmm, AKA Nylock, or something different?

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #3 – August 20, 2013, 06:08:03 pm

Yes we had that issue, actually what we think happened was that when the chassis batteries were replaced, they connections were never tighten. All seems good now and something we'll check! One more item added to the check list! It's getting longer than my bucket list for sure!.

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #4 – August 20, 2013, 06:09:22 pm

Just double nut them.

Safest to cover the wrench (metal) with a plastic bag or glove to minimize change of a dead short from positive terminal to any metal (ground).

Brett

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #5 – August 20, 2013, 06:21:01 pm

Nyloc works great.

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #6 – August 20, 2013, 06:33:29 pm

Tim,

Clean all the terminals on the inside and outside until they are bright. Once they start building resistance, they heat starting and then cool. This hot/cold cycle expands and contracts them until they are loose. Can cause voltage spikes once they are really loose and at the outside, damage engine components. At the least, they will fool the alternator with higher than normal resistance. I did a post several years ago about cleaning the terminals and using a file, making sure the battery cable ends are flat and have the largest and cleanest surface where they connect. I changed ours to stainless bolts and flat washers with stainless Nyloc nuts.

Found the post. Here it is with photos: New Owner needs some help, 1995 u300 Starting Batteries

Pierce

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #7 – August 20, 2013, 06:53:35 pm

Tim, are you talking about the lead post adapter on the battery post or where the cable attaches to the adapter,I had the same problem and changes the adapters,no more problem.

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #8 – August 20, 2013, 07:12:52 pm

Whatever you do to secure them....make sure you have a quick disconnect installed.

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #9 – August 20, 2013, 07:40:40 pm

Twig, interesting what is your rational? I have battery switch on boat, but no disconnect on car, motorcycle, airplane or RV

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #10 – August 20, 2013, 07:41:40 pm

Quote from: Bill Willett – August 20, 2013, 06:53:35 pm

Tim, are you talking about the lead post adapter on the battery post or where the cable attaches to the adapter,I had the same problem and changes the adapters,no more problem.

Bill, not sure I understand your question

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #11 – August 20, 2013, 08:02:02 pm

Mostly the connections at the battery terminal loosen. Will clean as suggested, and use nylon or double nut. DUH, and I used to work on airplanes......

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #12 – August 20, 2013, 08:03:25 pm

Tim,

Think Twig is thinking that it makes a quick and easy disconnect so if you leave the vehicle in storage, you can totally disconnect without having to turn a wrench to remove a cable. Good idea if you use a quick disconnect that will handle starting amperage in the middle of winter.

Going back a very long time but don't you have a starter button down close to the floor on the port side? Tri-Pacer that is. I still have a shop manual for one in excellent condition. Free!

P

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #13 – August 20, 2013, 08:16:34 pm

What I'm thinkin is......IF you have a short and your terminals are torqued so's not to come loose, how will you get the ground off to stop the melting of wires quickly?

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #14 – August 20, 2013, 08:35:15 pm

Spend 98% of time plugged in, FL 6 months, storage with 30 amp and Campgrounds. Rest is NASCAR boondocking with Genny on or auto start.

Maybe if what I try doesn't work I will go disconnect route, but being in sales all my life I am extraordinarily lazy....

:-)

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #15 – August 20, 2013, 08:36:48 pm

Quote from: Twig – August 20, 2013, 08:16:34 pm

What I'm thinkin is......IF you have a short and your terminals are torqued so's not to come loose, how will you get the ground off to stop the melting of wires quickly?

Aha! Really good reason ! But factory didn't worry about that, or one would be OEM, right!

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #16 – August 20, 2013, 08:47:35 pm

Only expounding on my own misfortunes. Good luck.

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #17 – August 20, 2013, 08:57:20 pm

We use "military" battery terminals on all house and start battery posts and use spade battery cables with single hole to connect things together. Batteries have short cables between them, with positive motorhome cables to one end of bank and negative cables to other end of battery bank. We carry spare military terminals and change them out if terminal has a problem. Also learned to not over-tighten battery post bolt, which only stretches terminal too much. We buy our battery terminals at NAPA. I use a longer terminal cable bolt when connecting many cables.

We also connect our shunts directly to negative 'military' terminal and all cables to other end of shunt, eliminating extra short cables from battery post to shunt.

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #18 – August 20, 2013, 10:42:03 pm

pictures of "military" please?

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #19 – August 21, 2013, 07:59:20 am

Tim, the picture that Barry&Cindy posted is the adapter I was talking about.

Re: Chassis Battery Connections loosen

Reply #20 – August 21, 2013, 09:48:15 am

The value of NAPA military terminals on batteries with posts is there is a separate bolt to squeeze the terminal to the post. And cables attach with a different bolt that can be as tight as needed.

Batteries with single-hole lug terminals do not need NAPA terminals.

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