electrical and ignition Battery Cables

[deanres]

Well I bought new Battery cables from Blunt a few weeks ago to go along with the new S14 starter I bought from him, and installed this week. One of the nice side effects is that my temperature gauge that wondered about, up when you stepped on the brakes, up when you turned the headlights on is now rock solid. What a nice side benefit.

 

And might I add in this age of supplier angst on the faq how nice to deal with Blunt who have the knowledge to ship what I need, do it fast and always impress with their knowledge. 

['76mintgrün'02]

+1    Blunt

 

I placed the same order with him a while back and was equally impressed with his parts and service.  

I like the look of the stock braided ground strap.  

(... now if you'd just peel off those battery stickers and give the top a baking soda rinse...  ) 

 

Coincidentally, we put them on the same color cars; although your paint looks much better.  

 

My Blunttech receipts total twice what I paid for my car... and I am a happy customer as well.

 

 

[Buckeye]

Just as an FYI deanres, don't know what year is your car, but on mine original ground strap connection to body is the mounting hole on that (3) relays bracket.

[Stevenc22]

^ mine also attaches to the mounting hole by the 3 relays.

[deanres]

As far as where the ground strap is mounted that is where the old one was... So I cleaned off the hole and put it back. Thanks for the advise. Hey sorry that my car is not immaculate, but it is my daily driver all summer. The engine bay does need a bit of attention though.It is a 1974. 

['76mintgrün'02]

Hey sorry that my car is not immaculate, but it is my daily driver all summer.

 

 

 

My turn, I am sorry for criticizing.  Your bay is tidier than mine, which is also a 'driver'

I saw your photos in the 'Esty thread' and you have a well sorted interior as well.

 

I think it cleans things up to remove stickers form batteries and alternators and such.

I will not look back at them when they need replacing... so I peel them.

Just a funny habit, like wiping the battery under my new cables to protect them from future corrosion, due to stray acid on the surface.

[Jimbos69]

Can you share the part # on that negative cable?

Thanks

[John_in_VA]

BATTERY CABLE/GROUND CABLE

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=2213&mospid=47140&btnr=61_1117&hg=61&fg=10

06 - BATTERY CABLE NEGATIVE used from 03/1966 to 07/1977 - part # 61-12-1-350-305

[Jimbos69]

Thank you

[BLUNT]

Many thanks Dean. Glad it solved your issues

[Mike Self]

Suggestion born from unfortunate, first-hand experience:  take a piece of rubber or plastic flexible tubing and slip it over the first 3-4 inches of your battery holddown fastener (the long, l-shaped piece that screws into the battery box.  It's close enough to the positive battery terminal for a watchband, screwdriver, wrench etc to easily bridge the gap and suddenly become red-hot with accompanying sparks etc.  Very easy to do when you're removing the oil filter during an oil change.  

 

I still have the burn scars on my wrist when my watch band grounded the + terminal with the holddown.  Turned red hot in .001 seconds.  Now I cover the terminal and take my watch off when changing oil...

 

Be careful out there!

 

mike

['76mintgrün'02]

I am sorry if I came across as a jerk yesterday.  I see now that you had cleaned the area under and around the new cables.  Leaky batteries are sort of a pet peeve of mine.  Stickers too.   

 

It is funny what all comes up on this site with the addition of a photo to your post.  

 

I see engine bay photos and my brain goes into detective mode.  'What can I find?  How can I help?'

 

There are many similarly eager-minded members here. 

 

Most of the 'advise' is given in good cheer, though it is hard to predict how people will 'hear' what is being typed. 

 

I left my reply in haste yesterday, on my way out the door and should have thought about it more, before posting.

 

 

Just to be clear, I would not peel that alternator sticker, if you paid me.  It is a nice green and blends nicely with the overall 'patina'.  The one on mine was new and shiny and right-in-my-face, so I pulled it; along with all three of them covering the top and side of the battery, warning me about California's health concerns and possible electrocution and DEATH.  I don't need to see all that under my hood.

 

Mike's advice above is very good.  I will do that today and I don't even wear a watch.  A little length of vacuum line, like a rubber grip.  Cool.   

 

Occasionally I'll open my hood and look around, just to relax.  While I am there, I sometimes take a rag and wipe things off.  Maybe put a little WD-40 on the aluminum bits if the get a little powdery, rearrange a couple hose clamps, or move a couple wires around.  Hopefully it gets a little better and betterer and these 'little things add up'.

 

Like the example above: removing a little of that lovely mint paint at the stock location of the ground strap, before moving it up there.  (I would probably put the screw back in the hole where the strap is in the photo).

 

If it was my battery, I would take the second, smaller, positive wire off the top and add it under the clamping nut, so both wires come off the same direction and the 'extra' positive attachment is right there on top looking ready.  I like both of those wires coming off in the direction of the radiator, as it uses up more of the 'extra' length in the cable.  Did yours come with that gray sleeve?  

 

Funny, my negative strap has a plating of the copper strands, so it looks nickel-ish.  The copper looks cool and the red battery top probably goes well with the fan blade. 

 

okay, one more cup of coffee

[gaius]

Can you share the part # on that negative cable? Thanks

 

http://bmw.blunttech.com/BATTERY-CABLE-NEGATI-p48965.html

 

got this link from blunt 42.51 

[Jimbos69]

Thank you.. I have one on its way. Blunt was all over it.

[jimk]

If that's bare copper it may look cool now, but it will get some patina (copper corrosion) in time which is a protective layer naturally green.  Those silver looking braided straps are plated to avoid the patina.

I also have a pet peeve about battery terminal corrosion.  It can be entirely avoided if you NEVER pound, twist, tap, etc. on the battery posts.  That damages the seal between the battery post and the case and corrosion begins all around the battery.  If the cable clamp does not go on by hand easily or come off by hand easily, it's gonna break the seal.  Battery design today has a feature to capture the off gasses that come off the vent and so the vent is not a corrosion source like years ago.  The H2 and O2 is recombined in the vent and the water returns to the battery (and is how sealed batteries don't need water like ancient designs)