Electrical gurus, Is this bad?

[OutofBatt3ry]

https://i.imgur.com/ajoqFKl.jpg

:eek:

1kΩ

[HKGuns]

If you are doing what I think you are doing it should be zero ohms and you need a new positive battery cable.

Explaining the picture would help.

[OutofBatt3ry]

If you are doing what I think you are doing it should be zero ohms and you need a new positive battery cable.

Explaining the picture would help.

Yes, and thank you.

I had someone tell me that my readings were invalid because of the way I was measuring it. I couldn't figure out if they were trolling or dumb, or I was losing my mind; this is really a not a complex issue, so when I was told I was doing it wrong, it made my brain hiccup.

Suspected high resistance in main alternator/starter wire, melting battery terminal and positive battery post, sluggish starting. Charging system checked out.
Verified high resistance in cable end/terminal. Cable no longer available from the manufacture.
Resistance after the terminal to the starter and alternator was 0. I cut off the cable end, brazed in a new eyelet, installed a marine terminal so it would bolt everything down nice and tight, fixed the issue.

[czgunner]

I've cut cables back 2 feet that were full of corrosion. Whoever said your reading was invalid is an idiot.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[OutofBatt3ry]

I've cut cables back 2 feet that were full of corrosion. Whoever said your reading was invalid is an idiot.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Ditto. I checked in two places down then length of the cable where I could, razor blade and flashlight, clean and shiny copper, as much as I could tell. If the entire cable was available, it wouldn't have been an issue. I cut the old terminal end in half and the cable was burnt where it was bonded to the terminal.

[HKGuns]

Taking it off the battery ensures a 100% valid reading. But I’m this case I’m not sure it matters.

[OutofBatt3ry]

Taking it off the battery ensures a 100% valid reading. But I’m this case I’m not sure it matters. Neg disconnected. Car was fixed a week ago. I posted the fix in my fave car forum and was told my fix didn't fix it..but it fixed it. lol

Whatever.


Mods, this post is useless, please delete.

(I'm still arguing on the other forum for the sake of arguing, but it's bad...like arguing with dems.)

like my dad/boomer thread...I can/will admit when I'm being dumb..like this post.

[MarshallDodge]

I have done quite a few automotive electrical repairs and worked as a tech in a shop that installed electronics in public safety vehicles for a few years.

Your diagnosis and repair was a good start at solving the issue.

You may very well have had some resistance built up but I doubt it was as high as 1K. The vehicle wouldn't have started if it was that much due to the extreme voltage drop. Underneath all that was probably a few conductors that had lower resistance and were doing most of the work.

[utahjeepr]

Not uncommon to get corrosion in the socket of the terminal, effectively isolating the terminal from the conductor. As resistance was 0 in the cable itself your replacement of the terminal end is (obviously since it worked) an effective means of repair. Seriously, who the F is pushing back against that. Dafuq is thier proposed alternative measure?

[MAUSER202]

Glad you fixed the problem, but fyi, resistance checks are not the most accurate way to check a wire. A voltage drop is a more accurate test for a battery cable.

[OutofBatt3ry]

Glad you fixed the problem, but fyi, resistance checks are not the most accurate way to check a wire. A voltage drop is a more accurate test for a battery cable.

I absolutely agree. Did that...voltage drop/amp draw when starting pointed to a faulty starter or bad cable.
but was kind of "implausible"...That's when I started poking wires. The melty terminal made me think bad cable.

I'm very familiar with the tech school video of a large cable but only one "lead" connected in a 0 gauge cable showing 0 ohms but refusing to pass amperage.

My "cranking voltage drop" was really bad, but I've never done a running voltage drop. You have high(er) alternator voltage fighting static voltage from the battery...It get's complicated after that, hence the unreliable, but possibly relevant ohm test.

It wasn't melting on crank, melting while idling. This was a weird one.

Thanks again, all.

[JimP]

Outstanding info!! Thanks guys - the stuff i learn here.....