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Topic: I have a hot battery post

in Forum: C3 Electrical


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I have a hot battery post (1/16)
 6/12/10 6:42pm
dwright
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Victor, NY - USA

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2004 Commemorative Edition Coupe, Auto w/HUD. 13K miles in 2015. Sold 1982 Red Coupe


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Not actually the post. It is the wire connected to the pos post.
And it is only during a certain sequence.
 
I can drive all day and there is no problem.
If I drive with the headlights on, no problem.
 
The problem occurs if I shut the engine off without first turning the headlights off.
Then when I turn the lights off and try to start the engine so the lights will go down, it sounds like the battery is almost dead. If I am liucky, it will start.
 
I then put my finger on that wire attached to the positve post on the battery and it is smokin hot.
If I shut everything off, it cools down.
 
Is it common for this condition?
 
Is something shorting out?
 
How do I troubleshoot the problem?


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I have a hot battery post (2/16)
 6/12/10 7:55pm
Adams' AppleLifetime Member
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Duncanville, TX - USA

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The most obvious solution would be to turn the lights off first....
I'm not sure I unnerstand.
What yer sayin is, You're driving the car, and you park it, shut it down, THEN turn the lights off. THen you re-start the car, so the lights will go down, but it acts like it has a low battery then, and the pos cable gets hot? How long between turning the car off and re-starting are we talkin?
If you drive the car, turn the lights off first, then turn the ign off, and then re-start it, this doesn't happen?

Don't make a lick of sense to me, but I would certainly clean the batt terminals first, both pos and neg, as well as the ground cables under the seat, and from the frame to the engine block.Ouch


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I have a hot battery post (3/16)
 6/12/10 9:43pm
butch's vettesLifetime Member
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Hey Dave, after doing the items suggested by Joel i would check
electrical connections around the front of the engine. Sounds to me
like you have lost a ground and the circuit is doing what ever it has
to for the circuits completion. Since you and Terry had to work on the
car in Holland maybe something was taken off but not retightened
properly upon reinstall. I don't know if your engine ground is up front.
If you have a volt meter you could have some one start the car to lower
the lights and take a reading from the positive post to the engine
block and see if you have 12volts while doing this. Since you recently
had the top of the engine off check the wireing harness for cut or
pinched wires and plug connections for the lights. Good luck! Butch


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I have a hot battery post (4/16)
 6/13/10 8:57am
lukesvetteLifetime Member
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HOWELL, NJ - USA

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But the battery post itself is cool to the touch?

If it still happens after cleaning and tightening everything up - if your main battery cables are original and everything is fine when the car is running, sounds like you're running the lights under alternator power and possibly a bad cable/wire is loading up due to an internal break or a bad connection.

Hace you modified the charging system at all? Heavier amp alternator? When I did that, I almost fried my alternator wire and I had to run an 8 gauge wire from the alternator to the battery to take on the higher output....just some further things to look at...

Good luck Dave

Paul


I have a hot battery post (5/16)
 6/13/10 11:52am
81zoomzoom
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HI GUYS!!!Star Mine did the same thing and it did stop running, I have to same year.      They put aluminum bat cable on it.      Replace the main cables and the one ground buy the starter.     Use copper cables and you should be fine.
I have a hot battery post (6/16)
 6/13/10 6:24pm
dwright
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Victor, NY - USA

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[QUOTE=Adams' Apple]The most obvious solution would be to turn the lights off first....
I'm not sure I unnerstand.
What yer sayin is, You're driving the car, and you park it, shut it down, THEN turn the lights off. THen you re-start the car, so the lights will go down, but it acts like it has a low battery then, and the pos cable gets hot? How long between turning the car off and re-starting are we talkin?
If you drive the car, turn the lights off first, then turn the ign off, and then re-start it, this doesn't happen?

Don't make a lick of sense to me, but I would certainly clean the batt terminals first, both pos and neg, as well as the ground cables under the seat, and from the frame to the engine block.Ouch
[/QUOTE]
 
PROBLEM SOLVED. (I hope)
 
As I am finding out, most of my problems have a simple answer.
As Joel suggested, check the batt terminals.
The wire connected to the pos post was getting hot.
Guess which wire was loose?
I actually saw a spark when starting the engine. See photo.
 
 
Thank God the battery didn't explode!!!
 
I removed the neg cable, took the pos cable off the battery, removed the pos cable and that red wire that was getting hot, reconnected everything nice and tight and now she starts like a $million.
 
No more hot wires.
No more sparks.
 
THANKS everyone.
I feel a whole lot better now.
 


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I have a hot battery post (7/16)
 6/13/10 7:22pm
Adams' AppleLifetime Member
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Thumbs Up
Yeah...it's a good thing it didn't explode back there. Glad ya got it handled, Dave!


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I have a hot battery post (8/16)
 6/13/10 11:43pm
ranger3Lifetime Member
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Great advise Joel. Glad you got that worked out before a fire started.
 
Scott
I have a hot battery post (9/16)
 6/13/10 11:49pm
lukesvetteLifetime Member
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HOWELL, NJ - USA

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That one coulda hurt!! phew

Glad you straightened her out Dave!! Thumbs Up
I have a hot battery post (10/16)
 6/14/10 11:05pm
philip
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Marana, AZ - USA

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I am new here and do not want to offend anyone, but from my experience of being a mechanic for over 40 years I suggest you buy new battery cables. Jiffy ends are good in an emergency situation but they will cause problems. It will be an area of corrosion and loose connections. Spend the money on a good set of battery cables and ground straps.
Since the placement of the battery is inside the vehicle an Optima would be the safest type to use. No hazardous gases = no explosion.
Just my opinion.
I have a hot battery post (11/16)
 6/15/10 11:47am
VetteSpecialties
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And a good opinion it is.  I agree that those cable ends are not ideal.  At least thoroughly solder the end of the big wire, and solder the small wire to it, then clean ans silicone seal all exposed wire.  Then  clean and re-clamp the end.  All those strands are just an invitation to corrosion.

Larry
I have a hot battery post (12/16)
 6/15/10 12:28pm
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That red wire is the same one that I had problems with. One day my gas gauge stopped working, and my battery kept dieing. I found out the connector on the red wire that bolts to that black terminal block had come undone. Crimped new end on and solved problem. Battery was now being recharged and fuel gauge works fine.
Evil Smileebo


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I have a hot battery post (13/16)
 6/15/10 12:53pm
DaveMLifetime Member
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"I have a hot battery post"

Sounds like a great "Pick-up-line"Handshake

Dave
 


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I have a hot battery post (14/16)
 6/15/10 1:51pm
stingrayjim jrLifetime Member
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Agreed with the others about the "temporary" battery ends,  they are good in a pinch, but in the long run they don't hold up,  somewhere out there is a self installing battery end that is a collet design, the battery cable goes through a threaded ring and that ring threads into the clamp, as it is tightened up it "squeezes" the cable kinda like a drill chuck on a bit those work "pretty good" compared to the clamp type according to my boss(i work for Interstate Batteries distributor, so, i've seen my share of batteries... couple lifetimes over) who has been in the battery business since 1972, has never liked the temp ends, as they do create problems like this, and corrosion,bad connectivity, etc... but as Larry and Phillip mentioned, a new set of cables would probably be the way to go :)  and should you go that route, i may suggest getting the largest gauge possible :) (welding cable anyone?? :)

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I have a hot battery post (15/16)
 6/15/10 7:33pm
dwright
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Victor, NY - USA

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Thanks guys.
I'll add that to the top of my "to do" list.
I wonder who put those on in the first place.
Or did it come from the factory with them?
 


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I have a hot battery post (16/16)
 6/15/10 11:00pm
Adams' AppleLifetime Member
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Bubba done it...GM certainly did NOT!

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