[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.
[/QUOTE]

______________

Yeah...it's a good thing it didn't explode back there. Glad ya got it handled, Dave!


______________

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

That one coulda hurt!! 

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.

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

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.

______________

Click on image for larger view!
LIFETIME MEMBER 151

"I have a hot battery post" Sounds like a great "Pick-up-line" Dave

______________

 

Lifetime Member #116
Dave's '82

   

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?? :)

______________

StingrayJim
NCM Lifetime Member #1936

Stingray's '76���������������������������� StingrayJr's '78���������������������������Lil Red '94

(click each one to see a bigger version)

Thanks guys.

______________

Bubba done it...GM certainly did NOT!

______________

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"