[VampireHunterC]

Ok...the battery in my 98 Escort died over the last few days. About two weeks ago, I noticed a lot of green corrossion on the negative terminal. I removed the cable and sprayed some of that corrission remover from the parts store, which seemed to help the problem. Then, a few days ago, it would not start again, like the battery was almost dead. When I examined the negative terminal again, I noticed that it was loose, and, in fact, it was cracked along one side, possibly causing the battery not to charge? So, I removed the terminal end and put in a new one. This seemed to help, but the next morning, it was dead again. I jumped it off of another car and went to work. When I got to work, I shut the car off and tried to start it again. NOPE! No start! Eight hours later, I go out to go home, and the car starts! (it still sounded like that battery was not at a full charge, however.)
So, after another day of similar, I went to my Mom´s house and got the battery out of my ´91 Escort (which is only 6 months old and the car is not driven) and swap it out. Of course, it is slightly the wrong size. I had to un-bolt the negative battery cable from the firewall so that it would reach to the negative terminal. The bracket that is clamped on the cable looks like a ground, as it is clamped around bare wire. Is it bad to have it unattached to anything, considering that the negative cable is itself a ground? Can I just wrap it in electrical tape and go on about my merry way?

 

[Pimp_scort_89_GT]

You want to do WHAT with your negative cable disconnected???? You said tha you disconnected your battery from the firewall??? I´m assuming this was a small wire about 10-8 guage or so, and that the actual cable itself is still connected to your engine block. Is this correct? The worst thing that could happen if you removed the small wire and left the big wire is some of your body ground points might have a little more resistance than they used to, but if you removed the big wire and left the small wire then I don´t forsee your engine starting any easier (if at all). As far as the putting a new terminlal on the and of the old battery cable, that isn´t really a good fix at all. I would sugest replacing the whole cable. There could be more corrosion under the insulation that you can´t see. And as fas as getting rid of corrosion on a battery cable, the best thing in the world is not at a parts store, but in your kitchen. Mix a table spoon of baking soda with a cup of water and mix them thouroughly. Then poor it on the corrosion and watch it sizzle away. then wash off with fresh water and viola. And if you are ever in a pintch, you can use Cocoa-Cola. Scary thought huh? We drink it everyday, but yet it can eat away batterty acid. Go figure. Also another way to avoid corrosion is to make sure you cables are always tight, and clean your battery regularly.

 

[VampireHunterC]

The negative battery cable is still connected to the engine block. What I un-bolted was a small bracket that was attached to the negative cable itself, and was bolted on to a little metal shelf on the firewall. It was not a smaller wire, but the bracket was clamped on to bare wire, not insulated. In order for the wire to reach the batter terminal, I had to unbolt the clamp. The only other wires that were attached to the cable was the little black box looking thing on the termianl itself, and that is still there.