Some of you may remember a month or two ago I had a weird problem where I would hit the brake, and the headlights would dim WAY down and the radio would "reboot. " And then it died on me completely at a red light (I was able to start again tho)

Today, I went to start my car (1990 T2), and it wouldn't turn over, it was making the whirring and clicking noise it sometimes makes (i think my starter is going) I held in in the start position for a bit longer than usual, and then the car DIED. totally dead, no power at all. I thought I blew a fuse, I checked them all, and was puzzled. I checked for battery voltage in the engine bay (battery is relocated to storage bin) and got like half a volt. half a volt? even a dead battery should make more. I opened up the battery box, and tested the battery on the two terminals, showed 12.5v or so. Then I checked it at the positive terminal and the frame, and got nothing. Then I checked the ground wire to the frame with the ohm tester, and found an open circuit! It turns out the ground was bad. The crimp connector on the 1GA bettery cable had come loose, possibly due to the cold. (since when it's cold, metals contract, and the copper wire and the (unknown metal) connector are two different metals, one shrank more than the other, loosening the connector.) I re-crimped it, and cleaned up the metal around the bolt with a wire wheel and bolted it back up. Car is running great again, and the headlights don't seem to dim as much when the brake comes on at idle.

On a side note, my T2 absolutely LOVES the cold. I was doing a rolling start in 1st, floored it, and when it got to about 6000rpm the tires actually broke traction and spun all the way to redline (or maybe my clutch was spinning... hope not)

 

Just as a rule of thumb, you want to avoid using crimp connectors on batteries. Too much current.

If you must use a crimp connector, make sure you remove the insulation and solder both sides, checking for a good flow.

Glad you figured it out!

 

It's a really huge crimp connector (takes in the whole width of the 1GA wire) and it came with the bettery relocation kit, so I figured it would be ok to use... you're probably right tho

 

Yeah I know which ones you mean, I used to use those for 2nd battery set ups for car audio systems. Pain to crimp correctly unless you have a hammer crimper.

 

I crimped mine by mashing it in the non-pliers area right at the pivot point of my channel-lock pliers I mashed it REALLY hard... it worked ok until it got cold and shrank and fell out. I re-crimped it in the cold, so hopefully it will stay this time. what's a hammer crimper?

 

Hammer crimpers are used for 4 awg wire crimps and larger. It looks like a large Klein style crimper without the cutter and handle. You place the joint inside and use a hammer to drive the top V of the crimper into the joint.

 

I made my own 'hammer crimper' by cutting a notch out of a large hex nut. The cut is from two of the hex points with a point in between them, down to the middle of the threaded opening. then grinding it a bit to make the sides vertical. Clamp it in a vice, lay the cable & connector into the notch, then crimp it with a large center punch.

But, being ****, I usually then sweat solder the joint with rosin (not acid) core solder.

Never had one let me down...

'Gards,
2 TIIs: 82&87

 

Great Idea!