Melted Battery Leads

[mopar_ja]

Was planning on drive the GW to town today, started it, then doing a little walk around inspection before leaving and noticed my battery leads melted just the leads not the posts so now its down until i find source of problem.

[camoit]

They do that sometimes. What happened is the resistance / dirt got to high so when you cranked it over and all the electrons tried to flow through a spot that only 1 electron could fit through at a time. Then pow it blows away the clamp. Swap out both of the leads or build new cables using welding wire ground wire. It's high quality high strand low twist flexible wire. and it's only about $.80 per foot. From there you find a battery place and have the ends crimped on. Then last get a can of Noco NCP-2 medicated pads and coat with the Noco NCP-2 paste. Your set for another 20 years.

14866

[mopar_ja]

Thanks Camoit, long time brother how are things.

[camoit]

Well I have been down for the last 4 months. I broke my heal. Glad to see your back. Where did you run off to?

[mopar_ja]

Well, when i was last Fallon. Wife got a new job and we had 3 weeks to pack, move and find a place to live now back in Eastern Oregon. Took 6 months to close on our new home fighting with everybody county water guys over water quality, septic which is still F up drain field is bad that is going to be about 5k if i have to R/R that, Wife wants new wood flooring (still in work), electrical, throw in school. Currently wearing full body sh#$ suit hip waders are not tall enough.

[camoit]

Sounds like you need a mightyram escape zone more then ever. I say put on the head phones tune into D50 radio (http://www.mightyram50.net/radio/playing.html) and zone out and post away. Good times.

[mopar_ja]

Okay, lets say I'm a duh, duh and (drools). I know enough about electrical you can get little tickle when peeing on a spark plug. But, i also know there is a direct correlation between, gauge of wire, its resistance, and amount of voltage. the whole E-R-I thing. I want to know is there a formula to say if you have this much [ ? ] voltage = [ ? ] gauge of lead. exp: Say i have stock alt. 55 amp i should have this gauge of leads, then say i modify in a 135 amp. should i have this gauge of lead.

[camoit]

Okay, lets say I'm a duh, duh and (drools). I know enough about electrical you can get little tickle when peeing on a spark plug. But, i also know there is a direct correlation between, gauge of wire, its resistance, and amount of voltage. the whole E-R-I thing. I want to know is there a formula to say if you have this much [ ? ] voltage = [ ? ] gauge of lead. exp: Say i have stock alt. 55 amp i should have this gauge of leads, then say i modify in a 135 amp. should i have this gauge of lead.

A AWG 10 OR 8 wire is what the ALt has. It's enough for 200Amp. You wont over load the wire. Now if it's some AWG 22 like the head lights have then I would worry about it. Electricity is lazy it will only push as many AMP as needed. As Voltage comes up the current / AMPs goes down.
When you crank the truck and it starts is the only time your going to put any strain on the Alt. It needs to charge the battery back up. Now turn on the head lights and that adds in a couple of more amp. But it's the battery that takes the most.
That's why a loose belt will sequel like a pig just after you start a car.
Then after a second or two they quiet down. That's because the large mp draw is gone.

Then you get into radio and a speaker will use a 24 or smaller. Unless you have one of them system where you like to crack the windshield glass your never going to use enough power to warrant going larger. Or you just want to go def.
If you need to turn the radio up past 1/2 then your truck must have a rod knock, LOL

[pennyman1]

the bigger the wire (lower the gauge number) and the more strands, the more current that can flow. Electricity flows on the outside of the wire, so the more strands the more current can flow for the same gauge wire. I run 0 gauge wire with an 105 amp GM alternator on Geronimo with no issues.

[claych]

mopar ja,
Quick preface, lets say you have a 14v alt @ 55a max output, your 'R' = .255 (rounded)
E=IxR, or in this case solve for R, = E/I. But then what is the cable length here ?????
Unknown !!!! just some circuit.

Rather than to get loooong winded as to the the formula for cable you asked about
The math & literally dozens of variables have been factored in already (luckily) :)

read - http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm - plug in the #'s & 'upsize' cable
until You have < .4 volt voltage drop.

[BradMph]

I like the..."I hope I guessed it right".... way of figuring those equations.

[claych]

I like the..."I hope I guessed it right".... way of figuring those equations.

Side note mopar ja,
---Other Variables--
1) Ambient temp.
2) Circuit loaded rise temp @ 100% duty cycle.
3) Insulation.
4) AWG (american wire gauge) V/S metric.
5) Ampacity.

Use the link Sir, You will save $$$$

[claych]

Or, HERE (http://www.uglysbooks.com/products.php?cat=10&gclid=CN2Q6ZfPissCFQmqaQodNSYPGQ)
& use the ampacity tables & calculate long hand.

[mopar_ja]

Good stuff guys thank you,

Another question strand count what is better to have, more strands or less strands. given they are the same gauge of wire, to avoid a build up of too much resistance causing excess heat.

[mopar_ja]

Now is that < .4 drop per foot of run or the entire circuit.

[claych]

Good stuff guys thank you,
Another question strand count what is better to have, more strands or less strands. given they are the same gauge of wire, to avoid a build up of too much resistance causing excess heat.

Most reputable cable mfrgs use the 700 circular mil per 1 amp of current rule when engineering cable.
(stranded copper, Max power transmission, VERY conservative ).
There are always trade offs --- flexibility, cost, insulation, etc,--- GENERALLY ,the more strands the better.


Now is that < .4 drop per foot of run or the entire circuit.

Entire circuit.

I can't seem to get a screen shot up here so I will do longhand calcs based on pennyman1s previous post.
(had to guess at circuit run length)...
So.
105 amp circuit, Copper cable, 0 (actually 1/0) gauge, 12VDC system, 10 FT Circuit (guessed on that).
=VOLTAGE DROP=
.212
=%VOLTAGE DROP=
1.77
Hope this is clear !!

[camoit]

More strand is better.
If you want to make good cables go to the local welding shop and buy welding ground cable. High strand count nice and flexible

[mopar_ja]

So, this stuff, this says 1/0, so how is that different from 1 awg and is there a difference. to me they are the same

http://www.wireandsupply.com/1_0_CCI_ROYAL_EXCELENE_WELDING_CABLE_RED_p/wc-1-fslash-0-03.htm

[camoit]

You may guess that 4/0 AWG is just another way to say 4 AWG, you’d be wrong. It goes like this. 4 AWG, 3 AWG, 2 AWG, 1 AWG, 0 AWG, 00 AWG, 000 AWG, 0000 AWG. Another way to name this is with numbers, referring to the zeros. That is, 0000 can also be called 4/0, (or, like, 4 zeros, or in wire-nerd-speak, “four-aught”). Where a 4AWG wire is a little less than a 1/4″ thick, a 4/0 is about a half-inch thick. Big difference.


What you might want to do is go get the ends your going to use before you get the wire. They will have a mark on them saying what size wire to use.
I used crimp on ends. The local battery joint will have them.
Once you get them head over to the welding place and get your wire. It should be around $1.00 per Ft. Then just cut to the length you need. Strip and have the battery guys crimp the ends on. But make sure you clock the ends the way you want them. Once there on the wire can be tough to twist into position.

[mopar_ja]

(Light Bulb) Now, that makes sense like 4 aught steel wool.

[pennyman1]

exactly...