I'm replacing(or trying to) the negative battery cable. I've already pulled the old one off. At one time, months ago, I had to wrap duct tape around it to keep it from falling apart... then promptly forgot about it.

Anyway, I just finished a tune up(plugs, wires, distributor cap/rotor) and the car wouldn't start. The responses I got on another thread "Tune up/screw up", led me back to the negative battery cable.

I went to get a replacement cable at the local parts store, but they don't have the OEM style(for a '91 Classic). I didn't feel safe buying something that may or maynot work.

Anyone had any experience with a negative battery cable that is not the OEM part? If so, how did you do the grounds? And yes, I did a search... pretty much all I found was stuff on battery relocations, nothing about using a negative battery cable that is not OEM.

Hopefully, this will fix the problem and I can drive my car... it's been a friggin week already.

Later,
Mark

Well.

When my cable rusted apart, i just bought a 2 gauge cable. One end to the battery, then one end grounded to the car chasis right by the battery. Just make sure the engine is also grounded to the chasis.

http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/july01/groundcable.shtml

that is a link to show you exactly what needs to be done for a high quality ground.

I did it to both my 93xe and 95se-r.....im putting the battery in the trunk on my 91se-r so it wont be needed but you get the idea.

Okay, I know that there is the ground next to the battery tray. Where else is there a ground? The cables you can buy at, let's say Discount auto, don't have that middle grounding point. But, they do have a ground wire. Will this accomplish the same thing?

Is the engine ground at the end of the cable(opposite terminal end) by attaching the cable at that end?

Thanks for your help, Jon.

Later,
Mark

Originally posted by vladha
Okay, I know that there is the ground next to the battery tray. Where else is there a ground? The cables you can buy at, let's say Discount auto, don't have that middle grounding point. But, they do have a ground wire. Will this accomplish the same thing?

Is the engine ground at the end of the cable(opposite terminal end) by attaching the cable at that end?

Thanks for your help, Jon.

Later,
Mark

heres how its connected:

thermostat housing to the chassis ground by the battery to the battery....all in one

what you need to do is ground the engine from whereever you want....id suggest the stock (thermostat housing) location to the chassis, and then obviously the battery needs to be grounded somehow...you can do it any way you want as long as that is accomplished...the stock nissan ground sucks ass btw.

Thanks Blair. I read the link about changing the cables. I don't think I need to do anything quite that extensive. I believe I'll use part of it though. I'll get some 4 gauge cable, connect it to the thermostat housing, then grind off the paint at the original body ground site, ground it there, and then connect it to the battery.

I know it sounds cheap, but I really only want to replace the negative cable. Once I get this done, hopefully the car will start.
I'm laughing now, no matter what projects I start and complete, there always seems to be something extra to do at the same time. Wonder what's going to happen when I replace the radiator, pull the throttle body, and clean up the EGR system;)

Thanks again,
Mark(heading out to locate cable, ground wire and connector... Radio $hack, baby)

It may be too late, but you can go buy just about any battery ground cable and it'll work fine, just get the same gauge and get one with a long enough lead. They're like $6-$8 at Advance Auto. Then, solder a brass ring terminal to the end and shrink tube the connection. Do like in the nissan forum post, clean up the connection point and cover it with silicone once it's bolted on. You can also get battery ground cables that have an additional 10 gauge lead coming out next to the 4 gauge one, with a crimp connector on it. You can use this to ground to the body, although I'd shrink tube that connection as well, and maybe even cut the crimp connector off, solder the lead to a terminal or wire extension and shrink tube the joint. Good luck with it Mark.

Vladha,

Its not a life and death situation.
Just ground a wire from battery to chasis. Then another from engine to chasis. I would never steer you wrong.

I'll steer you cheap and ghetto, but never wrong.

Oh yeah, be sure you get a nice clean contact. Use sand paper if you have to get the paint off and get a nice clean *bling bling* bare metal contact.

It's not too late, Toolapcfan. I'll pm you later because I have some very specific questions and I'd rather get flamed privately than in a forum. ;)

I've been to the Autozone/Discount Auto stores. They have the battery cable, it just looks soooo much different than ours. Ours has just the one piece, with the center ground and then to the battery terminal. I guess I'm just getting confused.

Unfortunately, we're leaving to go visit the twins in the NICU... they always put things into perspective for me.

Talk to you later, and thanks.

Mark(Man who never seems to have "just" enough time)

Jon, I know it's not life and death... trust me. Have enough of that going around right now. I'm probably just too tired to visualize what I need to do.

I've got everything pulled out, lots of people with damn good ideas, I'll just need to get some rest and get the brain working again... I'll probably be dreaming about battery cables, ground wires, solder, silicone grease, and grounding points.

Thanks again:)

Mark

P.S. Getting embarrassed from sounding like such an idiot

oh.. i've done this before... my original cable rusted off... so i had to get a new cable, which i just took the first cable i saw.... when i installed it, i only grounded one end to da engine, and then the other end went to da battery.... i forgot and didn't know at the time that i needed to ground the cable to the chassis... so i just left it like that... which was a BIG mistake... i started the car and went driving a little, and then my car started jerking and was dying and everything... now my tach is dead and my speedometer is off by 10 mph... :(

I did mine recently. I kept the stock wires in, and ran 4 gauge wire from the battery alongside the stock grounds, and from the thermo housing to the stock chassis ground. My lights dont dim from the stereo anymore :)

I used bling bling Stinger gold-plated ring terminals, because I had some around. Use whatever you want.

I made the new ground wire as short as possible, to try and reduce any voltage drop. I think I made it too short, because I can barely get the terminals on and off now :).