Battery cable terminal problem

[Wrknrvr]

   How long does it take to wear off the battery terminal end on a negative battery cable. When it happens to not be connected to the negative post on a battery.

 It apparently was just long enough to touch the ground occasionally.

 

  Yep, I can be stupid, forgetful or what ever you call it. But it is my fault totally.

 

  But the fifthwheel batteries still charged.

 

    Vern

[Kirk W]

12 minutes ago, Wrknrvr said:

Yep, I can be stupid, forgetful or what ever you call it. But it is my fault totally.

Is it a little like the saying that the shoemaker's children have no shoes?  😄

[Wrknrvr]

   2350 miles 

  Well I always tell people to clean there battery terminals once a year. Not just look and say they look clean. Or just pour water over them.

 

  So cleaning my terminals on the HDT truck was on my list to do before we left Montana.

  So things worked as it should on our way south. Although I was thinking the 3 8d batteries in out fifthwheel were maybe a little week.

  But we survived the trip, even sitting In Kanas waiting our wind for two days.

  So we set up in our campground for the winter. Then the other day I needed to replace the starter on the Jeep, so we took the truck into town. Got a new starter, then coming out of the food store my wife said there is something hanging down under the truck.

   Oooopssss. Bad bad bad thing. Apparently when I cleaned the battery terminals, the ground wire to the batteries in the fifthwheel jusssttttt happened to fall down away from the batteries. So I checked every including that all the nuts were tight on the battery studs on the HDT. There are 4 batteries in the truck.

    But the batteries did charge. Positive was hooked up.

 But how.

  There is a separate generator and battery to start the generator. I think thatI need to see how I did ground everything. The charge wire is 3-0 welding wire.

  

 

  

[Wrknrvr]

Edited November 25, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[sandsys]

7 hours ago, Wrknrvr said:

Well I always tell people to clean there battery terminals once a year. Not just look and say they look clean. Or just pour water over them.

My mother was surprised to find car batteries were only supposed to last five years. She'd had hers for 15 years. When asked what she'd done to keep them working that long she said she didn't do anything. Well, she admitted she did clean off that ugly stuff all the time.

Linda