Battery Cables

I'm swapping out my battery cables because mine are heavily internally corroded. I've already fished the old ones out and pulled a "fish" of wire through with them to guide the new ones back in. The question is, where do I have new cables made? I called Napa and they said they only sell the cable by the foot and do not crimp on connectors. I called a local stereo shop (who thought I was from Mars asking them to make battery cables) and they said they could make them, but use 4g wire- this wire appears to be 2g wire. I need somebody to use the correct gauge wire and be able to crimp on the eye connector at one end and the top post clamp on the other end of each wire. Thoughts?

Joel,

My problem is just the + terminal end at the battery, do not want to use a screw on type, Antioch Napa can crimp but the cable needs to be removed, have not taken mine out yet, still trying to find a shop who could possibly crimp it in the boat.

Well I wouldn't use stuff that small I would use 1/0 cable for the main battery leads you need the larger gauge for longer runs

also check out these guys around $3/ft for 1/0 tinned, they also will custom make cables and with the longer runs these boats need your better off letting them make them instead of yourself.

custom battery cables

M3Fan wrote: 79, great reference. Only problem is that the cables are already out of the boat and I'd like to ski this weekend!

oh well, It's going to rain though

Just called a Napa nearby work- "nope, we're not equipped to make battery cables and I'm not sure that any Napa is, thanks, click." Nice.

Called the audio shop back- they only use #4 cable.

Called CarQuest- the guy said they don't officially make cables but he'd crimp them for me anyway. What a guy. And, he gets my business.

This project is complete. CarQuest charges almost 4.00 per foot of 1G cable. Imagine my surprise when I picked up the cables and the guy was like "That'll be 75.84". I almost passed out at the counter. "I'm sorry, perhaps I heard you wrong- did you say SEVENTY FIVE US DOLLARS??? SSSSANTA MARIA!!!!" Had I known it would have been that expensive, I would have delayed this project for years! Yep, each run of wire is over 8 feet. Oh, well. Got some shrink wrap for the eyelet ends and put that on just to tidy up the cables and fished them through. Of course, they fought me all the way as I tried to fish them through. Turns out the battery cable passage out of the battery box is just raw floatation foam- pretty lame. No pipes or anything.

TRBenj wrote: M3Fan wrote: Turns out the battery cable passage out of the battery box is just raw floatation foam- pretty lame. No pipes or anything. I find that very hard to believe- both my '90 and '78 had PVC pipes that spanned from the batt box to the bulkhead. $4/ft is a little high, but not outrageous. Did they terminate the ends for you? If so, thats a decent deal.

You're right, I try to make this stuff up for you guys

The battery cable passage exits the starboard side of the battery box on this boat, not astern like the older boats. There is a grommet around the exit hole of the battery box and a tunnel of pure foam leading outside the box. Then the cables go who knows where and at some point take a hard right astern. Fishing them was a very nontrivial task- I wouldn't be surprised if they actually go through a maze of some sort down there . As far as I could feel into that tunnel, it was all foam. You can check it out at GL.

As far as the price, I meant that it was shocking because I didn't even ask about the price- I just picked up the cables blindly and I wasn't expecting 75 bucks! But, the good thing is I went with the "big dog" cable.

Now I just have to figure out where this extra 12g ground terminates so I can replace it too. I asked on PN.com and of course got no answers, most likely because it wasn't about which gel scheme I should get on my new 100K boat or which cool griffin graphic I want on my 2009 230. When I stripped the additional ground back to throw a ring terminal on it last night, the wire was actually jet black with corrosion.

Joel, The extra ground wire - does it go forward or aft? I'm sure you looked in the bilge at were the bat cables come through. I'm just wondering if it was added at one time because of the typical grounding problem. I'd start pulling on black wires in the bilge and see if you get any movement on the other end. You do see now why the marine wire is tinned. Too bad it's so damn expensive. Of coarse the copper is at a all time high as well. Glad you got the cables through the foam and it didn't turn into a major project like your drip less did!

WOW 75 bucks makes my twenty buck cables look like a steal. Just FYI I know you didn't have the time but the site I posted had much cheaper prices and is for a marine grade cable. Bought a 8' black and 10' red complete, shring wrapped both ends and boots, gotta love good friends when they hook you up with top quality parts at wholesale price.

getting replacement cables was the hardest item to source when I redid mine several years ago. Luckely for me my neighbor and I where on good terms and he works for who he does because it saved me over a grand over the years for everything I bought from him.