Hi I’ve recently broke down on the highway because the car died coming home at night. Car wouldn’t start after loosing all power. Towed it home and jump started it the next day fine. Definitely the alternator so bought a new one and swapped it over. It’s now starting fine and keeping charge but the battery terminals are getting really hot and I can’t get a reading off a multimeter . I hooked all the electrical connections up exactly the same as I took them off the old one .
Battery terminals getting hot
- Thread starter Newnav100
- Start date
Help Support Nissan Navara Forum:
Hot terminals are sometimes caused by oxidisation or sulphation of the terminal or the clamps. Try removing them and giving them all a really good clean. Battery sealer is a good idea, spray it on the terminals once everything is on and tight and working.
For general information: electrical power has two parts (like water has pressure and temperature). Voltage is a measure of how energetic the electrical energy is, and "current" is a measure of how much energy is flowing.
If you try to make current flow through a smaller area (because of dirt or oxidisation or sulphation) that flow will cause the area to get warmer. This is how fuses work: too much current through a fuse and the fuse gets hot enough to melt.
For general information: electrical power has two parts (like water has pressure and temperature). Voltage is a measure of how energetic the electrical energy is, and "current" is a measure of how much energy is flowing.
If you try to make current flow through a smaller area (because of dirt or oxidisation or sulphation) that flow will cause the area to get warmer. This is how fuses work: too much current through a fuse and the fuse gets hot enough to melt.
Thanks old tony. But terminals are tip top with a bit of electrical grease as well. Clamps are fine no oxidisation
In that case I'd suspect the battery. Always look for the less expensive fixes first, but if you've covered that, it's time to try another battery and see if the problem continues. Can you borrow one? It needs to be 700CCA or better.
There are only two ways the terminals can get hot:
- Bad contacts
- The battery is even hotter, and heating them up.
Hot terminals expand, making the connection even less stable.
You can try to measure the voltage between the lead terminal and the wire into the clamp. Do this with the headlights full on and the engine off, so there is a reasonable current flowing. The voltage should be almost zero, at both connections. If it isn't: Bad contacts.
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