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Battery Terminal Upgrade

Discussion in '3rd Gen 4Runners (1996-2002)' started by xjaywalker, Sep 22, 2021.

  1. Sep 22, 2021 at 11:43 AM
    #1
    xjaywalker

    xjaywalker [OP] Rita@Big Bear

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    After 19 years the positive terminal is toast. Anyone have experience with replacing one these?

    Did you replace the entire cable or retrofit the terminal only? TIA
     
  2. Sep 22, 2021 at 12:17 PM
    #2
    mem4runner

    mem4runner New Member

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    Tim
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    I had to replace my terminals on my 03 Tacoma a few years back and had success just retrofitting the terminals only. Super quick and easy fix.
     
  3. Sep 22, 2021 at 12:20 PM
    #3
    xjaywalker

    xjaywalker [OP] Rita@Big Bear

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    ToyoTec 3 Inch Lift, Bud Bulit Skid Plate, Air Box Mod
    Thank you Tim....after more research (bone head for being lazy) I found the OEM terminal just bolts on/off from the cable. $10 on Amazon. Learn something new everyday!! Thank you again.
     
  4. Sep 22, 2021 at 12:21 PM
    #4
    xjaywalker

    xjaywalker [OP] Rita@Big Bear

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    Sorry guys....after more research its a super easy fix. $10 OEM part. =)
     
  5. Sep 23, 2021 at 6:22 AM
    #5
    negusm

    negusm New Member

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    I did a repair to my negative terminal. I'm betting the reason your terminal is shot, is that a chunk of the cable is rotting out and causing high resistance.

    The best way to do it:

    Get the 12" or so battery cable with LEAD terminal (TOYOTA terminals are not as good) from any parts store.
    Get a LARGE butt connector for the battery cable gauge of wire.
    Get some marine heat shrink.
    Solder and flux and a Torch.

    Cut your battery cable as far back as needed to get to good wire. I think I went back about 6-8" before I had clean copper.
    Cut cable.
    put shrink wrap on
    put lots of flux on the cable ends
    put on and crimp the butt connector
    use the torch and heat it up and feed solder into the butt connectors middle hole. use A LOT of solder.
    shrink the heat shrink over the repair.

    So far no more corrosion on that terminal. Now it's started from the POS one... :(
     
  6. Sep 23, 2021 at 12:20 PM
    #6
    PhantomTweak

    PhantomTweak New Member

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    Patrick
    OREGON
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    None. Bone Stock. EXCEPT: Brushguard, tow hitch, both welded to the frame. It's good to have friends and a fully equipped garage!
    I just replaced the terminals with Marine terminals, then manufactured ne cables to go on them. Didn't take me long at all, but that's the kind of thing I do for a living. Or did, anyway. It helped working at a site that had all the parts I needed, except the Marine terminals.

    I need to do that for my 99 4Runner, now I think of it...
    Pat
     
  7. Sep 23, 2021 at 1:46 PM
    #7
    TrueTexas

    TrueTexas New Member

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  8. Sep 24, 2021 at 11:32 AM
    #8
    PhantomTweak

    PhantomTweak New Member

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    None. Bone Stock. EXCEPT: Brushguard, tow hitch, both welded to the frame. It's good to have friends and a fully equipped garage!
    Those Fastronix terminals are very similar to the Marine Terminals I use. Biggest difference is that the Fastronix bolt is on the side, and the Marine terminals have a vertical screwpost. Also, they use wingnuts, not hex nuts. To me, those two features make then easier to use. I want to work on something electric, the wingnut spins off quick and easy, the cables slide up and off, and just push out of the way. No chance of a short. I can clamp my multimeter right to the screwpost easily as well. Very handy.
    I need to replace a cable, I just need the wire (cable), a couple good terminals, and some meltwall heat shrink. Bada-boom! New cable.
    They're also easy to clean. A brass wire brush, pop the cables off, a quick scrub of the cable terminals, and back on they go.

    Since I use Optima type gel-cell batteries, I don't have any trouble with corrosion on the battery terminals, like I always did with the old lead-acid batteries. No more baking soda scrubs, no more battery terminal tool to clean the inside of the marine terminals and battery terminals, none of that. A quick scrub with the brass wire brush again, and voila! Clean as a whistle.
    Only corrosion I get is a little differential metal corrosion, which is to be expected, with copper terminals on the cable pressed down on the lead of the marine terminal, and whatever pot metal the wingnut is made of.

    Oh, the Marine terminals tend to be a tad less expensive. About $6.00, IIRC, but they don't come with all the ancillary hardwar the Fastronix do. I guess it balance out...

    Have fun, all!
    Pat☺
     
  9. Oct 2, 2021 at 5:12 PM
    #9
    mousemeat

    mousemeat New Member

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    upgraded suspension, large all terrain tires
    sounds like you got a handle on this 'upgrade'
     
  10. Oct 3, 2021 at 12:03 PM
    #10
    PhantomTweak

    PhantomTweak New Member

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    OREGON
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    None. Bone Stock. EXCEPT: Brushguard, tow hitch, both welded to the frame. It's good to have friends and a fully equipped garage!
    It helps a bit that this was part-n-parcel of what I did for living for all my life :D

    Pat☺
     
  11. Oct 8, 2021 at 8:16 AM
    #11
    xjaywalker

    xjaywalker [OP] Rita@Big Bear

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    ToyoTec 3 Inch Lift, Bud Bulit Skid Plate, Air Box Mod
    Thank you Pat....appreciate the info. I have the original terminals and they are toast and I really don't like the OEM replacements. Never thought about replacing the cable
    Crazy and I believe this is what has been happening to mine as well. Always cleaning the corrosion off these terminals. And a LEAD terminal is what you used? I will need to get a torch, soldering this large of a cable won't be done with a soldering iron. Thx Pat
     
  12. Oct 8, 2021 at 12:04 PM
    #12
    PhantomTweak

    PhantomTweak New Member

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    OREGON
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    1999 4Runner, bone stock
    None. Bone Stock. EXCEPT: Brushguard, tow hitch, both welded to the frame. It's good to have friends and a fully equipped garage!
    That's why I like the Optima-type gel-cell batteries. Much, MUCH less acid mist comes out of them. No corrosion on terminals, no corrosion on the hold down bar over the top of the battery, no corrosion in the bottom of the battery tray. Kinda handy.
    If you feel brave, the greatest thing about them is that you can move the battery anywhere in the truck you like, and mount it upside down, sideways, slaunchwise, whatever. Hardest part is making the cables long enough, and if THAT is the hardest part, welllll....

    The rot inside your cable's insulation is why I prefer the marine terminals. Heavy, lead, terminals, with a vertical screw-post in them. Then, you can manufacture the cables that attach to it to a custom length. Enough slack to be able to move them out of the way when replacing the battery, or even just pulling the negative lead for safety purposes. Not so much slack that they get in the way, ever.

    Strip the cable back far enough to crimp a good, heavy, ring terminal to it. Slip a 1" long piece of melt-wall, or FIT-300 type, heatshrink on first, and once the ring terminal is on, slide it down so it completely covers the end of the cable. Shrink it down, and voila! Never worry about corrosion down inside the insulation agai, even if you go to the regular lead-acid battery.
    It'll slip down onto the marine terminal's screw-post, and clamp down with the wingnut they provide. Fast, easy, no tools needed to pull the battery terminals off. You can stack an amazing number of cables onto either terminal, too. Just undo the wingnut, slip the cables up and off, done. Leave the marine terminal on the battery. It's not going anywhere.
    At the least, I pull the cables once a year or so, hit the ring terminals with a brass brush to polish them up nice, and back on they go. No corrosion ever on the battery terminals or the marine terminals.

    Sorry if I'm repeating myself. It's a problem I have. It's the only way I can be sure, with my memory being crap nowadays...

    Have fun, or what's the point?
    Pat☺
     

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