Replacing positve cable(s)

I watched this video on cleaning battery terminals. He's using a couple products I've seen before. They may not apply to our side terminal batteries, like the little pads he puts under the connectors. What are those called?

He forgot to mention what the stuff he's spraying to remove the terminal cleaner is. Any guesses?

None of my connections have ever been corroded as bad as what he shows. Or a little like what he shows.

albertj wrote:

behind the driver and passenger kick panels).  

Tell me more about the connections behind the kick panels.  The postive cable doesn't have anything that goes there.  

I've cleaned the positive and negative cables under the rear seat, including the postive take off to the fuse box under the rear seat.  I've done the positive cable at the starter, the signal wire to the starter solenoid, and the negative at the oil pan (is that the alternator ground?).  I didn't get to the contacts at the alternator tonight, but the alternator is new and I'm sure everything is in good shape.  I've used NoAlOx on all the connectors.

This battery must be nearly dead.  After all that work instead of a weak start all I got was derpderpderpderpderp.  I had it on the trickle charger nearly up to the moment I disconnected the battery to clean the connector, so it was only run down to the extent of a couple minutes of running the interior lights.

Jack the R wrote:

albertj wrote:

behind the driver and passenger kick panels).  

Tell me more about the connections behind the kick panels.  The postive cable doesn't have anything that goes there.  

I've cleaned the positive and negative cables under the rear seat, including the postive take off to the fuse box under the rear seat.  I've done the positive cable at the starter, the signal wire to the starter solenoid, and the negative at the oil pan (is that the alternator ground?).  I didn't get to the contacts at the alternator tonight, but the alternator is new and I'm sure everything is in good shape.  I've used NoAlOx on all the connectors.

This battery must be nearly dead.  After all that work instead of a weak start all I got was derpderpderpderpderp.  I had it on the trickle charger nearly up to the moment I disconnected the battery to clean the connector, so it was only run down to the extent of a couple minutes of running the interior lights.

If you disconnect the battery cables, what is the battery voltage?

I haven't checked the voltage, but I put a new Optima in and the car starts like it should now. The windows are quicker too.

It's a bizarre coincidence having the battery die right after the starter relay went out. I did manage to fully discharge it earlier in the year, but it seemed fine after being charged up again. It tested fine months later. Maybe it wasn't. I had a LiPo die this year that charged to full voltage but could only provide power for about 15 seconds. The Optima did the same thing, at least, the trickle charger showed full charge but the battery was only good for one or two starts. Finally it dropped to powering accessories but no starts.

I "solved" the thermistor problem by trimming the sides off and zip-tying it to the new battery cable. I think that will be close enough although I suspect the thermistor will read a slightly lower temperature based on the extra thickness of the rubber insulation on the new battery cable, and the insulation doesn't fit as tightly as on the original cable. That may cause the alternator to give a little more charge, but I've read that Optimas like higher voltage, so maybe that's what I want? My guess is it will be o.k.