hot battery terminal

[mstdfw]

Hi all,<br /><br />I have a 98 Johnson 70 hp that has been sitting for about 6 months. The engine is more than willing to kick over, but after stalling out a couple of times the the charge in the battery does not seem enought to turn over the engine. I noticed the battery terminals sparking upon ignition. The (-) terminal was very hot upon touch-I tried to remove the cable from the battery terminal. What could cause this, poor cable contacts or an internal engine problem.<br />Thanks for any help.

 

[Xcusme]

Re: hot battery terminal

The heat is produced when the battery cable connections are corroded. If you see sparking, the connection(s) are not tight enough. The best thing for maximum current flow is to have clean, solid, tight connections. Remove both battery cables and clean both , the post (or contact area) and the cable ends. Bad connections inhibit the charge current from the rectifier as well, resulting in a under charged battery. An internal engine problem is very unlikely to cause a battery problem unless the charge circuit or rectifier is faulty. Keep your connections clean and life will be good.

 

[ob]

Re: hot battery terminal

I suspect all of the cables may need some attention.Clean and retighten both battery terminals along with the engine ground lugs .Depending upon how long your engine has set up ,you may indeed have fouled carburetors keeping it from wanting to start.If you tried repeatedly to start engine you may have simply overdrawn and heated the terminals in the process.Before attempting a restart engine after cables are made clean and retightened , insure that the battery is fully charged and the carburetors are known to be clear and un fouled.