- Battery terminal clamp loose
 

i was on tour last week and after one of our stops I went to start the A. Pushed the starter button and nothing!! Dead. I opened the hood did a visual check and everything looked fine. The next thing I tried was the horn and lights and they worked. Great I have power!! So I just took it for granted that the starter switch went bad. I push started the car and it started right up. Once I got it home I was going to replace the switch. I went to remove the negative battery cable and I found the clamp was loose in the battery terminal Tighten it up and the starter work great again. The next thing I found out was the two Signal and brake lights were not working. I found that the 2 light bulls were burned out. Tell me how can that happen when a battery cable was loose? I just find it odd to have 2 bulbs just burn out out of the blue, they been there for years.

These are the bulbs I've been using
http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/halogen-light-bulbs

I'm using a 6 volt alternator with positive ground.

Re: - Battery terminal clamp loose
 

With the loose terminal, there was most likely a moment (that's all it takes) where the battery was not in the circuit stabilising things. The voltage from the alternator will have spiked, causing your globes to burn out. It happens in micro seconds.

Re: - Battery terminal clamp loose
 

I had a loose cable, went to start the car and it caused a spark at the battery exploding same. Lots of mess to clean up and neutralize! Always be very carful around your battery cables

Re: - Battery terminal clamp loose
 

fried a generator that way, lesson learned.

Re: - Battery terminal clamp loose
 

That's why some of the antique car generators had a fuse for the field wire.
If the voltage got too high, the amps would blow the fuse, and the generator would stop putting out high voltage.

Re: - Battery terminal clamp loose
 

Right after I bought my pickup, I caught my sleeve in the light switch, thus turning the lights on. Only then to find out that I had a short in the rh headlight. That blew the fuse, then the ginny overcompensated at a much higher voltage and thereby blew out every light on the vehicle. It also killed the engine & I had to get towed home. Fortunately it was only a couple blocks from home.

That wasn't my finest hour.

Re: - Battery terminal clamp loose
 

I loose battery cable will cause the battery to go dead overnight.

Re: - Battery terminal clamp loose
 

Glen, how is that possible? Please help me.

Re: - Battery terminal clamp loose
 

You've got me wondering too. How can that be?