Both battery terminals get hot while engine is running on a zx3 dohc zetec 16 valve
Both battery cable terminal ends get hot. While driving my car, it just died. Pulled off the road and stopped. Placed transmission in park and turned key on to crank engine and no clicks from stater relay and no cranking from starter. Turned off ignition and tried 2-4 times and still no cranking or clicking from starter relay. Turned ignition off and waited 10-15 minutes. Tried it again and it started up like normal. Does this sound like bad battery cable or started relay problems? Thanks for helping.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi, thanks for writing in. I’d be happy to help. Based on your details, I feel that this could be from a bad cable end or connection to the battery or a shorted battery. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home or office to confirm a diagnosis on the issue and make or suggest the necessary repairs or replacements.
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The wire sparking and emitting smoke is the sign of a starter solenoid or starter armature failing causing a high amount of resistance on the battery forcing the battery to an instant draw. When this happens, the starter needs replaced and the battery cables need cleaned.
When the two terminals of a battery are connected directly with a wire there will be a low resistance path for the current to flow. The wire will get heated a little bit (depends on the diameter of the wire less the diameter more heat) and the battery will be quickly discharged.
When there is excessive heat created in an electrical connection, that connection is compromised. Your negative battery terminal gets hot, which to some of us means the issue is at, or near enough to that connection, for heat to be conducted to it.
When current flows through a resistance the resistance heats up, wires have resistance so as current flows through a wire it generates some heat. As the amount of current increases the heat increases.
heat. heating of the lugs, not being clamped tight, or being polished too small after repeated clamping/un-clamping operations. the posts are made of lead. if the steel/brass/copper terminal on the Inside of the battery fractures, due to a scratch on the side, this will cause the inside to heat up, and start problem.
Hot temperatures often cause the cables to overheat. In particular, they increase the resistance of the cable conductors by forcing them to expand, making the flow of current through it more difficult, making the electrical cable less effective up to the point of it stopping working.
The black wire is the “hot” wire, it carries the electricity from the breaker panel into the switch or light source. The white wire is the “neutral” wire, it takes any unused electricity and current and sends it back to the breaker panel.
The positive wire, also commonly called the hot wire, will typically be black in color. It is the source of the electricity. The electrical current travels from the outlet or other power source on the positive wire, so if it is plugged in anywhere, it should be considered a live (and dangerous) wire.
In most situations, a battery is being overcharged to the point that the battery begins venting the excess pressure created by the overcharging scenario. THE GAS VENTED BY OVERCHARGED CAR BATTERIES IS BOTH FLAMMABLE & TOXIC, SO TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION POSSIBLE.
Wiring Issues: If you`ve got damaged connections, faulty grounds or loose wires anywhere in your home electrical system, these can lead to arcing and then smoke & fire. That smoke will need to go somewhere, so typically it exits through outlets.
What causes a battery ground wire to smoke? A poor connection at the Battery Terminal, or at the other end (at either the External Solenoid or fastened Directly to the Starter) can do it.
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Both battery terminals get hot while engine is running on a zx3 dohc zetec 16 valve
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. I’d be happy to help. Based on your details, I feel that this could be from a bad cable end or connection to the battery or a shorted battery. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home or office to confirm a diagnosis on the issue and make or suggest the necessary repairs or replacements.
Problem with battery discharging over a couple of hours. Alternator getting hot while running very quickly.
ANSWER : This may be related to a voltage regulator malfunction. This is the resister on the passenger fender well that you are referring to. This is a device that monitors the charging system to be sure the battery is charged at the rate and voltage that it should be. When this is not functioning correctly, this will cause the battery to die intermittently which can also cause the alternator to work harder than normal as well. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic diagnose the charging system issue in person to verify the problem and proceed with the proper repair.
Battery gets drained, recharging the battery
ANSWER : Hello, the best thing to do in your case is to install a battery shut off switch. However, you are indicating that your battery is perhaps not accessible enough for such a retrofit. And, of course, if you disconnect the battery you lose anti-theft (alarm) protection as well as the possibility of losing stored info in the PCM.
Generally, the issue with charging in situ is if the charger has a voltage excursion (above 14 volts) which, if it occurred, could damage the PCM and vehicle electronics. Just to be on the safe side, Jaguar simply just says to disconnect the battery. If you are using a high quality professional charger, you are probably safe in leaving the battery connected while charging.
The charging circuit is running through the battery and the likelihood of runaway voltage if you are using a decent charger is low. Note that, even if you use a shut off, lead acid batteries will self discharge anyway, so you will still have to charge the battery every several weeks if you are not using the car. Watch out for gas in the tank oxidizing. Keep the tank full and use fuel stabilizer applied to fresh gas. If the gas goes bad and plugs injectors, you will wish you had "only" a dead battery. If you are continuing to have problems with your battery, a qualified professional from YourMechanic can diagnose the charging issue so that you will not have to keep charging it.
My car is running hot, what could be the problem?
ANSWER : There could be an issue with the cylinder head gaskets. Antifreeze can break down and become acidic if not replaced as normal maintenance. The head gasket material erodes and can cause engine compression to build up in the coolant system. This will prevent the flow of coolant which can create an overheating condition.
There is a test that can be done to check whether there is carbon monoxide in the coolant system; it involves special equipment.
I recommend having your overheating condition inspected, and perhaps have a block test performed.
I have Chrysler 300c. Battery light came on, changed battery and alternator but power still getting drained and battery light still comes on.
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. This may be a sign of a failing starter relay. The starter relay is a small unit near the starter that directs power to the starter from the battery. When this fails, it may cause a clicking sound and will not allow the starter to engage the flywheel when you turn the key. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your home to diagnose your starting issue to determine the solution to get you back on the road.
The engine of the car runs, but when I push the gas pedal it does not accelerate, and the engine does not rev.
ANSWER : Hello. It sounds like you may have an issue with your throttle position sensor. This sensor sends a reference voltage to your power-train control module, which uses that to determine ignition timing and fuel trims. If the power-train control module is not detecting the proper signal from the throttle position sensor, the engine may not accelerate properly. It’s probably a good idea for you to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a car is slow to accelerate inspection first, so they can pinpoint what is causing this issue to occur and they will recommend the right repairs be completed.
My car starts to run hot if I cannot maintain a consistent speed where air is moving across the engine.
ANSWER : Hey there, your car has an electric cooling fan. It should start automatically when the engine gets to a certain temperature or when you switch the A/C is on. In hot weather with the A/C on, the fan should switch to a higher speed. If the fan is not coming on, or is switching to high speed with the A/C on, that would cause a run hot condition.
Here is a simple check: open the hood and start the car with the A/C off. Depending on the temperature, the electric fan on the radiator should not be running. Switch the A/C on. The fan should come on within 30 seconds if it is hot outside. If it does not, then it could be a bad fan relay or temperature sending switch. The cost of repair will depend on the part that is faulty. If you need help having this checked, a certified professional from YourMechanic can inspect the slight overheating issue and make adjustments to prevent further issues.
After the car is driven the radiator is cold,but the engine gets to smoke around the valve cover what is the prob?
ANSWER : Hi there. The only two things that will cause your engine to smoke when running cold is the exhaust burning off oil or having a leak on the exhaust manifold or the positive crankcase ventilation valve (PCV) is stuck.
The PCV valve can make the engine build up too much pressure forcing the gasses out of the valve covers.
If you need further assistance with your engine smoking, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
