{"id":85673,"date":"2023-06-30T04:55:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T11:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=85673"},"modified":"2024-02-06T17:58:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T01:58:52","slug":"your-car-wont-start-a-loose-battery-connection-could-be-the-cause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/your-car-wont-start-a-loose-battery-connection-could-be-the-cause\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Car Won&#8217;t Start? A Loose or Corroded Battery Connection Could be the Cause"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_cd44fe-85{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_cd44fe-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_cd44fe-85 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-d8197d  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-63e9f4\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_1c6a4a-a2\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Battery terminals are the small cylindrical metal prongs that stick out from your vehicle battery.<\/li><li>The battery is responsible for powering several critical vehicle components, including the starter motor, lights, radiator fans, and wipers, among many others.<\/li><li>Common symptoms of faulty battery terminal ends include flickering headlights or electronics, a hot ground wire cable, difficulty starting the engine, and corrosion on the battery terminal.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Your vehicle&rsquo;s electrical system is connected to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-check-car-battery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery with the use of battery cables\">battery with the use of battery cables<\/a> and terminal ends. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-tell-positive-and-negative-terminals-on-a-car-battery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Battery terminals\">Battery terminals<\/a> are the small cylindrical metal prongs that stick out from your vehicle <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/battery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery\">battery<\/a>. Terminal ends are the circular pieces of metal that wrap around battery terminals and connect the terminals to the cables. The terminal ends act like a clamp. They typically have a bolt that secures terminal ends around the terminal, preventing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/battery-cable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery cable\">battery cable<\/a> from coming loose during vehicle operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-does-a-car-battery-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery\">battery<\/a> is responsible for powering several critical vehicle components, including the starter motor, lights, radiator fans, and wipers, among many others. If the battery terminals or terminal ends become faulty, then your vehicle can have a loose or corroded battery connection, which can cause critical electronics to malfunction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bad Faulty Terminal Ends Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Caution:<\/em><\/strong><em> Never work around a car battery without eye protection. Batteries can explode, which could result in severe eye injuries if you&rsquo;re not wearing proper eye protection<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A loose battery connection in your car might seem like an inconsequential issue but, it can cause a wide range of problems, such as the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flickering Headlights or Electronics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A loose terminal on your car battery would cause <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/why-are-my-headlights-flickering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"flickering or dim headlights\">flickering or dim headlights<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/headlight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Headlights\">Headlights<\/a> need a consistent flow of power from the battery to stay on. Fluctuations in current flow because of a loose or faulty terminal end will impact your headlights&rsquo; functionality. Similarly, your vehicle&rsquo;s infotainment system and dashboard lights can also dim. The speakers can also sound weak because of a loose terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"article-search-widget\">\n<div class=\"cp-search\">\n<div align=\"center\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/w_auto,dpr_auto\/carparts\/logos\/badge_wordmark\/full_color\/CP_LOGO_COLOUR_RGB\" alt=\"CarParts.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"56\">\n<\/div>\n<form id=\"cpsearchform\" name=\"cpsearchform\" action=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/search\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\" accept-charset=\"character_set\" aria-label=\"search CarParts.com\">\n    <input type=\"text\" class=\"keyword\" name=\"q\" placeholder=\"Search for parts on CarParts.com\" value=\"\" aria-label=\"Search CarParts.com\"><input type=\"submit\" class=\"btn-search\" value=\"Search\" aria-label=\"Search\">\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hot Ground Wire Cable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many electrical components in a vehicle will have a ground <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/car-wiring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"wire\">wire<\/a> that connects to the vehicle&rsquo;s chassis. This ground wire gives the circuit access to a negatively charged object that will absorb excess voltage. The battery has a ground wire that connects its negative terminal to the vehicle&rsquo;s chassis. If the terminal end isn&rsquo;t secured onto the battery terminals, then the ground wire cable can heat up as a result of the increased resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Difficulty Starting the Engine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Can a loose or bad terminal end cause a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/my-car-wont-start-what-should-i-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"car not to start\">car not to start<\/a>? It definitely can. A terminal end that isn&rsquo;t securely tightened around a battery terminal can prevent the starter motor from cranking at the necessary speed and duration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Corrosion on Battery Terminal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Battery acid is highly corrosive. When the battery wears out, the terminal ends can corrode because of leaking acid. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-spot-and-prevent-a-corroded-car-battery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Corroded battery terminal\">Corroded battery terminal<\/a> ends can also be caused by a leaking battery. If you find signs that your vehicle&rsquo;s battery terminals are corroding because of acid, you can neutralize the acid and prevent rust from forming by cleaning it with water and baking soda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of these issues can be fixed by simply tightening the terminal end bolts. Remember that battery terminal ends need to be tight enough so that they can&rsquo;t be moved by hand. Note, however, that corrosion on battery terminals can still happen even if the terminals are tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The terminal ends can sometimes be corroded or damaged because of a leaking battery or corroded battery terminal. You can usually tell when a terminal is corroded when you see a whitish or greenish deposit on the metal. Corroded terminal ends can negatively affect current flow because rust isn&rsquo;t a good conductor of electricity. If this is the case, then you might need to replace the terminal end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A faulty battery terminal end might just be one of the many electrical issues present in your vehicle. If fixing the faulty terminal end doesn&rsquo;t fix the issue, then other components like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-diagnose-a-faulty-alternator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"alternator\">alternator<\/a> or ignition system could be to blame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/corroded-battery-terminal-1024x708.jpg\" alt=\"close up shot of a corroded battery terminal\" class=\"wp-image-89052\" width=\"1024\" height=\"708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/corroded-battery-terminal-1024x708.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/corroded-battery-terminal-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/corroded-battery-terminal-768x531.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/corroded-battery-terminal-150x104.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/corroded-battery-terminal.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption>Chalky cable ends like this typically need to be replaced entirely. | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/incorrect-battery-cable-ends-1024x816.jpg\" alt=\"image showing incorrect battery cable ends\" class=\"wp-image-89053\" width=\"1024\" height=\"816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/incorrect-battery-cable-ends-1024x816.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/incorrect-battery-cable-ends-300x239.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/incorrect-battery-cable-ends-768x612.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/incorrect-battery-cable-ends-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/incorrect-battery-cable-ends.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption>This photo shows battery cable ends that were incorrectly replaced by a DIY person. The job had to be redone by a professional mechanic using solder and a torch. Important reminder: never use a torch to solder a battery cable without first removing the battery entirely. | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can watch the video below to get an idea how to properly replace battery terminals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Right Way to Replace a Battery Terminal\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y5vkwWuDRGE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Your vehicle&rsquo;s electrical system is connected to the battery with the use of battery cables and terminal ends. Battery terminals&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/your-car-wont-start-a-loose-battery-connection-could-be-the-cause\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":85973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52,3744],"tags":[1208],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":{"0":"post-85673","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diy","8":"category-ignition-system","9":"tag-battery-cable-2","10":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Your Car Won&#039;t Start? A Loose or Corroded Battery Connection Could be the Cause - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Loose or corroded battery terminals cause a wide range of issues. Learn about the symptoms of a loose battery connection in this article.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/your-car-wont-start-a-loose-battery-connection-could-be-the-cause\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Your Car Won&#039;t Start? A Loose or Corroded Battery Connection Could be the Cause - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Loose or corroded battery terminals cause a wide range of issues. Learn about the symptoms of a loose battery connection in this article.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/your-car-wont-start-a-loose-battery-connection-could-be-the-cause\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-30T11:55:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-07T01:58:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/automotive-battery-cable.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/your-car-wont-start-a-loose-battery-connection-could-be-the-cause\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/your-car-wont-start-a-loose-battery-connection-could-be-the-cause\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"4\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. 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Wallace Community College worked at professional shop speed during his tenure to prepare graduates for production level work in the real world.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85673"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=85673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}