Remember kids, just because they say they are a mechanic doesn't mean they are any good at it. Just like people, they come in all types and abilities.

I've seen this a thousand times and it would be the most common form of misdiagnosis in the industry. It comes down to laziness/ incompetence/dishonesty. It's usually the first two. I've rediagnosed so many battery and starting issues for clients usually taking less than one minute with a multimeter and carrying out a voltage drop test and then a charge test. Sooo many are actually bad connections... It's beyond belief!

Yep. Tell him

I had a cadillac back in 99 that had all sorts of issues at random, including engine misfires, bucking and stalling. When it got very bad I got under and all that hell that'd been going on for months was just the negative cable being loose at the starter.

@@oby-1607 Agreed, there are 'qualified' mechanics that have no interest in doing a professional job the right way that lasts for say the next 10 years.

Agree with the comment on not relying on solder, heavy current is very capable of heating the connection to the point of liquifying the solder again and then your solder meant to help the mechanical/electrical integrity will become a lubricant in the connection possibly leading to catastrophic failure.

Not only that but solder is actually a poor conductor. You're not doing yourself one bit of good by soldering a battery cable into a terminal. Just about as half-a**ed as using a vise to crimp a terminal.

@@geekthesteve6215 wow, very good point

​@@carlbeaver7112That's just WRONG! A soldered crimped wire is going to have BETTER conductivity and a lower resistance! Solder is a bad conductor? Really? Which kind? Compared to what? Sorry, but you're just wrong!

Heat shrink helps provide strain relief and avoids contact shorts with other metal objects.

Dielectric grease and shrink tubing is a beautiful thing.

+100 Crimping - done properly - is _much_ stronger than soldering, lasts longer (Speaking from experience. This is why telcos moved to crimps 40+ years ago) and offers lower electrical resistance. If you want something to last forever, crimp it.

Roy Riederer Dielectric grease? *Show of!*

Then why solder anything?

Roy.. you are right about soldering done wrong. Letting solder wick up the wire is All Wrong.It can be done right.. by tinning the wire first, using an iron not a torch, and with finesse and experience. tin, crimp, solder, heat shrink. done.

I agree with much of what you have said. Where I have disagreement or clarification is needed is your comments on soldered connections. You mention issues but leave off that those issues only come from improperly done solder connections. FYI NASA MIL Avionics all use large amounts of solder connections in high vibration environments. The exact same thing could be said of crimp connections and in fact I would go do far as to say there are more failures of crimp connections than solder in the real world. People would all do themselves a huge help to have a good quailty multimeter before crimping or soldering a wire. Especially if its a sensor wire of any type. Further a soldered connection can almost always be visually inspected and have no ohm drop /resistance increase. With crimp only connections its hit or miss in that two connections that look the same can produce a clean no drop connection or one with a few tenths in ohm loss. Proper solder connection goes as follows: * Strip wire with no damage to core wire/s. Visual inspection * Tin wire stopping a wire diameter in length from the wires insulation * Slide into connector or make splice ( mech connection: twists such as short western union splice etc) Proper fit to connector and form of splice if used visually and physically inspected * Clean all solder and bare exposed wire with acid brush and alcohol or other rosin/flux solder wash cleaner usually pure iso alcohol. * Connection is checked with ohm meter and visually inspected * Use heat shrink with sealant depending on condition requirements. We always used only mil spec i.e extra thick with/without sealant heat shrink which was made of polyolefin. Its thicker and stiffer than tradition sleeves. The heat shrink must overlap the wire insulation by 3x wire diameter in length. (These were used irregardless of connection type crimp or solder or combo.) * Final ohm meter and visual inspection. With the solder stopped the spec distance prior to the insulation prevents solder and flux rosin wicking past the insulation. There are also heat guards to prevent these issues in highly critical areas that you use at the wires while you solder joints. At NASA it was a requirement for many jobs. This gap of tinning and or joint solder prevents any areas that will not be able to be cleaned and corrode/weaken creating resistance/short/failure. You can certainly use clean free solder with rosin free and or non corrosive rosin. But if its allowed and meets spec it is always easier and in most ways better IMHO to use leaded solder and no matter what type rosin free or not always clean after soldering with a proper wash and brush. For those that do not know an acid brush is a type of brush and has nothing to do with actual use of any acid at all. Its a brush used to clean soldered connections splices etc. The cleaner is usually/traditionally the same alcohol used in rubbing alcohol you find in most med cabinets. It is a pure / much high percentage form so do not go using rub al. Its isopropyl alcohol The use of heat shrink sleeve more so with heat activated sealant not only protects but aids mechanical strength to the connection splice or connector. Further the overlap of the wire insulation moves the flex point back to beyond the strip to where both factory and sleeve insulation meet. This will always be at least as strong as the base wire and insulation combo. No matter what connection crimp, solder or combo crimp and solder you never have a splice or connector where there will be bending or sharp radius's. Thats just poor engineering and electrical work. Not saying you recommended this in any way just a point for anyone reading. Set this way there are no weak points that are going to break or have corrosion. Spliced line a linesman/western union short or long and stronger than the base wire and insulation itself and that is even without any solder or sleeve. Another thing to consider is proper crimping ALWAYS damages the wire thru deformation. Soldered splices almost never damage wires and thus can be undone if needed. Solder connections create more contact area and thus equal or much close to no change in resistance and wire capacity. Crimp connectors freq can not. This can be critical with computer drive sensor command and control pathways where sensors use volt signal coms. Where 4.2 volts vs 4.1 volts is a different reading and thus effects how the program reacts. No matter what type connection you use alway have a high quality multimeter and test every splice and connection. The Video author makes a number of mistakes or lack of critical info such as the type of solder and its quality along with any flux and type is very critical. You do not want to have people grabbing plumber solder and flux for sweating copper and brass pipe connections/joints and using it for electrical and electronic soldering. No mention of cleaning or distance from insulation. There are specs and standard for a reason. Both crimp and solder connections can be very high quality and work without issues but both can be done wrong and will lead to trouble. they both have plus and minus. Crimps are quick and cheap which is a signif reason they are used where ever they can get away with it in the automotive industry. But in areas where perf and quailty regardless of cost is the focus such as the aerospace and areas of the military you see many more soldered connections. Given how critical proper voltage is in todays computer controlled vehicles you want to be extra critical of your splice and joints and ensure there is no ohm drop with any connection you make. Many engine systems will not even allow the engine to start without seeing proper voltage from the battery/s to the computer. Everything from your gas pedal position to the temp of the various engine fluids is expressed in different amounts of voltage transmitted from a sensor thru connectors and splices to the computer i,e. usually called the PCM (Power Control Module) thus for a proper running vehicle be it car motorcycle boat airplane or even civilian drones all connections and circuits must be clean and with no resistance issues. To include ground connections. They are VERY critical so do not cheap out on them. For crimping make sure you use the proper crimper for the type of connector i.e single vs double crimper. IMO ratchet crimpers are better choice as they take much of the skill out of making a proper crimp. Many crimps fail from too little or too much crimp pressure. High quality ratchet crimpers prevent this. Expect to spend $50-$100. Single crimp is used for heat shrink and double crimp for nylon. With heat shrink a double would crimp and damage the heat sleeve that overlaps the wire insulation. With nylon there is no heat shrinkage thus not sealed from environmentals and both the metal connector and the end of the nylon sleeve are crimped to further increase holding compression and sealing the connection.

HI any videos to show your description of how it should be done?

@@madarehgallag everything this goober does is a fail

mikeiver z I agree BUT some of us live 20 miles from town and poor so solder,heat shrink and or black electrical tape it is..Duct tape (all not just metal) are supposed to conduct electricity and not be used..BUT I'd rather have it than bare wires.It seems you are an intelligent man however for the most part at least we live in the Real World where u use what u got...

You are quite simply correct. This is not the way to do it. Even a cheap eBay hammer crimper will do a better job.

@Keith Noneya, thank you very much! I was going to make up some battery cables next month. I was going to use welding lead and soldered connections. I will now forget about the solder, and crimp them instead. 👍🖐️

Can I use any flux at all when soldering a battery cable wire? Surely there is one type that I can use?

@@rickigunter1960 Use a no-clean flux or a no-clean solder containing this flux. It is often used for sensitive electronics (such as tactical systems) that are required to function after years in storage. The residue left behind is non-corosive.

@@rickigunter1960 You need to use a rosin flux like the author did it is water soluble and non-acidic. It is better to 1/4 fill the connector with solder and heat it until the solder is liquid, then push the cable into the hot solder any excess will overflow the connector. I buy my battery cable ends with the solder already in the connector at my local tractor supply. Doing it this way reduces the wicking of the solder up the cable.

You're right. A proper crimp is as good as a weld as far as conductivity goes. Take a terminal that has a proper crimp and cut it in half to look at a section. This video title is very misleading. A cheap $45 dollar hand held hydraulic hex crimper will make very nice and proper crimps every time.

And C H, most of those tools come with more than one size die. In the case of the HF unit, it comes with size #14 up to size #0. And you can get them for anywhere from 20 to 25% off with a coupon.

jimmie Roan all those cheap bolt on piece of garbage are for is to het you off the highway or off a trail to a place you can install the proper cable. Period. End of story.

@@robby844 i agree, i guess. not sure of what you are talking about as far as cheap bolt on garbage, i was commenting on how wrong this video is about making cables. ive never seen a factory cable that wasn't crimped, my short time in the military on aircraft all the cable ends were crimped. ive seen the crimped ends opened up to show their is no air gaps in between the wire strands with a good crimp, which would cause corrosion.

@@jimmieroan9881 I was talking about those cheap ends with the 2 bolts with the metal strap or the ones where you insert the stripped wire and tighten the screw down. Ive seen both styles get hot and melt

I was thinking this b/c I have translucent heatshrink too. Although I rarely use it. post crimp, use dielectric grease, and heat shrink.

Keith Noneya nnn

rosin core will not cause corrosion.. rosin flux wont.acid flux is for Plumbing ONLY.. and does cause corrosion.

If you use adhesive lined heat shrink, you will not need the RTV.

Paul Moffat R U related to mike moffit ,the guy that called jerry "a big phoney "??

i find it interesting that he did state the flux is acidic and will corrode the copper if not burned off then he stuffs the copper wire dipped in flux into the terminal with out the flux being burned off...

T & B makes a super crimper, the TBM14 that can be wedged into one of those adjustable saw horses, and the pump has a good little remote control so you can pay attention to the crimp. Plus, if the crimp's right the dies will leave a number.

That's brutal . . Thought for the day: what constitutes 'perfection' here? Gotcha!!

All the heat shrink in the world wouldn't disguise this abortion.

You should always use heat shrink, not just when you do bad job.

I agree. I dont even want a cable that looks like that for free. For someone that makes cables and have not got the correct tool (a crimping tool), says a lot.

So you are recommended puttng dielectric grease on the stripped bare wires. Then iserting the wires into the connector and crimping it. Then sliding the heat shrink sleeve over the greased wire connector and applying heat to shrink and seal the sealant filled sleeve??? What do you think happens to that grease when its heated up and what effect that now thin liquidized grease running out of the connector under the heat shrink sleeve and its sealant. How well does adhesives stick to surfaces coated in grease? How well does sleeve seal with expanding grease pushing seeping out from under it. How about we lose the dielectric grease and save that to allie to the connector lug mating surface after the connector is installed on the wire. Nickel and zinc coatings slows corrosion they are not corrosion proof. They will corrode. If you think otherwise put some battery acid on them and see what happens in a few weeks months.

No, it's not the space shuttle, but it may be a battery on your own transportation. Do you think an auto manufacturer simply smashes their lugs in a vice? There's a reason people get passionate about issues, It's to make a point to people who cannot decipher from their amateur standpoint.

A low cost, low performance, and unreliable connector.

Not bad idea bro

Vehicles, especially Japanese imports, have been made with simple bare wire cable clamps on the batteries for decades. It's not my favorite setup for that application but that's what they've been doing. Heatshrink is a corrosion catcher, not a preventer in real life. If you want your cable to last in an outdoor environment you need to encase it in something that will not corrode like solder. This is what nearly all vehicle manufacturers do now - essentially soldered connections (metal impregnated and molded, but basically the same). The whole 'cold weld' theory taught by crimper manufacturers is NOT science and is not true. You will find that info documented in 'best practices' information for technicians but if you look in research whitepapers you'll find real data which does not support that theory. I do have a hydraulic crimper now but rarely use it. Does it make better terminations? Yes. Better enough to matter? Not really in most cases.

@@knurlgnar24 you can make a video comparing the two

and to keep it intact

With some dielectric grease in between

no with heat schrink with glue !!

No, dont listen to this guy lol. He is dead wrong about that and a lot of other things

Thanks for the comment! You really know your stuff from a practical standpoint. If you have a video demonstrating your method and technique please link!

On my boat, the Onan generator battery cables have bronze castings for the battery posts which were designed for soldering onto the 2/0 wire. I wanted to use the 2/0 wire for an inverter for the boat, so I heated up the bronze casting and the old cable came right out in good shape, this after 45 years on a boat. Then I half filled the cup with solder and shoved the cleaned replacement battery cable (from an old GM v8 car, likely 0 gauge) into the casting and it works perfect. I have also made my own custom battery cables for the boat using for the end short pieces of copper pipe or copper pipe fittings. Pass the entire stripped cable end into fitting, smash flat with hammer, drip a hole and then solder seal it on both ends. Works great. Very strong cable ends. They are thicker, but has not been a problem.

Scott Downey I also have made some of my own large wires using salvaged bare copper wire and make my own bundles. The wire strands are not as fine strands so make a stiff cable, but I salvaged lots of 14 and 12 gauge old romex wire this way for a few free cables. One I made was 5 feet long and likely about 250 mcm sized. Shoved into an old rubber hose for insulation. I also made an 18 inch 250mcm sized cable for joining the battery switch to the positive junction block and used heater hose for insulation. Anyone looking at them would just think they are some regular but massive wires. They all have worked fine for over 5 years.

Scott Downey I did make one wire using some finer strand wire salvaged from old burnt wiring of 16 to 8 gauge. Still plenty stiff but not as stiff as when using romex copper.

It is always better to spear your cable insulation rather than scoring it, in that way you won't have any blurring of the insulation when heating the conductor.

So we can look forward to YOUR video on How To Do It?

@@SRFDriver You need a video to tell you not to solder battery terminals?

@@randallgoguen3463 Read what I wrote again: There was nothing in my comment about how NOT to do it--that was in yours.

@@SRFDriver I read you comment again. I thought you were trying to be an arse both times.

@@randallgoguen3463 I "though" you couldn't spell

I'm a plumber,I know better than this, loved your comment

Lol

Doginu, a plumber would have used acid core solder and acid flux like they do in sweating rigid copper tubing. I have done a lot of copper tubing in my occupation as a builder, but also used to solder house wiring connections back before they came up with wire nuts, in the 1960's. Each requires a different kind of flux and solder, but the actual soldering techniques are very similar. The way I see it the only thing he did wrong was not to tin the wire and inside of terminal before inserting and soldering.

@@plumberman5369 , not trying to be rude or anything, but speaking as a professional plumber what would you have done differently? As a professional builder since 1970 I have sweated a lot of rigid copper tubing. I have also done a lot of soldering on electronics. When I was a young boy I helped my grandad solder house wiring connections before the invention of wire nuts. Each uses different flux and solder but the techniques are very similar. What I would have done differently than knurlgnar24 is, I would have left only 1/8 inch between insulation and connector and would have tinned the wire and inside of terminal before inserting it and soldering it. I would also forget about crimping unless I had the proper crimping tool. From past experience, crimping with a vice or vice-grips just smashes the connector and flattens the wire and only prevents getting an adequate amount of solder in the connection.

@@vintagestereobuff7005 first thing would be not to heat the connector to the temperature of molten lava. Second would be to get the proper crimping tool.

because i did it WTF can you guarantee this statement is true 7 years from now.

@@kwacz Because I've been heat shrinking for 40 years with no issues?

Wow you guys really just wilfully ignored ALL the times he stated there are better ways to do this - like having larger solder so it doesn't take as long. Like someone else said - he's not going to the moon with this cable. It's good enough for what he needs. Fucking pedantic perfectionists do my fucking head in....

@@chocolate_squiggle Look at the title of the video.

@@chocolate_squiggle Bodger.

I heat the connecton until the solder flows. I intermittently apply heat as needed to keep the solder flowing. Never continuously keep the torch on the connector. Keeps the heat from melting the insulation.

Hi, I have same situation , I don’t know for shore is the right thing to do.

Dielectric grease has been used for decades to protect metals from oxidation. It can always be used to extend life, but preventing the infiltration of ionic contaminants, acids, and aqueous contaminants is still the best corrosion prevention.

The heavy electric loaded headlight pins burned out, on my 05 Suzuki V-Strom motorcycle harness connector. The wire connector pins burnt out, because the gauge is too small and oxidized quick. I see now that the same gauge wire is still being used, but now the pin connectors are being slopped-up with as much dielectric grease as possible.

@Chris the vice grip & the solder was a lil too much but i mean if you dont got the crimper, hit it with the vice then hammer down with a flat tool to press it should be okay right? thats kinda what a crimping tool is, a flat tool that presses down with force I can't defend him on the no heat shrink comment though if you do it with a press, chisel h & hammer def use heat shrink lol

He does say you should use a crimper but he doesn’t want to buy one

If you're soldering it then the fact he didn't crimp isn't much to worry about

Maybe not right, but I have seen this work for 20 years.

Soldering will give the best conductivity.

Kezza Tries, funny thing is I always drill a little hole at the bottom of the lug and solder it thru the hole, but I'm gonna have to try your technique now.

@@anomilumiimulimona2924 cool, I look forward to hearing back from you, re your results. Tip, when you put the lug into the vice, only hold the tip of the termination (say up to the hole) end, other wise the vice will act like a huge heatsink. Do it right and it is quite quick, no t as quick as crimping, but much better than. I recently purchased cables made up, with some batteries (so they came from the battery suppliers) test the crimp by pulling the ends came off some, imagine them with a 4000 watt inverter. With extra low DC volts never crimp, especially where high currents are involved, or when you are solar charging. Cheers Mate.

Kezza Tries, thanks that's good to know. Maybe I'll try it out tomorrow.

Heat shrink is definitely only for cosmetics. There are no exceptions to this and there are multiple reasons for this both logical and practical. However I agree that a vise is not the best way to crimp and I do have an inexpensive American made crimping die that I sometimes use. The point here is that the average person doesn't need any special stuff to make safe cables. Cables made in your garage with garage tools can be more effective and long lasting than the majority of the commercially made junk out there on the market. In fact I trust the vise crimps more than the die's crimps that I have due to better strain relief on the individual strands. This method most definitely does work, and it works reliably.

Glue filled heat shrink is good stuff BTW and I put that in a separate category then standard heat shrink. But I still don't use it on 'battery' cables due to corrosion issues and inspection difficulties.

***** As I said, I've seen worse cables, but you title this video as "the right way" and that is waaaaay off the mark. If you posted this on a welding forum or a marine forum, those people would flame you to death. Your method is "a" way if you really, really really don't want to spend less than $20 on a hammer crimping tool (still not great) or $50 for a hydraulic crimper at harbor freight, or if you really don't want to fork over $10 or $20 to have a local auto parts store make them. And some welding supply shops don't even charge to crimp if you are buying cable and lugs from them. You don't position your advice as "this will get you by with OK cables" you are basically advising people they don't even need to try to do it using using one of the more widely accepted methods and proper tools. Same thing when you blow off heat shrink without pointing out that adhesive heat shrink is a different story (and I think widely accepted as a good idea).

Darin Weeks Using adhesive lined heat shrink is still a very bad practice. Cables made this way are not merely 'OK'. They are far superior to most commercially made cables.

***** When adhesive lined heat shrink protects a well made crimped connection, you are providing nearly perfect protection against corrosion. There should be almost no oxygen anywhere in the connection and no way for acid or moisture to get in. As such, there is no need to monitor the area under the heat shrink visually as it would be more likely for the lug itself to corrode to the point it is unusable. The fact that you are so intent on monitoring this area is exactly what makes me think your cables stink.... and it seems like you just don't realize how bad they are (but again, to give you credit, as I've said, i've seen much worse). You should absolutely not have any undue worry about that area with a well made cable. With your cables, there is no question that the connection area is going to fail first. But anyway, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. You are sorely misguided if you think that you'd ever see cables like yours used in an installation by a trained professional (and I'm not talking about a car audio guy). I'm not a professional BTW so that is not why I'm saying that. I have no idea what kind of "commercial" cables you are talking about where you find yours are superior or what planet you are on thinking that crimping in a vise makes your connections better than commercial equipment. Unless you are just saying you sourced better wire than you'll find in cheap chinese jumper cables. But in that case, you are talking about retail cables, not quality commercial/industrial grade cables.

I thought so too after watching the way you and others do it!

So much wrong in one video, factual, process, everything. It's pretty much a guide on how *not* to make up cables

agreed, dead wrong.

Where's your link to how you make one if you comment like that?

@@zdravkomomci7570 ask Randall Goguen, the English physicist, he specializes in battery cables (doesn’t know anything else, but he’s adamant that he knows his way around a battery cable)!!😁 he’s your “go-to” guy!🥴

Only an idiot would believe anything this idiot said or did

Im glad Im not the only one who noticed that. The video title should be: how NOT to do it

@@Chris-yy7qc the vice grip & the solder was a lil too much but i mean if you dont got the crimper, hit it with the vice then hammer down with a flat tool to press it should be okay right? thats kinda what a crimping tool is, a flat tool that presses down with force I can't defend him on the no heat shrink comment though if you do it with a press & hammer def use heat shrink lol

@@Donaldtrummp That would be just another hack job... Do it the proper way or dont do it.

I just get a bigger hammer . . . 🔨

@@Chris-yy7qc if you don't have a crimper solder will be fine as long as the wire insulation doesn't get burned and you heat shrink the connection. A solder joint will have a lower resistance than a crimp.

+Ronald Rivet Because they are trying to make money off their shit video through youtube.

Because this is youtube..and idiots rule everything.Remember " You Don't Know What You Don't Know."

Ron Rivet

...and convinced of it !....still !!! Hahahaha!

The age old adage... "Those who cannot do TEACH"

I get the same stuff. Double walled with adhesive. Just look for marine worthy.

“I em de termination”

Soldering reduces resistance. Increases strength

@@FastenDeezNutz but a crimp is way stronger and not brittle

@@FastenDeezNutz Not really...

YES,YES!

😆 👊

Agreed, we run 48V@600A at my facility and all lugs from 6/0 to 12G are crimped, no solder

I have an old (but informational) video on that exact topic. My apologies for the video quality of a decade ago. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ppeSoaumlpq3fac.html

Yup, eventually. But long after the connection has failed. In the meantime it will overheat and damage your battery and be a fire hazard. It's better to see the problem right away.

I disagree, I was a truck mechanic all my life, sometimes dealing with 4 batteries per truck, you have to use heat shrink, trucks come from the factory with it, batteries leak tiny amounts of battery acid as they age, with 4 batteries, thats 8 battery cables, the cables must kept sealed.

This is what happens when people say things on youtube they now nothing about, it's done so much on youtube.

you are so wright.

2 gauge.

Lol

You and be both! Utter crap!

Well everyone knows the Coast Guard never made a mistake.

william roach thanks for the link,

The info behind this link is awesome. The blog has moved to: marinehowto.com/making-your-own-battery-cables/

There isn't in the vast majority of applications. I've heard no valid argument to this.

You would think if you were going to do a video like this you would use some of the correct crimping tools. Then again I guess your method works for a farm tractor on its last leg! No heat shrink, it hides too much? Might as well strip the insulation off of the wire, has to be something hiding there also! If you crimp and solder it correctly, there should be zero reasons to not use heat shrink to clean it up! Plus I would want heat shrink to hide your vice crimp!

Hear hear

😂😂😂😂