Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

[Cricket Too]

I have a bit of corrosion of the engine side of my negative battery cable that was giving me a voltage drop to the starter. I cut back the end to where there was no corrosion and was gonna splice a new piece, about 4 inches long, onto it with a butt connector and then put a new lug on the end of that for the engine. I have the proper good quality butt connectors for 4 gauge cable, but was told it's not a good idea to splice battery cable, but wasn't told why. <br /><br />So I'm just looking for an answer as to why? Would this cause a voltage drop also and how if the butt connector is made for 4 gauge and if I had a good crimp and heat shrinked the splice? Was gonna buy a whole new cable until I realized it's about $3.50 a foot and I have to run up under the CC so it would cost me about $45 to replace instead of $5 for the butt connectors and lugs. The splice will be right at the engine,actually in the engine cover, but a voltage drop is a voltage drop wherever it is, so not sure if it being so close to the starter will make a difference. Thanks, Mike.

 

[crab bait]

Re: Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

i stripped both ends an inch.. pushed the strands together.. no twisting just pushed together..<br /><br />now take 22 ga copper hardware store wire an wrap the connection very well an very tite.. <br /><br />solder the heck-out-of-it..

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

Thanks crab bait, I was thinking of soldering the butt connector on or just soldering the wires together, but butt connectors just seemed so much easier, and I mean they sell the connectors and the crimping tool for a reason, I just don't see why I shouldn't splice battery cable.

 

[JB]

Re: Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

I think 4ga. is too small. Use at least 1/0, better 2/0, best 4/0.<br /><br />Electrical supply stores sell copper sleeves for butt connecting large wire.... up to 4/0. Need to rent or borrow the proper crimping tool and seal with waterproof shrink tubing.<br /><br />I have used them on buried 220v power cable with good results.<br /><br />Crabby's method will also work, but you need a LOT of heat to do the soldering.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

Originally posted by Cricket Too:<br />Was gonna buy a whole new cable until I realized it's about $3.50 a foot and I have to run up under the CC so it would cost me about $45 to replace instead of $5 for the butt connectors and lugs.

Look at ebay seller "genuinedealz". I just bought a bunch of cable there for my boat, including some really nice, very flexible 4 gauge marine cable. It was only $0.73/foot.

 

[crab bait]

Re: Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

yeah, i did/i gave that method as the crimp tool obtaining is the obsticle..

 

[jlinder]

Re: Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

Cricket Too,<br /><br />Don't know what kind of engine you have or what the starter draws, but you might want to think about going to a bigger wire.<br /><br />It sounds like you have about 13 feet of wire from the battery to the engine. If the starter has a big draw you will have some real voltage drop there.<br /><br />Putting in a bigger wire wil give you better voltage to the starter. If you have trouble starting this could make the difference.<br /><br />Can you tell us what engine you have and how long the wires are? What about the neg. lead? Is it long?

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

Originally posted by ZmOz:<br /> Look at ebay seller "genuinedealz". I just bought a bunch of cable there for my boat, including some really nice, very flexible 4 gauge marine cable. It was only $0.73/foot.

Ditto Oz's recommend of "genuinedealz" on ebay for marine wire. I have bought several spools of wire from them.

 

[swist]

Re: Splicing 4 gauge battery cable?

Yeah I also heard not to splice battery cables, but when you look at it, any two battery (or more) setup has cables running to crimped lugs which are then screwed/bolted to battery switch terminals and/or common binding posts. You can't avoid it, and it amounts to the same thing as crimping butt connectors.