Thank you for the video. Im impressed. you were right. We had cleaned the battery terminals recently but tonight -all of a sudden the car just clicked -it wouldn't start.Everybody said my starter was going out. I wasn't convinced then I watched this video and so I cleaned and cut and stripped down to clean wire on the positive wire and it fixed. Ive started it 5 times and drove and started it again.
Just wanted to say how very much I appreciate the effort and skills you put into these videos. I found the channel a couple of weeks ago and have been amazed at how much I've learned even well into my 7th decade on this old earth. Thank you Brian.
Hi Brian. I really enjoy your videos. I was going to leave a comment on how you really should do what I do with my own vehicles - (Replace wires, Solder Terminals, Shrink Wrap, Silicon Dialectric Grease, Etc.....). But then I changed my mind on that comment for two reasons: First, What you showed is about what any person could do themselves to get the job done - no fancy tools, parts, or special skills needed! Second, If someone who just uses their older car as basic transportation was paying you to get it going - you probably saved them 1/2 hour of labor cost, etc.. by not doing (likely) unnecessary stuff. Again, thanks for putting these videos up.
I bought a new starter motor. 400 bucks almost in U.K. money. Fitted myself (not difficult even for a rank amateur). Still got the same rapid sequence of clicks - arghhhhhhhhhh !!! Found your video, cleaned the terminals…… bingo!! Nice one Brian. Cheers pal. Damian England
Hey Brian, I just spent past 3.5 hours getting my car to the house from work. AAA battery guy then tow trucks. first guy tested and said battery good alternator bad, second guy said bad starter and both spent a bit of time testing and diagnosing. Finally get it home and started pricing starters and alternators and estimates to fix. Came across your video and thought what the hell let me check for corrosion and connection. post terminals felt good but then I start checking the ground that is secured fixed to the post underclip and damn if its not loose. snugged it up tight and Bam it started right up!!! Thought I was dreaming! Thanks for leading me to it! Now what to do with all this extra money since no repair!!! I was looking at potentially getting taken for $600+ as the starter is under the intake manifold middle of the block. Can't thank you enough!
Little more impressive to hear you show what it sounded like before you started, and that it did fix it. BUT... Love your full job on it. I just went out to my car and had this problem, and figured it was the cable, but din't know to look for the bulging and cleaner copper (which makes sense) so thank you so much!
BRIAN thanks so much!!!! I kept telling the dealer at bmw that I noticed my car wouldn't turn on when it was a very hot day! They kept giving me my car back saying I had no codes/ no faults. But I insisted that something was wrong with my vehicle. Such a shame they didn't know this And this is why!!! The cooling sensor!!!! Great work Brian thankssssss! I'm gunna go buy the part in the morning 😛
As a lady I am impressed lol. I just had my car towed 182 miles. I wish I watched this before I sent it. I could have checked this first. But I’ll definitely check it once I get back
My instant thought was starter motor so as i had one laying around spare i thought id change it, few days later it was doing it again. As ive got aftermarket battery terminals i took them apart, cleaned the wires and connections, there was no visible signs of corrosion or anything, maybe just loose in the connections, put them back on nice and snugly and it fired straight up. That was yesterday and had a few starts and no problems, so far so good. Cheers for the vid.
Thanks! I could not fix my dreaded clack, clack, clack. I kept trying to clean my clamp to battery connection until I watched your video, so I took apart the clamp to cable connection, cleaned it up, and she fired right up! Yahoo!
My '05 Accord had these issues about a year and a half after i got it. it got so bad that the car decided to shut down completely while I was going 70 on the highway.
Thank you x 1 million. You saved me a towing bill and service call. My Hyundai Tucson battery terminal had a metal cap with a stud that was rusty and under that metal cap had rusted a little bit. Clean them up and vrooom. Lol. All good now.
Good tutorial but would of been even better if you'd demonstrated the noise it was making before you repaired it, those clicks are caused by a variety of different reasons
Brian, once again - another awesome video. You and Eric The Car Guy have such a great way of delivering solid, helpful, and easy to understand material. Without an ego issue. Love it!
Terminal voltage drop would have easily confirmed that those battery connections where garbage. Also, if you feel excessive amounts of heat(so hot you can't touch the cables or a non contacting pyrometer shows large amounts of heat) chances are the cables or/and their connects are faulty. The swelling of the cables, brilliant little tip their Brian and yet another awesome video.
Old trick I learned in school about cleanly stripping copper wire, Is to use a lighter and just slightly melt the tip. Doesn't work too well on heavier gauge wire. But works awesome on smaller wires.
Nice to see you explain why the negative cable is removed first! Another mechanic on here did something battery related a while back and told people that this step was not necessary. Sadly, I was chastised for mentioning it :-(
Thank you for posting this video! I absolutely love how you explained and showed with just the right amount of detail! Explaining the whys of things too is helpful. Please post more videos like this for us females that don’t like to get taken to the bank every time we have an issue that could be an easy enough fix if your willing to get your hands dirty 😉 So thank you again. I’ve never sent a message on any video I’ve watched but felt compelled to tell you it was very helpful. Maybe I’ll impress a man someday with these skills…. Or, you never know, I may end impressing the ladies as you stated 😋
Those little felt washers actually are relatively practical, because they prevent a corrosion trail across the terminals that results in slow discharge of the battery. And the red/black colors make it easy for anyone to identify the + and - terminals. Not a bad invesment for 50 cents.
Great video,thanks for going step by step, and not just saying, "Now get the cables ready..." and having the video jum straight to the unscrewed and stripped cables like so many videos do. Get a GoPro on a head band, or somebody to be your second camera, for the few times you have to block the action and move in front of the camera, then it could be it's own show on tv.
Great Vid. Its amazing how often I find corrision on the positive cable or a loose ground to be the root problem. I think everyone should have one of those battery kits you put together.
Brian, I have a 91 miata that won't turn over no clicking no start. I replaced the battery, starter and still nothing. Any advise would be awsome. Hope to hear back from you soon. Thanks.
Don't know if this will fix my car but you've certainly helped give me information and now I have something to do while my car sits dead in the driveway.
gotta say, thx a lot for putting this out there. its a wonderful thing about the internet, to be able to diagnose and potentially troubleshoot and correct an issue before having to shell out hundreds of $$$ to fix something. Im thinking that this is directly more of the issue w/ my car now.. before I was seeing videos directing me towards either a bad fuel-pump relay or this. and again, really thankful for honest, helpful people like urself taking the time to put honest, helpful info out
I am always amazed when I see people's batteries! It just takes ten minutes every fall to clean them and put some "red junk" on it and you will never have a problem!
HI BRIAN. RE VICE GRIPS~ MANY YEARS AGO I HAD AN OLD MORRIS OXFORD, THE HAND BRAKE HAD TO BE ADJUSTED NEAR THE DIFF UNDER THE CAR. AFTER DOING THIS I COULD NOT FIND MY VICE GRIPS ANYWHERE, ONE YEAR LATER I WENT UNDER MY CAR TO ADJUST THE HAND BRAKE AND THERE WHERE THE GRIPS A LITTLE RUSTY BUT STILL CLINGING ON. THANKS FOR THE VIDS PETE.
Hey thank you again. This actually wasn't my problem but after changing them there was little else to do. I recently "reconditioned" (poured out the battery acid and inserted a epson salt water mixture) into my battery, I trickled charged (2amps for 12 volts) it for about a week while driving. It ran great after that then about a month later it would just click. My battery was still fully charged trickle cell style but completely dead at (6amps for 12 volts). I put it on the charger for that and it started up. Not sure what any of this means, just wanted to share because I couldn't find any types of remedies or problems like this on the internet.
The one thing I wish you had done differently was to color code the terminal so the positive terminal could be identified at a glance. I'm actually surprised that the cables themselves weren't already red. Other than that, great job.
Great video, and a good reminder, most electrical problems are caused by poor battery supply, or corroded grounds. I really like those crimp on connectors, I'll have to see what auto parts store carries them. That is a much better way then trying to stuff all three wires into the clamp of the battery terminal. They always tend to compress, and then make poor contact. Where do you get your crimped on connectors.
Very informational. Introduced more information than I was looking for to solve the issue I am currently having with my 2007 Honda (Jan'18). Love the sexy comment and sound bit.
I'd use solder on tips or at least tin the wire after crimping then put some black liquid electrical tape dapped in the areas of corrosion. Will be the best method to never have to deal with this again.
I thought I needed a new alternator. I saw the posts on the battery were so corroded that the negative copper was snapped on the lower band. After cleaning it with baking soda, the car did the rapid clicking. I had to jump it and after 10 minutes the car died. I think I need to replace the post attachments. Thanks for this video. I just happened to see it on a follow up vid. :-D I was ready to replace the battery and alternator. Save me $$
I left the engine to chassis cable off on a rebuild once, slow crank, no start, and a small wire from the engine to cabin would smoke. That jumper is important because motor mounts are made of non-conductive materials.
my first car doing the same thing. i got a 98 mustang for a first car and begore it worked but now it made that noise when it started. thanks to u i can fix it no problem. thought my engine was jammed or somethin.
I always rub a thin layer of dielectric grease over all the metal to metal connections. I've NEVER even had a hint of corrosion, nor have I ever had an electrical issue/failure.
Brian! I need you to start the vehicle please! I was ready to take on a rescue and then said to myself, ummm what if it doesn't work? Great video though. Thanks! 😊
Hey Brian, My memory sucks! The other stuff recommended by one of the people who commented here was 'New Skin' not liquid hands and their name is binnsh not binner. Wasn't even close on the name of the product. Sorry about that.
Hey Brian, Just discovered you and this video. Great stuff. I live in an old house with cast iron radiators and my hands get so dry they feel like they're going to fall off. I renovate houses and work with my hands a lot too, so it's vital not to let them get that way. Somebody named 'binner' recommended 'liquid hands' for when your skin has already cracked. I have to try that too. But the stuff I really like... so they don't get to that point (though sometimes they do if I forget to put it on) is called 'Working Hands' by O'Keefe's, I get it at Home Depot where it seems like I live 24/7. It's great stuff, not greasy and if I use it a lot, my hands don't crack. Hope this helps and thanks for the great video. I'm going to subscribe to your channel this very minute.
Did you ever destroy a battery post? U can do that with channel locks if the terminal is too tight. I'm sure you know that but it would be good to warn people that such a thing can be done. THANK YOU for posting the great vids. You are great at filming and explaining everything you do!
Way back in the day I was working at Autozone and swapped a customer battery that was so badly sulfated internally and corroded externally that the post came up out of the battery. There was no fire, but ya, it happens.
No start? I WATCHED THIS WHOLE THING FOR NO START!!!! I'm a millineal got damn it!!!! I'm titled for fuckin pleasure at the end of everything I do. Got damn you maaan!!!
Not trying to be rude, but it would be helpful if you would actually test the car after you've "fixed" the problem. Also, please stop putting so many ads in your video.
briansmobile1 Could an alternator be causing the rapid clicking also? Or would it more commonly be a faulty battery or bad connection at the terminals? Cheers mate
Couple of tips for ya . When you change your oil drizzle a little left over oil on your battery terminals .Corrosion doesn't grow well in an oily environment As for the cracks in your fingers, I use super glue on mine .
Thank you so much for your time to post this video...im running out to try this right now...my Z24 has been broken 2 months..this maybe a stupid question ...would anything be different if the battery was side post. Again thank you so much...ill let you know.. God Bless
Hey brian i have a question i have a 1997 eclipse 420a engine it wont start just make a click sound my starter relay its located behind my radio that's where i hera the clicking noise then i leave the car alone for a couple minutes and the car will start again, do you know what it would be. Thanks
You saved my girlfriend and I 250$ 70 for parking ticket, 100 for labor , and 70 for a starter. I took her nail file and filed the terminals and connectors. Tomorrow we’re going to get new terminals. Tomorrow is street cleaning and we would have gotten a ticket.I thought clicking was the starter so we were planning to get a starter.
My negative battery terminal doesn't seem to tighten so sometimes when I go to start it the negative terminal has popped off from driving and hitting bumps in the road. I'll probably end up doing something like this, thanks for the great video
After market or higher performance audio batteries often have terminals that are in different positions, how would one go about extending the existing power cables?!
hi i have a 87 bronco 2 it has 40 psi fuel pressure and spark it starts then quickly dies ive replaced the spark plugs,sparkplug wires distribitor cap,fuel filter but still nothing. in warm weather it will run if i pump the throttle constenley but very badly. what should i do? thanks
Hi Brian my car is making that loud clicking noise but it’s starting just can’t drive. Also the oil light and battery light comes up on the dashboard. It just shut off while I was driving and clicking started when I would try to drive.
Thank you foe the comprehensive video. I have a 2000 jeep laredo with the electrical problem no one can solve (guages go crazy, sentry light stays on). I found that if I take the negative cable off for 15 minutes, it keeps the problem away for several weeks. So I take the negative cable on and off a lot over the last few years. But now the negative cable is worn and I've got the fast clicking until I move the negative cable around, then it will stop clicking and start. My negative terminal I'm sure needs replacing. when you did the cable, does it matter which cables go on the right or left end of the new terminal? I'm assuming it doesn't matter, but just want to make sure beforehand.
Thanks Brian for your video on how to replace the ends on the battery cables. None of my vehicles cables ever needed to be replaced, "until now"! My dads had me working on cars and with power tools since I was 11 so this isn't nothing thanks so much again for your video. Hey I like the red beard, as a redhead I can't help but not to. I know you originally posted this at the beginning of the year and now we're back into December of 2014 so you and yours have a nice & Blessed Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Always, LadyRed
Have a no start problem with my 1998 v6 Honda accord. The terminal on the + and - was pretty corroded due to battery leak. But before that the car would crank but would not turn over. So I try switching the gear to neutral to start and it didn't work either. Then I put it back in Park and now the car doesnt crank but would click. Tried a new battery and it would click only. The light on D4 would light up too when trying to start it. Thinking it might be a neutral safety switch? Had a P0706 code too.
Awesome! Thanks so much. I posted to FB with the follow message: 02 Toyota Sequoia would not start- clicking sound. Lights and power worked fine-so battery fine- in terms of charge. Thinking starter issue, and planned to get towed into shop. I found this, and sure enough just a little corrosion was the issue. Did not snip wires or replace connectors yet. This video saved me time and $. So in case you have similar issue take a look. I Cleaned terminals/ connections and bam problem solved, need to change + wire as you showed, but appears my wires are too short. Need to figure out how to put new wire in to fuse box. Got a video on that? THANK YOU!
What did the car sound like before you repaired it? My 2001 Nissan Maxima has a working battery and the starter seems to be working. I hear several loud clicks which sounds to me like the starter engine trying to work. I have turned the crank shaft and was able to turn it a few rotations, so I don't think it is my engine seized up. When I get home I'll take a closer look at the cables. The terminals aren't corroded, but I didn't look too closely at the wires.
For an even better job, you need a good pair of crimpers. It would save you time and do a better job. I also use the self sealing heat shrink and heat gun. There is no way battery acid can get into those. I also replaced the terminal posts on my 2001 Dodge diesel with the Mil-spec posts found on eBay.
I have a 3rd Gen Camaro and my car wouldn't start it's click fast so I went home (12:05 at night) the next morning I went to tow the truck I showed them that the car would only click but it didn't click or anything it stayed quiet could it still be the cables??
Hey man, I have a big problem. My father was driving his 99 Ford Taurus to work, it just lost power and wouldn't start. When we went to go pick him up and look at it we noticed the positive terminal was actually snapped. It was still on it, but it had broken and was loose. So we went and got new terminals, and when we went to jump it the firewall ground strap started smoming fairly bad. We thought we might have shorted out a wire or somewhere it got crossed. So we went ahead and changed the battery and ran new ground to the chasis and positive to the solenoid to no avail. It would click a couple of times then nothing. Checked relays but they were fine. I cleaned off all connections in from of the engine bay. Would the ground strap itself be a problem or do you think it is something else? Btw it is a 1999 Ford Taurus 24v DOHC.
After spending more than $ 500 to have my car started. It was a fuse after all. So folks try the easy things first before you spend hundreds of dollars.
I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM....TOOK IT IN THEY SAID IT WAS THE STARTER SOLINOID ....AND THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE WHOLE STARTER WITH THE NEW SOLINOID ON IT......STARTED FINE WITH THE NEW STARTER......BUT DID I REALLY NEED A NEW STARTER?....THE CAR WOULD START...JUST RAPID CLICKING SOMETIME......COST A LOT FOR NEW STARTER AND INSTALLATION MAYBE THEY JUST FIXED A WIRING PROBLEM....YA I'M GOING BACK THERE FOR MY STARTER WARANTEE!
Hey brains I have a 2012 Hyundai sonata and my positive battery post is loose I tried placing a battery post shim in between the battery post and the cable and my car still acts as it doesn't want to start I saw that you crafted a new on this car which is a Honda so my question is can I do the same to my Hyundai sonata if so can you make a video instructing how I can do this.
