Battery cables

[Frank Gooz]

I would like to know if our cars and trucks had colored battery cables. If so being positive ground would that cable be red? Or the Ground always be black.  

[Dodgeb4ya]

Both were always black.

[Sniper]

I dunno the answer to your question off hand, but I look at it this way.  When someone is hooking up a charger or a set of jumper cables and they are used to modern electrical systems they are going to go red to red and black to black without looking at the symbols on the battery.  Now I don;t let anyone else do these things to my vehicles so it has been a case of me doing that and I should know better, lol.  Fortunately, it was a smart charger that won't cause a problem, but had it been jumpers, well I already know what an arc flash is like and am not interested in any continuing education on that.

[Eneto-55]

I don't know what he did (because I wasn't there at the time), but I took a guy to the hospital once who had a battery explode in his face.  Only time I ever let someone smoke in my car, he was so worked up.

[Sam Buchanan]

1 hour ago, Frank Gooz said:

I would like to know if our cars and trucks had colored battery cables. If so being positive ground would that cable be red? Or the Ground always be black.  

 

Whatever the color just make sure they are a suitable gauge. 

[desoto1939]

the original mopar battery cables are very hard to find. They were covered in blck cloth but also had a spring around the cable to giv it more strength and protestion. I have a Moapr catalog on these cable and i have only ever seen an original Mopar Battery cable once and the cost was super high.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[Jim Saraceno]

I think more than a few people have used welding cable and put on proper fittings. I don't remember what the gauge is supposed to be.

[ptwothree]

00 guage.  Don't forget the relay to starter cable.  Same guage.

[Sam Buchanan]

4 hours ago, Jim Saraceno said:

I think more than a few people have used welding cable and put on proper fittings. I don't remember what the gauge is supposed to be.

 

Why mess around with welding cable and trying to find proper fittings and get them installed when $40 will buy a complete set of real cables in the proper gauge including a frame ground cable?

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by Sam Buchanan

[BobT-47P15]

Do you have a battery specialty shop in your area?   I went to one here in my town in Missouri.....for about $35 they made me new OO gauge

cables and mounted the ends on them.    Mine are all black....but they may have had red if requested.   I have a battery cutoff switch mounted on 

the drivers' side firewall.....they made me an additional cable to connect to that.    It occurs to me that a person could get some red and black

paint and paint the end of the battery posts in the proper color for others not familiar with our battery connections.  

[ccudahy]

Definitely get the heaviest battery cable you can fine. Nothing less than 2/0 battery cables should be used. I just installed 3/0 battery cable made from welding cable from The Brillman Co. https://brillman.com/ Made a world or difference!

 

[Young Ed]

37 minutes ago, ccudahy said:

Definitely get the heaviest battery cable you can fine. Nothing less than 2/0 battery cables should be used. I just installed 3/0 battery cable made from welding cable from The Brillman Co. https://brillman.com/ Made a world or difference!

 

I always hear that too however 1 gauge is original equipment spec and is working on my car and truck. This does seem to be a bigger is better situation though