Are you having trouble starting your Land Rover? You probably thought it was the battery, but that turned out to be fine. So, what is causing the problem then? Well, the place you need to be looking at is not your car battery but the car battery end terminals. This small and often ignored part can really affect your car battery’s performance.
Even a mild corrosion on the battery end terminals can affect alternator output by a significant amount. Therefore, if you want the best for your car, you need to keep the battery end terminals in top shape and replace them immediately if you notice them starting to go bad.
What Are Car Battery End Terminals and Why Are They Important?
The primary purpose of the car battery end terminals is to be a bridge between the battery and the battery cables. The end terminals allow the transfer of electrical power from the battery to the cables to the spark plugs and eventually to the rest of the vehicle.
Moreover, because their main job is to transfer electrical power, they are usually made of lead or any other heavy-duty metal which is durable and reliable. Furthermore, their importance is quite apparent as well. If anything were to happen to the terminals, the car wouldn’t be able to get the energy it requires from the battery.
If the car doesn’t get the energy it needs, it’s just going to lead to a ton of problems and other signs that you’ll read about ahead. For instance, you won’t be able to start your car with a bad battery end terminal!
What Are the signs of a Bad Battery End Terminal?
Despite their importance, car battery end terminals are still an often-overlooked part in your car. Moreover, it is because of this only that signs of bad end terminals are so annoying, despite them being very straightforward. Many people think it’s the battery or the battery cables, but they never pay attention to the battery end terminals.
So, now whenever you see the following signs, make sure you take a quick look at your car battery end terminals.
- - Vehicle Won’t Start
If you’re not able to start your car upon turning your key or pushing the start button, there’s a problem with the battery. More specifically, the battery is not able to supply the appropriate energy for the engine to crank. The culprit here is the battery end terminal which could be corroded or simply gone loose.
If the battery can’t transfer the energy on through the terminals and cables, you’ll experience slower cranks, rapid clicking, and overall difficulty in starting your vehicle. Moreover, if you’re already driving, you won’t be able to turn your engine on once you’ve turned it off. Although if you suspect the fault lies within the engine, rather than the battery terminals, take a look here for some quick solutions.
- - Visible Corrosion or Damage on the Battery End Terminals
This sign is pretty easy to spot. You just have to look at the terminals over your car battery more closely. If you see any visible damage like cracks or a loose terminal, you need to replace it before it starts causing you serious trouble.
Moreover, if you spot any white or blue/green corrosion, that is again a sign that you need to replace them. Because of the close contact with the battery, the fumes from the battery acid can cause corrosion to start developing on the terminals’ surfaces. Consequently, this obstructs the energy flow from the battery to the cables.
Although depending on the extent of the corrosion, you can even get by with just cleaning it. However, if the corrosion has started to spread to the cable or started eating the metal, you definitely need to replace it as soon as possible. Additionally, whenever you’re buying any replacement parts for your Land Rover, you should keep these things in mind.
- - Battery Light On on the Dashboard
In newer cars with better diagnostic systems, the vehicle can catch the insufficient electrical power from the battery or detect a loose terminal. As a result, you can see the battery light turn on despite the battery being okay. The light might be pointing towards the battery end terminals.
How to Replace the Car Battery End Terminals in Your Land Rover at Home?
Replacing the car battery end terminals in your Land Rover is one of the easiest jobs out there. The whole task won’t take you more than 10 or 20 minutes. All you need are the following tools and parts:
- - Wrenches
- - Pliers
- - New Car Battery End Terminals
You can get the new terminals from any hardware store, but if you don’t want to go through the trouble, you can just buy them from here while sitting at home. Additionally, if you’re short of any tools, you can get those here too. Moving on, these are the steps to replacing old batter end terminals in your Land Rover:
- - Remove the covers over the terminals of the battery
- - Detach the terminals from the battery posts (we recommend removing the battery as well for safety reasons)
- - Remove the old terminals from the cables
- - Remove a small bit of the insulation from the cables
- - Attach the cables to the new terminals
- - Firmly attach the new terminals to the battery posts
Before you get started, there are a few things to remember:
- 1. Make sure you use protective gloves and clothes so as to protect yourself from any corrosive or dangerous material.
- 2. Be careful while attaching the right terminal to the right post.
- 3. Ensure that the terminal fits perfectly and is secured firmly on the battery post.
- 4. Make sure no damage or corrosion has spread to the cables.
- 5. Try running your car to check if everything is in order once you’re done with everything.
How Often do You Need to Replace Car Battery End Terminals?
Even though we have mentioned some signs that will indicate that you need to replace the car battery end terminals right away, that doesn’t mean that you should just wait for those signs to appear. Depending on the use of the battery, the end terminals will have different electric loads to carry.
You might have to change the terminals anywhere between 50, 000 and 100,000 miles. It all depends on your own maintenance and the protective measures you’ve taken. For example, regular cleaning and using battery protection sprays or greases can help keep the terminals in good shape.
Finals Words
Just like your brakes, oil, filters, etc. are an essential part of your regular car maintenance, the battery end terminals should also be somewhere on the top of your list. With constant checks and cleaning, these end terminals are very easy to maintain. More importantly, they’re even easier to replace with our step-by-step guide on how to replace them at home.
Furthermore, the cost of ignoring these end terminals is much higher than the cost of replacing them. So, order your new car battery end terminals here and start working on it right away! Also, while you’re at it, it doesn’t hurt to go through some of these common Land rover malfunctions either.
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