Does anyone know what gauge wire is used for the battery cables? I'm going to try fixing them before replacing and I'm wondering what sized connectors I should be buying.

 

I found your question posted at the end of a newbie Intro made today and have moved it to X-Type forum.

Members here with the same model will be able to help.

Graham

 

slenser, when it comes to making your own battery cables, I would say that bigger is better. I would say to star with something along the lines of say 4 gauge wiring, but upgrade to 2 gauge if you feel it necessary. Granted, if you are going this far, you will also find it beneficial to upgrade the ground wires between the battery and engine block and the battery and body. While most people thing that the ground wires are more than sufficient, do the upgrade. It only costs a little bit and the benefits are well worth it.

 

Actually, I was wondering what gauge the factory ones are. After some research, I've found people are saying it's the end connectors that end up corroding and need replacement.

Building my own is definitely an option, if it's cheaper than buying.

 

slenser, I am going off of memory here, but I believe the factory wiring is 6 gauge. Granted, could be 4 gauge too. The terminals that you can buy will handle both 4 and 6 gauge wiring with the same connector.

 

Thank you, Thermo! I'll pick them up today.

 

It is definitely cheaper if you can just change terminals on the battery. mine corroded too. I changed all the wiring in my car to 1 gauge and you can buy those cables with terminals preinstalled on them.

Battery to Starter
Battery to Ground
Battery to Alternator

Thing with jaguars is that they need a lot of juice to get it going so make sure you have a tight and secure terminal connection to your battery posts. I would also check to see if any corrosion got to the copper inside your cables because if it did you should replace your cables aswell unless you want to pay for a new alternator.

 

I can find out when you gals get home….

 

slenser, there is little to add to what Thermo wrote. 5 gauge is absolutely unacceptable. In Germany, at least 25mm² is used, which corresponds to 3 gauge. I don't know of any smaller ones, maybe because we only drive cars with more than 2.0l. But an upgrade from 3 to 2 gauge can only be positive.

 

While I appreciate y'all answering my question, this post is over a decade old. I have long since moved on to something else, but hopefully someone else will find this info helpful