sometimes the simplest solution is the correct one. this past Northeast winter the battery voltage was low and one start was labored. that day decided to replace the battery. new Bosch lead-acid, their best option available in this format. checked the unit for a recent date code. installed fine, no issues and worked well. noticed for a few months that the key-on voltage reading was slightly lower than it should be for the ambient temps and figured that the gauge was not the most accurate. same reading however with my multimeter. battery always load tested fine. reconditioned it once with my maintainer. alternator test was on the lower side of what it should be at the terminals.

two days ago had to disconnect to play with the Real-Gauge control unit (and the car already passed the OBD scan for this year). the battery posts looked kind of dull grey and i never coated them with my favorite conductive copper grease during installation. out came my trusty Schumacher terminal and cable clamp cleaning tool. cleaned both to a shine, applied copper grease and did things change. voltage readings at rest, start and idle are .4 - .6 higher. this was simply a matter of resistance at the connection.

the moral of the story is to clean the posts and cable clamps at installation as lead flash oxidizes in storage. guaranteed that most mechanics and auto parts stores never do this. funny thing is my father the electrical engineer always did this for new non-plated connections. FYI: if something is plated with a non-oxidizing metal, polish it, do not sand or scratch as this will defeat the corrosion resistance.

here is the tool, keep one in the boot for on the road replacements: this is the conductive grease, also great for spark plug terminals, anti-seize uses and for making a big mess, use sparingly:
happy motoring!

 

^^^^^^^ +1 thank you for sharing. It's the simple things like this that are often overlooked.

another good conductivity enhancer is this silver based grease:


a little pricey, but a tiny bit goes a long way, and it's not as messy as the carbon or copper based products.

just stay away from using dielectric grease on ANY metal contact that are carrying a current. It's not going to help

from another recent thread:

Despite the widespread use and endorsements, dielectric grease should never be used on the metal parts of an electrical contact surface, like the blades of the headlight switch for example. Used sparingly on these metal contacts, dielectricgrease won't cause much harm, but it certainly is doing no good either, as the current is being passed in spite of thedielectric coating, not because of it.

there are many commercially available product that will improve electrical conductivity, in liquid, paste or greaseformulations. The silver based ones are usually pricey. All of them do a great job, especially when compared to the widespread, but misguided, use of dielectric grease.

https://www.britannica.com/science/dielectric

QUOTE: ".......Dielectric, insulating material or a very poor conductor of electric current. When dielectrics are placed in an electric field, practically no current flows in them because, unlike metals, they have no loosely bound, or free, electrons that may drift through the material. Instead, electric polarization occurs. The positive charges within the dielectric are displaced minutely in the direction of the electric field, and the negative charges are displaced minutely in the direction opposite to the electric field. This slight separation of charge, or polarization, reduces the electric field within thedielectric......"

As the definition of dielectric says, it is an INHIBITOR of electrical current, not an enhancement, as many people mistakenly have thought. It is great when used on the rubber or silicone spark plug boots, or the rubber boots around taillight bulbs, etc. Used in such a manner it helps to insulate against a current leak or moisture intrusion.


Z

 

I replaced the battery in my 1999 Dodge Ram pickup ten days ago. The new battery came with a packet labeled "silicone grease". I lubed the terminals with it before installing and tightening the clamps. We shall see if this stuff holds up in the engine bay. This was the first battery I have ever purchased that came with its own terminal lube. It is a Champion battery built by Johnson Controls. I have always had good success with Johnson Control batteries....

 

Step A : NEVER put any Bosch parts in a Jaguar. The parts , being German, will immediately start to irritate the car , being British.

 

….Then what should be expected from the German-built ZF transmissions?

 

thanks for mentioning that, many people mistakenly use it to waterproof electrical connections and cause more problems than good

 

well at least it is not made in Germany. it is only a rebrand to the Bosch spec (supposedly) by one of the few manufacturers that actually make batteries here. would have preferred an Interstate, but the local distributor was out of stock that day. price was not an issue as my friend owns an auto repair business and i get his price for just about anything which is unbeatable by any promotional sale.

maybe they installed all of the reject A-drums in the transmissions provided to the Jaguar account.

 

very cleverly disguised spy