[mackay]

Hello all,

My car has been loosing all electricity intermittently for the past few months.



Anyways, fast forward to sunday afternoon coming back from the moto track and it starts again real bad on this bumpy dirt road. Loosing all current every couple of seconds. Bad ground somewhere, I think.

I get onto paved road and make it all the way home no problems (no bumps). Open the hood to find this (see attached)...

When the ignition is ON I am able to jiggle the Pos. terminal and either turn on or turn off the current to the car.

Clearly the hottest part of the cable was the closest to the battery.

EDIT: Battery tested OK

 

[Wry 'Cuda]

I don't see much wrong with the cable, except that the lead with the yellow connector goes nowhere and looks like it was an add-on. Seems to be some insulation coming off the main cable; doesn't look like a major electrical short. A short will likely burn the full length of the cable, not the just connector. The fact that the car starts OK is a good sign, but there are other places where the electronics need to be grounded and this might be causing the stoppages. By all means replace the Pos. cable, but you'll probably find it's OK.

Maybe it's a US regional thing, but the word is losing, not "loosing".

"Loose" is sometimes a verb and often an adjective and, increasingly, a pain in the neck to proofreaders, editors, and perfectionist grammar nazis everywhere. Because almost no one uses it correctly anymore.

 

[mackay]

Wry'Cuda,

Thank you for the verbal correction. My grammar had gone downhill since university.

*edit* the battery tested OK. Must be a short somewhere. Any guesses as the black box that is wired inline on the Pos. cable. Is it a relay?

Every time I jiggle the main Pos. terminal I can get the power to switch on or off.

Also, the short Pos. terminal that goes no where has never had that crack and splitting of the insulation prior to Sunday. I believe it is stock as it is factory 'clamped' to the main Pos. terminal.

 

[Wry 'Cuda]

That positive terminal looks like it's a bit flimsy. This clamp-band variety often doesn't fit correctly and tightening the bolt distorts the bearing surfaces. I prefer the solid lead-alloy type. Possibly the cable is broken inside, but that's a rarity.

I can't tell exactly what your picture shows. Relay? Fuse? I haven't had to look closely at KIA electrics (touch wood), but older cars (e.g. GM) used to have the main positive cable going straight to the starter motor, and would branch from there.

My grammar is OK (I bet you've checked!), but my typing has deteriorated. E&OE.

 

[jetech00001]

i would replace the positive cable and the heat would be a sign of high resistance and if can jiggle the terminal and duplicate the problem its probably the cable or what ever is at the end of the cable it looks pretty ratty and what KIA model are you referencing ????????

 

[mackay]

FIXED!

Checked all ground, all good.

The black box deal is some sort of relay. Discovered brass screw on it underneath melted plastic; it was loose.

Tightened up, anti-corrrosive on terminals, good to go!

Still not sure how it got so hot???