Will a loose battery ground cable at the battery cause the cable to heat up? I think I had a loose or corroded cable because after working on it everything worked fine as far as starting but was concerned it could be some other problem because of it being so hot?

Thanks,

rws

Resistance will cause heat. If the cable is too small, it will heat up, or if the connection is corroded or has other issues that cause a high resitance, the connection will heat up.

Is the connection at the battery hotter than the one at the frame/alternator/engine/wherever it is connected or is the whole cable hot?

Where is the ground connected to the car? Could it possibly be picking up heat from the exhaust manifold? The cable is copper, so it will conduct heat very well.

K

It is connected to the engine block away from exhaust components. I did clean corrosion from cable end and on battery post but haven't checked if it still gets hot during normal starting/operation but will soon.

Thanks,

rws

A loose cable will most definitely get hot. Youmight not see corrosion, but it can still be inside the wire. Everything needs to be cleaned and a new cable is not a bad idea. Origianl stuff should have been replaced years ago and probably it's replacement is about shot, too.

Thanks, for all replys.

RwS

If the cable was corroded look for swelling of the insulation at the ends. That means the corrosion has worked it's way up under the insulation and it's time to visit your local auto parts store and pick up a new one.