Over the past one year, I have been stranded several times during the rain where the car does not start up and I need a jump start.
At first I thought it was the battery but the battery was fine as per the auto-parts store and I could recharge it fully using a trickle charger.
However, turns out the negative battery cable was loose each time, and the jump starter clamps would make it tight and it would start.
This is the problem referred to as bad ground in various forums, and it just means that you need to replace your negative battery cable with a new one.
This post describes how to and the OEM part numbers.
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
- 10mm wrench or socket
- OEM negative terminal cable part number 24080-AM600
- Battery terminal cleaning kit
- Magnetic Parts Tray
PROCESS
Step 1: Remove the old battery terminal from the battery first using a 10mm socket. Look at the two bolts in Figure 1 and remove them with the 10mm socket too. NOTE: Make sure to not drop the bolts in the engine compartment. Use a magnetic parts tray if necessary to hold the two bolts.
Figure 1. Bolts to be removed at the end of the negative battery terminal cable
Step 2: Now using the battery terminal cleaning kit clean the negative terminal nicely and place a new negative terminal anti-corrosion washer on it, as seen in Figure 4, where I have already cleaned the terminal.
Step 3: Use a new OEM negative/earth/ground battery terminal cable whose part number is 24080-AM600 (Figure 3). As you can see in Figure 2, the two cables must look alike. My old cable has a copper terminal and it had really corroded a lot that it could not hold strongly on to the negative terminal of the battery.
Figure 2. Compare old and new battery terminal cables
You may think that this OEM cable is over a $100 but it will last another 100,000 miles. My original cable lasted over 188,000 miles before it became bad. It is totally worth it to buy a new one and it will fit perfectly.
NOTE: I do not recommend buying an automotive parts store cable that are cheaply built. All your electrical systems in the car depend on this cable to work, so you better buy the OEM version which is the best.
Figure 3. Nissan OEM part number 24080-AM600
Step 4: Make sure to use the 10mm socket again to tighten the cable to the body of the car first as in Figure 1. Then attach it to the negative lead of the battery and tighten.
Figure 4. New cable ready to be installed on a clean battery terminal
Now your car should start just fine and the electrical issues related to the negative/earth/ground cable are taken care of. No more bad ground.
