# Battery terminal has crack on it **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [October 3, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026 "2019-10-03T19:21:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/21 "2019-10-04T13:55:59Z")
I’d bet an apple fritter that piece has nothing to do with the starting problem. Looks like it’s just a bracket for those two parts. The negative ground cable is behind it. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/22 "2019-10-04T16:11:58Z")
> [@texases](#): > > I’d bet an apple fritter that piece has nothing to do with the starting problem. Looks like it’s just a bracket for those two parts. The negative ground cable is behind it. I’m looking at it, as well Unfortunately, I’m of the the opinion that thing IS the battery cable, or at least part of it I’ve seen some rather “over-engineered” and unorthodox battery cables which are prone to cracking, Ford comes to mind, as a matter of fact ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/23 "2019-10-04T16:58:50Z")
Has anyone tried to look up a new version of this part? Just curious if it’s indeed cracked or maybe it’s supposed to be that way. Although, I have no idea why they’d make it like that. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/24 "2019-10-04T17:49:00Z")
First thing you might try is removing the battery cable ends and clean both ends and battery posts. From the looks of the termnals I would reasonably guess both ends and terminals have developed a scale on them. Scale being a dull discoloring. If that doesn’t work check the battery itself, My guess is the crack is totally irrelevant and is probably due to age and heat. ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/25 "2019-10-04T18:15:21Z")
> [@Scrapyard\_John](#): > > Has anyone tried to look up a new version of this part? Just curious if it’s indeed cracked or maybe it’s supposed to be that way. Although, I have no idea why they’d make it like that. I couldn’t find a new one, but I did find a pic of the engine compartment of a different Kia Amanti, and that bracket didn’t look broken, but I couldn’t tell for sure. ![kia](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/2/9/29f09490d1d99429321a104052df535d969b37dc.jpeg) ![kia2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/b/8/b8e0d201face85e71e374006d3c7aee0b42339a7.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/26 "2019-10-04T18:42:50Z")
> [@eddo](#): > > I couldn’t find a new one, but I did find a pic of the engine compartment of a different Kia Amanti, and that bracket didn’t look broken, but I couldn’t tell for sure. From these pictures, it is clear that that bracket is NOT passing any electricity, but is only a mechanical holder for some two relays. What I see on the pictures is a normal black thick cable getting to the battery clamp and this is where all electricity is flowing. Based on this, we are down to two main suspects: it’s either a bad battery (could happen at 3.5 years) OR it’s a corrosion on post/clamp/cable connection. Disassembling and cleaning is the easiest first step, and if it helps, corrosion it is. If not → that’s the time for a new battery. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/27 "2019-10-04T19:05:43Z")
good job 👍 I was able to enlarge the images and now I have a different opinion It seems that “thing” is not part of the battery cable, after all a picture is indeed worth a thousand words ---
**Author:** ![iag360\_141684](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df705f/32.png) [@iag360\_141684](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iag360_141684)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/28 "2019-10-04T20:37:48Z")
@db4690 @eddo you guys sure about that ? ![IMG_20191004_163512](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/8/a/8aff3efd4408f1c6c99d74e2371d9ef9572a578c.jpeg) ![IMG_20191004_163505](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/c/7cbd7594f1759a66ae0779a14d3a46bab095beae.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 8:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/29 "2019-10-04T20:47:08Z")
Thank you why didn’t you post those pictures earlier . . . ? The first thing you need to do is fix/replace that battery cable ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/30 "2019-10-04T21:47:31Z")
Yes, it’s broke! That picture shows it better. Still, I think it would carry enough current as it is to do the cranking. I could be wrong, though. Needs repairing either way. ---
**Author:** ![iag360\_141684](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df705f/32.png) [@iag360\_141684](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iag360_141684)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/31 "2019-10-04T22:19:40Z")
@Scrapyard_John @db4690 ok so you guys are saying I should fix the crack, then right? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/32 "2019-10-04T23:26:40Z")
That’s just a bracket for the 140 amp alternator fuse and the 30 amp ignition fuse. It has nothing to do with the starting problem. Tester ---
**Author:** ![iag360\_141684](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df705f/32.png) [@iag360\_141684](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iag360_141684)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/33 "2019-10-04T23:41:49Z")
@Scrapyard_John I thought that the broken piece was separate from the actual terminal? ---
**Author:** ![iag360\_141684](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df705f/32.png) [@iag360\_141684](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iag360_141684)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/34 "2019-10-04T23:42:30Z")
@Tester thank you. Your sure that the broken bracket has nothing to do with the terminal? ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/35 "2019-10-04T23:59:22Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > That’s just a bracket for the 140 amp alternator fuse and the 30 amp ignition fuse. Does it provide the ground for those relays? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/36 "2019-10-05T00:37:20Z")
> [@shanonia](#): > > Does it provide the ground for those relays? They’re not relays. They’re fuses. One is rated at 140 amps, and one is rated at 30 amps. Tester ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 1:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/37 "2019-10-05T01:27:14Z")
I can not imagine why somebody in a sane mind would fuse connections to the ground? I do not see from the pictures, but I would suspect these fuses protect positive circuits, not ground circuits. If this is the case, the purpose of this metal piece is pure mechanical, to hold that relays in place. As such, this piece of metal is not exactly the best Koreans could do. ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/38 "2019-10-05T01:32:42Z")
Yes, the broken piece is seperate from the terminal. I’d want to fix it. Whether it carries current or not. I don’t think it carries any current. The wires coming in to the fuses on the bracket carry current. Then a wire leaves the fuses and goes back to that terminal that the bracket is bolted to. If the bracket carried a current itself, the fuses would be kinda pointless because if a fuse blew, the current would just bypass it on the bracket! I think. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/39 "2019-10-05T01:32:44Z")
I can’t tell from the photos if that bracket has any current-carrying function or not. One idea for a clue, measure the voltage of that bracket? I could see how a crack could happen if the battery wasn’t properly held down and it shifted during a rapid stop, pothole, etc. Batteries – being so heavy – have a lot of inertia. ---
**Author:** ![iag360\_141684](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df705f/32.png) [@iag360\_141684](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iag360_141684)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026/40 "2019-10-05T02:35:38Z")
I just want to know if it carries Current or not. I can deal with the crack if it doesn’t affect anything. Wish I knew what more to look at. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-terminal-has-crack-on-it/150026.md?page=3)