I went to try to start my car this morning and it would not start , I went to take a look at my battery as I have had this issue before and noticed the positive battery clamp/connector was a bit loose. So I went ahead and tried to tighten it but unfortunately I broke the screw.
So I started to look for parts to replace the whole cable and they are a bit expensive around $300
61106910058
https://www.bmwdirectparts.com/oem-p...le-61106910058
2nd_pic.jpgmissing screw.jpg
I should be able to fix this by just replacing this part :
broken_screw.jpg
Anyone know where I can buy this or if there is something else I can buy as a replacement to fix this?
Looks like you can get one on Amazon for < $7.
And lose the corrosion pads. These clamps need to sit all the way at the bottom of the post before you tighten the bolt, lest you try to clamp on air and break the bolt instead.
/.randy
You know what , I think that might be the problem because this isn't the first time I've had issues with my car starting because of the battery, I think those pads may be causing the problem all this time.
I believe that's exactly what happened this morning I was trying to tighten the clamp and the screw broke, That pad most likely definitely has been causing the problems.
Dielectric grease on the battery post? This will be interesting...
/.randy
OK, I’ll add to the snark. It’s called a “bolt”, not a screw.
Now for a helpful tip!
If you buy a type 48 battery for a BMW Z3 and find the terminals are a little small for the cables (they just dont tighten enough), then there are a couple of ways to fix that.
1. Buy lead cups that fit over the terminals and make them bigger. Auto parts stores sell these.
2. Overlay a bit of lead solder to make up the gap.
A loose + or - will cause all sorts of funny thing to happen. About 15 years ago my Z3 started to throw a lot of check engine codes. Weird stuff. It was a loose positive lead due to the terminal being slightly too small. A 1/4” of solder fixed that issue. You can also try to knurl the terminal, but why bother? Don’t use aluminum foil to fill up the gap. Use lead. Also, you can lightly tap the cable lead down onto the post with a ball pein hammer (light weight). Just tap it lightly.
Parts shops sell spray greasy stuff for battery terminals, but it is not necessary. Do not use dielectric grease though.
Steve
'02 Z3 3.0i
Some how, some way, the automotive repair industry has latched on to dielectric grease as a cure-all for electrical. Its non-conductive, yet there are techs that will pack every module connector full of the stuff "for protection". Tis on my list of peeves.
/.randy
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