Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

George H.

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

The puff is at the battery, between the terminal and post, right?
The smoke indicates vaporized lead from a whole bunch of current
trying to go through a small area of post/terminal. It indicates that
you either didn't clean it properly or the connection is loose. Are
you -sure- the terminal is tightening properly on the battery post?

Sometimes the post is worn down by cleaning and the terminal doesn't
tighten onto it. If that's the case, remove the terminal, remove the
clamping bolt, and run a hacksaw between the ends to remove material.
Reinstall the clamping bolt and try again. There should be a gap at
the terminal end where the clamping bolt goes through. If not, saw
some more.

I have used several methods over the years to reduce corrosion between
the two, but I have always used round brush (or blade-type) terminal
end cleaners to get bright lead for the contact surfaces. The oiled
felt pads under the terminals can reduce corrosion, but I used to use
wheel bearing grease to cover both the terminal and post. Now I use
the spray terminal protector. It's usually red, so I'm sure you've
seen it. I clean and tighten the two, then spray with protectant.

--
Average # of people killed in mass shooting when stopped by police: 18.25
Average # of people killed when stopped by civilians: 2

Save lives: Keep Civilians Armed!

On Monday, May 1, 2017 at 8:21:54 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

George H.

Don't know what kind of terminal this is, but make sure that a) you have a shiny, clean surface. if all you have done is polish up the corrosion, that isn't going to help. b) make sure you have a solid contact with as much surface area as possible. If you're clamping two flat surfaces together, make sure the bolt head is large enough, or use a washer. Otherwise you will distort the terminal enough to reduce contact area. You shouldn't need any "goo," though that would be helpful for discouraging future corrosion. Vaseline works pretty well.

On Monday, May 1, 2017 at 9:18:20 AM UTC-4, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

The puff is at the battery, between the terminal and post, right?
The smoke indicates vaporized lead from a whole bunch of current
trying to go through a small area of post/terminal. It indicates that
you either didn't clean it properly or the connection is loose. Are
you -sure- the terminal is tightening properly on the battery post?

Right, The dang thing is as tight as I can make it. The terminal is
pretty old... weak/"distressed" on the edges maybe. I was think of
just buying a new terminal/

Sometimes the post is worn down by cleaning and the terminal doesn't
tighten onto it. If that's the case, remove the terminal, remove the
clamping bolt, and run a hacksaw between the ends to remove material.
Reinstall the clamping bolt and try again. There should be a gap at
the terminal end where the clamping bolt goes through. If not, saw
some more.
Yeah I've done that... not the problem in this case.

I have used several methods over the years to reduce corrosion between
the two, but I have always used round brush (or blade-type) terminal
end cleaners to get bright lead for the contact surfaces. The oiled
felt pads under the terminals can reduce corrosion, but I used to use
wheel bearing grease to cover both the terminal and post. Now I use
the spray terminal protector. It's usually red, so I'm sure you've
seen it. I clean and tighten the two, then spray with protectant.

Right, (thanks) I'll stop at Napa or some place and let them sell me
some gunk.

George H.

--
Average # of people killed in mass shooting when stopped by police: 18.25
Average # of people killed when stopped by civilians: 2

Save lives: Keep Civilians Armed!

wrote in message
...
Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off
with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the
starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some
small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some
goo
or other tricks I can use?

George H.

Maybe the cable connection within the terminal has corroded.

That happen to my 1991 truck and I replaced the (+) terminal with a
brass one from Autozone. I had to retighten the cable (not post) clamp
several times because the brass yielded. It seems OK now.
-jsw

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

You need this tool.

https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4612-3-Wa...U4I/ref=sr_1_5

The description tells you pretty much what it does. The important
part is the male reamer that will clean and re-cut the proper taper on
your battery cable terminals.

John
John DeArmond
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.tnduction.com
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
See website for email address

On Mon, 01 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700, ggherold wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo or
other tricks I can use?

George H.

New battery + new cable end? Or just replace whichever one is worn out?

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

I'm looking for work -- see my website!

On Monday, May 1, 2017 at 9:30:22 AM UTC-4, wrote:

George H.


Have not had this probem for some time. Larry had a lot of good advice, but he forgot one thing. put some downward force on the clamp and rotate it back and forth. And then tighten the clamp.

Dan

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

George H.


New battery clamps or lead foil shims. Even other metal shims may
work, but lead foil works best. I have in the past, while working
where you could not easily get ANY parts, pounded out a lead weight
into a small sheet to shim a loose battery clamp.

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

George H.


I just went through this George. Cleaned battery clamp with the wire
brush made for this. No go. Got out my pocket and went at the inside
of clamp. There was a very hard oxide coating on the inside of the
clamp. It shines up nice with a wire brush but doesn't conduct
electricity worth a damn. After scraping this hard coating off, and
you can certainly tell it's hard because it almost chips off, I could
feel the knife blade dig into soft lead. After scraping the inside it
was nice and bright and the old tractor spun right over. With a 6 volt
battery. Probably the same as your old beast.
Eric

On Mon, 01 May 2017 14:49:33 -0700, etpm wrote:

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo or
other tricks I can use?

George H.


I just went through this George. Cleaned battery clamp with the wire
brush made for this. No go. Got out my pocket and went at the inside of
clamp. There was a very hard oxide coating on the inside of the clamp.
It shines up nice with a wire brush but doesn't conduct electricity
worth a damn. After scraping this hard coating off, and you can
certainly tell it's hard because it almost chips off, I could feel the
knife blade dig into soft lead. After scraping the inside it was nice
and bright and the old tractor spun right over. With a 6 volt battery.
Probably the same as your old beast.
Eric

I've had that happen. Yup. Scrape it out with a pocket knife.

Someone mentioned a proper tapered reamer to do this. Maybe it's good if
you live in the city...

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

I'm looking for work -- see my website!

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 01 May 2017 14:49:33 -0700, etpm wrote:

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off
with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the
starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some
small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some
goo or
other tricks I can use?

George H.


I just went through this George. Cleaned battery clamp with the
wire
brush made for this. No go. Got out my pocket and went at the
inside of
clamp. There was a very hard oxide coating on the inside of the
clamp.
It shines up nice with a wire brush but doesn't conduct electricity
worth a damn. After scraping this hard coating off, and you can
certainly tell it's hard because it almost chips off, I could feel
the
knife blade dig into soft lead. After scraping the inside it was
nice
and bright and the old tractor spun right over. With a 6 volt
battery.
Probably the same as your old beast.
Eric

I've had that happen. Yup. Scrape it out with a pocket knife.

Someone mentioned a proper tapered reamer to do this. Maybe it's
good if
you live in the city...
Tim Wescott

I rarely need mine, but when I do it's the right tool for the job.
-jsw

On Mon, 1 May 2017 19:28:10 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 01 May 2017 14:49:33 -0700, etpm wrote:

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off
with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the
starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some
small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some
goo or
other tricks I can use?

George H.


I just went through this George. Cleaned battery clamp with the
wire
brush made for this. No go. Got out my pocket and went at the
inside of
clamp. There was a very hard oxide coating on the inside of the
clamp.
It shines up nice with a wire brush but doesn't conduct electricity
worth a damn. After scraping this hard coating off, and you can
certainly tell it's hard because it almost chips off, I could feel
the
knife blade dig into soft lead. After scraping the inside it was
nice
and bright and the old tractor spun right over. With a 6 volt
battery.
Probably the same as your old beast.
Eric

I've had that happen. Yup. Scrape it out with a pocket knife.

Someone mentioned a proper tapered reamer to do this. Maybe it's
good if
you live in the city...
Tim Wescott

I rarely need mine, but when I do it's the right tool for the job.
-jsw

And generally more use for it on the farm than in the city - - -

On Mon, 1 May 2017 06:30:20 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Monday, May 1, 2017 at 9:18:20 AM UTC-4, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

The puff is at the battery, between the terminal and post, right?
The smoke indicates vaporized lead from a whole bunch of current
trying to go through a small area of post/terminal. It indicates that
you either didn't clean it properly or the connection is loose. Are
you -sure- the terminal is tightening properly on the battery post?

Right, The dang thing is as tight as I can make it. The terminal is
pretty old... weak/"distressed" on the edges maybe. I was think of
just buying a new terminal/

That was one of my points. You can tighten the bolt 'til the cows
come home but if it isn't squeezing the post, it won't work. But if
you have frayed wire at the terminal to cable connection, you're
losing current there and the terminal should be replaced.


--
Average # of people killed in mass shooting when stopped by police: 18.25
Average # of people killed when stopped by civilians: 2

Save lives: Keep Civilians Armed!

On Mon, 01 May 2017 17:57:17 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Mon, 01 May 2017 14:49:33 -0700, etpm wrote:

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo or
other tricks I can use?

George H.


I just went through this George. Cleaned battery clamp with the wire
brush made for this. No go. Got out my pocket and went at the inside of
clamp. There was a very hard oxide coating on the inside of the clamp.
It shines up nice with a wire brush but doesn't conduct electricity
worth a damn. After scraping this hard coating off, and you can
certainly tell it's hard because it almost chips off, I could feel the
knife blade dig into soft lead. After scraping the inside it was nice
and bright and the old tractor spun right over. With a 6 volt battery.
Probably the same as your old beast.
Eric

I've had that happen. Yup. Scrape it out with a pocket knife.

Someone mentioned a proper tapered reamer to do this. Maybe it's good if
you live in the city...

C'mon, guys. Keep the taper. http://tinyurl.com/lwhch7l
My old one is from SnapOn. (Someone gave it to me. I don't have the
bag of hundreds for one.)

--
Average # of people killed in mass shooting when stopped by police: 18.25
Average # of people killed when stopped by civilians: 2

Save lives: Keep Civilians Armed!

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...

That was one of my points. You can tighten the bolt 'til the cows
come home but if it isn't squeezing the post, it won't work. But if
you have frayed wire at the terminal to cable connection, you're
losing current there and the terminal should be replaced.

If you can apply a load away from the battery, such as from the frame
to the starter or its relay, a voltmeter will reveal any voltage drops
across poor terminal connections. Several amps of charging current may
be enough, too.

A headlight bulb draws around 5 Amps.
-jsw

On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:07:02 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .

That was one of my points. You can tighten the bolt 'til the cows
come home but if it isn't squeezing the post, it won't work. But if
you have frayed wire at the terminal to cable connection, you're
losing current there and the terminal should be replaced.

If you can apply a load away from the battery, such as from the frame
to the starter or its relay, a voltmeter will reveal any voltage drops
across poor terminal connections. Several amps of charging current may
be enough, too.

A headlight bulb draws around 5 Amps.

Yeah, headlights were an easy test for a charging system, too. Start
it up, remove a battery cable, then turn on the brights. The engine
will die if the charging system isn't working properly.

--
Average # of people killed in mass shooting when stopped by police: 18.25
Average # of people killed when stopped by civilians: 2

Save lives: Keep Civilians Armed!

On Monday, May 1, 2017 at 3:49:23 PM UTC-4, Clare wrote:
On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo
or other tricks I can use?

George H.


New battery clamps or lead foil shims. Even other metal shims may
work, but lead foil works best. I have in the past, while working
where you could not easily get ANY parts, pounded out a lead weight
into a small sheet to shim a loose battery clamp.

Hah, I found some non-cored solder and tried to pound that into a shim.
It didn't really work. (Well the 'shim' was a bit thick/ uneven,
I needed some roller thing.)

George H.

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 12:41:42 AM UTC-4, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 01 May 2017 17:57:17 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Mon, 01 May 2017 14:49:33 -0700, etpm wrote:

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo or
other tricks I can use?

George H.


I just went through this George. Cleaned battery clamp with the wire
brush made for this. No go. Got out my pocket and went at the inside of
clamp. There was a very hard oxide coating on the inside of the clamp.
It shines up nice with a wire brush but doesn't conduct electricity
worth a damn. After scraping this hard coating off, and you can
certainly tell it's hard because it almost chips off, I could feel the
knife blade dig into soft lead. After scraping the inside it was nice
and bright and the old tractor spun right over. With a 6 volt battery.
Probably the same as your old beast.
Eric

I've had that happen. Yup. Scrape it out with a pocket knife.

Someone mentioned a proper tapered reamer to do this. Maybe it's good if
you live in the city...

C'mon, guys. Keep the taper. http://tinyurl.com/lwhch7l
My old one is from SnapOn. (Someone gave it to me. I don't have the
bag of hundreds for one.)

--
Average # of people killed in mass shooting when stopped by police: 18.25
Average # of people killed when stopped by civilians: 2

Save lives: Keep Civilians Armed!

Guys... Jim, Tim, Dan, Clare, Larry, Eric.. and whomever I missed.
Thanks for all the ideas!
I'm going to try scrapping (with a knife) the inside of the terminal, and also stop by the auto store and pick up some new terminals.

So a related story. My pick up was having battery issues.
I couldn't figure out what it was. (new alternator/ battery..
old truck) I have an electric winch which raises/ lowers the plow on
the front. Using the winch would often cause the battery light to turn
on, and the battery voltage (as read by instrument cluster) to drop.

I finally had my son engage the winch while I measured the voltage
right at the terminals. No drop! Turns out someone (it could have been
me or the previous owner) had put a washer between the lead terminal and
the copper ring that was bonded to the wire. Dang washer had corroded
over time, and now had ~1 ohm of resistance.

George H.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:07:02 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .

That was one of my points. You can tighten the bolt 'til the cows
come home but if it isn't squeezing the post, it won't work. But if
you have frayed wire at the terminal to cable connection, you're
losing current there and the terminal should be replaced.

If you can apply a load away from the battery, such as from the frame
to the starter or its relay, a voltmeter will reveal any voltage drops
across poor terminal connections. Several amps of charging current may
be enough, too.

A headlight bulb draws around 5 Amps.
-jsw

When the terminal smokes between it and the post you KNOW where the
problem is, and you KNOW the voltage drop will be very substantial.
(I'd bet 5 volts on a 6 volt system would be very close)

On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:18:31 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 12:41:42 AM UTC-4, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 01 May 2017 17:57:17 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Mon, 01 May 2017 14:49:33 -0700, etpm wrote:

On Mon, 1 May 2017 05:21:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Speaking of old tractors, I can't get a good contact to the battery
terminal on my old Ferguson. I cleaned the post and connector off with
a (3M) green scrubbie, but when I clamp it together and push the starter
button I get a puff of smoke from the terminal as I vaporize some small
section of lead where the terminal connector meet. Is there some goo or
other tricks I can use?

George H.


I just went through this George. Cleaned battery clamp with the wire
brush made for this. No go. Got out my pocket and went at the inside of
clamp. There was a very hard oxide coating on the inside of the clamp.
It shines up nice with a wire brush but doesn't conduct electricity
worth a damn. After scraping this hard coating off, and you can
certainly tell it's hard because it almost chips off, I could feel the
knife blade dig into soft lead. After scraping the inside it was nice
and bright and the old tractor spun right over. With a 6 volt battery.
Probably the same as your old beast.
Eric

I've had that happen. Yup. Scrape it out with a pocket knife.

Someone mentioned a proper tapered reamer to do this. Maybe it's good if
you live in the city...

C'mon, guys. Keep the taper. http://tinyurl.com/lwhch7l
My old one is from SnapOn. (Someone gave it to me. I don't have the
bag of hundreds for one.)

--
Average # of people killed in mass shooting when stopped by police: 18.25
Average # of people killed when stopped by civilians: 2

Save lives: Keep Civilians Armed!

Guys... Jim, Tim, Dan, Clare, Larry, Eric.. and whomever I missed.
Thanks for all the ideas!
I'm going to try scrapping (with a knife) the inside of the terminal, and also stop by the auto store and pick up some new terminals.

So a related story. My pick up was having battery issues.
I couldn't figure out what it was. (new alternator/ battery..
old truck) I have an electric winch which raises/ lowers the plow on
the front. Using the winch would often cause the battery light to turn
on, and the battery voltage (as read by instrument cluster) to drop.

I finally had my son engage the winch while I measured the voltage
right at the terminals. No drop! Turns out someone (it could have been
me or the previous owner) had put a washer between the lead terminal and
the copper ring that was bonded to the wire. Dang washer had corroded
over time, and now had ~1 ohm of resistance.

George H.
That will definitely do it - - -

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:07:02 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
. ..

That was one of my points. You can tighten the bolt 'til the cows
come home but if it isn't squeezing the post, it won't work. But
if
you have frayed wire at the terminal to cable connection, you're
losing current there and the terminal should be replaced.

If you can apply a load away from the battery, such as from the
frame
to the starter or its relay, a voltmeter will reveal any voltage
drops
across poor terminal connections. Several amps of charging current
may
be enough, too.

A headlight bulb draws around 5 Amps.
-jsw

When the terminal smokes between it and the post you KNOW where the
problem is, and you KNOW the voltage drop will be very substantial.
(I'd bet 5 volts on a 6 volt system would be very close)

Smoke at the terminal could be from either the post or the cable
connection, I've had both go bad.

I can't see the battery when turning the key from the driver's seat
and need a voltmeter with long enough leads to rest it against the
raised hood. Actually I've needed a test lead long enough to reach
from the computer under the glovebox nearly to the left headlight,
when searching for a bad ground.
-jsw

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:07:02 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

A headlight bulb draws around 5 Amps.

Yeah, headlights were an easy test for a charging system, too.
Start
it up, remove a battery cable, then turn on the brights. The engine
will die if the charging system isn't working properly.

I built a fault simulator for GM that created the types of voltage
transients that a car's electrical system can suffer. The energy
levels exceeded what they could do with their lab test equipment.
http://www.electronicdesign.com/powe...tion-headaches

A "load dump" occurs when the battery disconnects while the alternator
field is energized, their example was a rough road jostling the
cables. The stored field energy can raise the normal 12-14V to 100V or
more (I can't quote specifics), and the surge suppressors they install
to protect the electronics have limited dissipation capacity.

The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.

-jsw

Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers. That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 2:54:16 PM UTC-4, Jon Elson wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers. That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

Well, having the battery in the trunk seemed to solve a lot of problems in my 1958 Alfa Romeo. g It was nice and clean back there, and cool. However, the cable that ran forward used a lot of copper.

As for electronics, I did have to replace a couple of vacuum tubes in the Blaupunkt radio...

There is a lot of virtue in simplicity.

--
Ed Huntress

"Jon Elson" wrote in message
...
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer
and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a
few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air
cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window
defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points
on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers.
That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

The fuel injection computer was for the 76 Seville. Since I worked for
a supplier of production test stations I saw developmental items
before they reached consumers.

wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 2:54:16 PM UTC-4, Jon Elson wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection
computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after
a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air
cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window
defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points
on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers.
That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

Well, having the battery in the trunk seemed to solve a lot of
problems in my 1958 Alfa Romeo. g It was nice and clean back
there, and cool. However, the cable that ran forward used a lot of
copper.

As for electronics, I did have to replace a couple of vacuum tubes
in the Blaupunkt radio...

There is a lot of virtue in simplicity.

--
Ed Huntress

I've closely examined a disassembled 1910-ish Maxwell in a private
collection. Mechanically it's like a 4-wheel bicycle. That stuff is
fun to play with as long as you don't have to depend on it.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 12:41:35 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:07:02 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...

That was one of my points. You can tighten the bolt 'til the cows
come home but if it isn't squeezing the post, it won't work. But
if
you have frayed wire at the terminal to cable connection, you're
losing current there and the terminal should be replaced.

If you can apply a load away from the battery, such as from the
frame
to the starter or its relay, a voltmeter will reveal any voltage
drops
across poor terminal connections. Several amps of charging current
may
be enough, too.

A headlight bulb draws around 5 Amps.
-jsw

When the terminal smokes between it and the post you KNOW where the
problem is, and you KNOW the voltage drop will be very substantial.
(I'd bet 5 volts on a 6 volt system would be very close)

Smoke at the terminal could be from either the post or the cable
connection, I've had both go bad.

I can't see the battery when turning the key from the driver's seat
and need a voltmeter with long enough leads to rest it against the
raised hood. Actually I've needed a test lead long enough to reach
from the computer under the glovebox nearly to the left headlight,
when searching for a bad ground.
-jsw

On a 9n it's easy enough to crank the engine from a position where
you CAN see the battery.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 12:07:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 2:54:16 PM UTC-4, Jon Elson wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers. That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

Well, having the battery in the trunk seemed to solve a lot of problems in my 1958 Alfa Romeo. g It was nice and clean back there, and cool. However, the cable that ran forward used a lot of copper.

As for electronics, I did have to replace a couple of vacuum tubes in the Blaupunkt radio...

There is a lot of virtue in simplicity.
The battery in the trunk of my '61 Mini almost resulted in the
destruction of the car - and the crappy "cap" type battery connector
was a royal pain.

For thise who have never seen an early Mini up close, the battery was
in the trunk opposite the fuel tank and was originally covered with a
heany cardboard cover. The battery connection was a tapered cap that
fit down over the battery post and was held down with basically a #8
sheet metal screw threaded into the top of the battery post. The
connection tended to get "flakey" to the point that when one pressed
on the rubber covered button on the gigh current switch between the
seats, sometimes it would spark and the engine would not crank.
Simplyb having someone swat the rear quarter panel, kick the rear
tire, or slam the door with the button pressed usually caused the
connection to re-establish itself, and the critter would crank and
start.

By the time I aquired this particular car it was10 years old and had
196000 miles of rural mail delivery under it's belt - and that battery
cover was long gone. It had also developed a prodigious appetete for
engine oil, so there was generally a few quarts of Nugold SAE50 riding
along in the trunk.One day with eigh of us young folks crammed in
heading to the local stock car races 2 of those cans managed to short
out across the battery, burning a hole in the cans and lighting the
ensuing small stream of oil on fire. When we noticed the smoke curling
up from around the back seat, I shut off the car and we were all out
before it came to a full stop, and one of my friends had the trunk
open and tossed the burning oil can onto the ground beside the car.
when the fire was out and the smoke dissipated, we all jumped back in
and went on our way.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 16:02:13 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 2:54:16 PM UTC-4, Jon Elson wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection
computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after
a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air
cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window
defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points
on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers.
That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

Well, having the battery in the trunk seemed to solve a lot of
problems in my 1958 Alfa Romeo. g It was nice and clean back
there, and cool. However, the cable that ran forward used a lot of
copper.

As for electronics, I did have to replace a couple of vacuum tubes
in the Blaupunkt radio...

There is a lot of virtue in simplicity.

--
Ed Huntress

I've closely examined a disassembled 1910-ish Maxwell in a private
collection. Mechanically it's like a 4-wheel bicycle. That stuff is
fun to play with as long as you don't have to depend on it.

Same goes for a 1928 Chevy, an old "A-Bone" or "T-Bone" or a 1949
Beetle. A 1953 MG fits pretty well too - - -

On Tue, 02 May 2017 17:35:03 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 2 May 2017 12:07:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 2:54:16 PM UTC-4, Jon Elson wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers. That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

Well, having the battery in the trunk seemed to solve a lot of problems in my 1958 Alfa Romeo. g It was nice and clean back there, and cool. However, the cable that ran forward used a lot of copper.

As for electronics, I did have to replace a couple of vacuum tubes in the Blaupunkt radio...

There is a lot of virtue in simplicity.
The battery in the trunk of my '61 Mini almost resulted in the
destruction of the car - and the crappy "cap" type battery connector
was a royal pain.

For thise who have never seen an early Mini up close, the battery was
in the trunk opposite the fuel tank and was originally covered with a
heany cardboard cover. The battery connection was a tapered cap that
fit down over the battery post and was held down with basically a #8
sheet metal screw threaded into the top of the battery post. The
connection tended to get "flakey" to the point that when one pressed
on the rubber covered button on the gigh current switch between the
seats, sometimes it would spark and the engine would not crank.
Simplyb having someone swat the rear quarter panel, kick the rear
tire, or slam the door with the button pressed usually caused the
connection to re-establish itself, and the critter would crank and
start.

By the time I aquired this particular car it was10 years old and had
196000 miles of rural mail delivery under it's belt - and that battery
cover was long gone. It had also developed a prodigious appetete for
engine oil, so there was generally a few quarts of Nugold SAE50 riding
along in the trunk.One day with eigh of us young folks crammed in
heading to the local stock car races 2 of those cans managed to short
out across the battery, burning a hole in the cans and lighting the
ensuing small stream of oil on fire. When we noticed the smoke curling
up from around the back seat, I shut off the car and we were all out
before it came to a full stop, and one of my friends had the trunk
open and tossed the burning oil can onto the ground beside the car.
when the fire was out and the smoke dissipated, we all jumped back in
and went on our way.
I had a VW bug, several actually, but one of the first had the back
seat short against the battery terminals. I had no idea that this
could be a problem until someone was sitting in the back seat and
complained of a burning smell and then said the seat was getting hot.
I pulled over and pulled the seat out. There was some sort of cover
missing and the seat coils were making contact with the battery posts
as the car bounced. Didn't affect the running of the car though. I
think it was a magazine or some newspaper I put over the battery as a
temporary fix. Then we piled back in, cracked another beer, and sped
down the dirt road. That was an interesting day.
Eric

On 2017-05-02, wrote:

[ ... ]

For thise who have never seen an early Mini up close, the battery was
in the trunk opposite the fuel tank and was originally covered with a
heany cardboard cover. The battery connection was a tapered cap that
fit down over the battery post and was held down with basically a #8
sheet metal screw threaded into the top of the battery post.

Hmm ... my first MGA 1500 used two 6V batteries, behind the two
seats on either side of the driveshaft. It was accessed under a
removable panel behind the seats. Anyway -- it had four of those
connector/screw combinations. One for the cable to the engine
compartment, one for the ground cable to the chassis, and two on the
vary short cable which looped over the driveshaft. I never had problems
with the connectors there.

My later MGA 1600 MK-II was similar, except that it had the
normal clamp type connectors instead of the cap and screw types, though
they might have been changed during the life of the vehicle before it
passed into my hands.

Enjoy,
DoN.

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Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | (KV4PH) Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 2017-05-02, Jim Wilkins wrote:
wrote in message
...

[ ... ]

When the terminal smokes between it and the post you KNOW where the
problem is, and you KNOW the voltage drop will be very substantial.
(I'd bet 5 volts on a 6 volt system would be very close)

Smoke at the terminal could be from either the post or the cable
connection, I've had both go bad.

I can't see the battery when turning the key from the driver's seat
and need a voltmeter with long enough leads to rest it against the
raised hood. Actually I've needed a test lead long enough to reach
from the computer under the glovebox nearly to the left headlight,
when searching for a bad ground.

Well ... with the MGA, the key was not needed -- other than to
be turned on. (And it was easy to bypass the ignition switch at the
fuse block by moving a fuse from one pair of clips to be between both
pairs.)

Then, to crank (and you really don't need the ignition on anyway
if you are looking for where a high resistance point is in the
battery/starter system), you simply reach over to the starter contacts,
which are normally operated from the driver's seat by pulling a knob on
a flexible cable, and either pull on the collar connecting the switch
to the cable, or push on the part projecting from the switch. Purely
mechanical until you get to the contacts themselves. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | (KV4PH) Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 5:35:05 PM UTC-4, Clare wrote:
On Tue, 2 May 2017 12:07:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 2:54:16 PM UTC-4, Jon Elson wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers. That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

Well, having the battery in the trunk seemed to solve a lot of problems in my 1958 Alfa Romeo. g It was nice and clean back there, and cool. However, the cable that ran forward used a lot of copper.

As for electronics, I did have to replace a couple of vacuum tubes in the Blaupunkt radio...

There is a lot of virtue in simplicity.
The battery in the trunk of my '61 Mini almost resulted in the
destruction of the car - and the crappy "cap" type battery connector
was a royal pain.

A product of Britain's Prince of Darkness, eh?

[Bumper sticker seen on Mini in the early '60s: "Why to the Brits drink warm beer? Because they have Lucas refrigerators."]



For thise who have never seen an early Mini up close, the battery was
in the trunk opposite the fuel tank and was originally covered with a
heany cardboard cover. The battery connection was a tapered cap that
fit down over the battery post and was held down with basically a #8
sheet metal screw threaded into the top of the battery post. The
connection tended to get "flakey" to the point that when one pressed
on the rubber covered button on the gigh current switch between the
seats, sometimes it would spark and the engine would not crank.
Simplyb having someone swat the rear quarter panel, kick the rear
tire, or slam the door with the button pressed usually caused the
connection to re-establish itself, and the critter would crank and
start.

By the time I aquired this particular car it was10 years old and had
196000 miles of rural mail delivery under it's belt - and that battery
cover was long gone. It had also developed a prodigious appetete for
engine oil, so there was generally a few quarts of Nugold SAE50 riding
along in the trunk.One day with eigh of us young folks crammed in
heading to the local stock car races 2 of those cans managed to short
out across the battery, burning a hole in the cans and lighting the
ensuing small stream of oil on fire. When we noticed the smoke curling
up from around the back seat, I shut off the car and we were all out
before it came to a full stop, and one of my friends had the trunk
open and tossed the burning oil can onto the ground beside the car.
when the fire was out and the smoke dissipated, we all jumped back in
and went on our way.

BMC owners always have fun tales to tell. I'll bet Don has some from his MGA experience.

Mine, with my MG Midget Mk III (1275 cc), came one night in December when I was driving from Michigan to NJ in freezing rain, and the left-side parking light cover filled with salt water because the gasket leaked; the wiring shorted out with no fuses at all in the system, burning the insulation off of the wiring harness under the dash and filling the cockpit with smoke; and then I had to drive 20 miles down the Ohio Turnkike with a flashlight instead of headlights. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

On 2017-05-01, wrote:

[ ... ]

New battery clamps or lead foil shims. Even other metal shims may
work, but lead foil works best. I have in the past, while working
where you could not easily get ANY parts, pounded out a lead weight
into a small sheet to shim a loose battery clamp.

Once, I happened to be at a local drive-in restaurant at the
same time as some co-workers who could not start their car. With the
hood open, it was obvious that it was the battery clamp and the terminal
in the battery itself. As a quick work-around, I drove a fat wood screw
into the line between the clamp and the terminal, with the advice to get
it replaced soon.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | (KV4PH) Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 3 May 2017 00:00:19 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

On 2017-05-02, Jim Wilkins wrote:
wrote in message
...

[ ... ]

When the terminal smokes between it and the post you KNOW where the
problem is, and you KNOW the voltage drop will be very substantial.
(I'd bet 5 volts on a 6 volt system would be very close)

Smoke at the terminal could be from either the post or the cable
connection, I've had both go bad.

I can't see the battery when turning the key from the driver's seat
and need a voltmeter with long enough leads to rest it against the
raised hood. Actually I've needed a test lead long enough to reach
from the computer under the glovebox nearly to the left headlight,
when searching for a bad ground.

Well ... with the MGA, the key was not needed -- other than to
be turned on. (And it was easy to bypass the ignition switch at the
fuse block by moving a fuse from one pair of clips to be between both
pairs.)

Then, to crank (and you really don't need the ignition on anyway
if you are looking for where a high resistance point is in the
battery/starter system), you simply reach over to the starter contacts,
which are normally operated from the driver's seat by pulling a knob on
a flexible cable, and either pull on the collar connecting the switch
to the cable, or push on the part projecting from the switch. Purely
mechanical until you get to the contacts themselves. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.
From what I remenber the 9n is similar.From my recollection there is
a way tp activate the switch directly instead of through the
mechanical remote control. There is no solenoid, and the key doesn't
activate the starter.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 17:01:05 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 5:35:05 PM UTC-4, Clare wrote:
On Tue, 2 May 2017 12:07:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 2:54:16 PM UTC-4, Jon Elson wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.
The Chevy Vega had side terminals in 1976. There was DARN little
electronics in that car. There was a module to shut off the air cond when
the alternator was not producing, a timer on the rear window defroster,
probably a VERY simple electronic ignition (I don't remember points on that
one) and the radio. I don't think it even had intermittent wipers. That
was it, and it was all analog stuff.

Jon

Well, having the battery in the trunk seemed to solve a lot of problems in my 1958 Alfa Romeo. g It was nice and clean back there, and cool. However, the cable that ran forward used a lot of copper.

As for electronics, I did have to replace a couple of vacuum tubes in the Blaupunkt radio...

There is a lot of virtue in simplicity.
The battery in the trunk of my '61 Mini almost resulted in the
destruction of the car - and the crappy "cap" type battery connector
was a royal pain.

A product of Britain's Prince of Darkness, eh?

[Bumper sticker seen on Mini in the early '60s: "Why to the Brits drink warm beer? Because they have Lucas refrigerators."]

They drink their beer at room temperature, and anyone who's lived in
Britain knows THAT isn't particularly "warm".



For thise who have never seen an early Mini up close, the battery was
in the trunk opposite the fuel tank and was originally covered with a
heany cardboard cover. The battery connection was a tapered cap that
fit down over the battery post and was held down with basically a #8
sheet metal screw threaded into the top of the battery post. The
connection tended to get "flakey" to the point that when one pressed
on the rubber covered button on the gigh current switch between the
seats, sometimes it would spark and the engine would not crank.
Simplyb having someone swat the rear quarter panel, kick the rear
tire, or slam the door with the button pressed usually caused the
connection to re-establish itself, and the critter would crank and
start.

By the time I aquired this particular car it was10 years old and had
196000 miles of rural mail delivery under it's belt - and that battery
cover was long gone. It had also developed a prodigious appetete for
engine oil, so there was generally a few quarts of Nugold SAE50 riding
along in the trunk.One day with eigh of us young folks crammed in
heading to the local stock car races 2 of those cans managed to short
out across the battery, burning a hole in the cans and lighting the
ensuing small stream of oil on fire. When we noticed the smoke curling
up from around the back seat, I shut off the car and we were all out
before it came to a full stop, and one of my friends had the trunk
open and tossed the burning oil can onto the ground beside the car.
when the fire was out and the smoke dissipated, we all jumped back in
and went on our way.

BMC owners always have fun tales to tell. I'll bet Don has some from his MGA experience.

Mine, with my MG Midget Mk III (1275 cc), came one night in December when I was driving from Michigan to NJ in freezing rain, and the left-side parking light cover filled with salt water because the gasket leaked; the wiring shorted out with no fuses at all in the system, burning the insulation off of the wiring harness under the dash and filling the cockpit with smoke; and then I had to drive 20 miles down the Ohio Turnkike with a flashlight instead of headlights. d8-)

writes:

[big snip, Brit battery woes]

Germany didn't always do a lot better.

The battery for the VW Beetle was under the back seat, cardboard-lined
metal cover and metal hold-down strap. After this or that battery
trouble, it was commonplace for the owner to find reinstalling the
cover and strap bothersome and discard them.

All remained well until a large, heavy person rode on that side of the
back seat. Then smoke, crackles, seat on fire. That big guy had had
trouble getting into the back seat. Amazing how quickly he got out.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

On 02 May 2017 23:35:39 -0300, Mike Spencer
wrote:


writes:

[big snip, Brit battery woes]

Germany didn't always do a lot better.

The battery for the VW Beetle was under the back seat, cardboard-lined
metal cover and metal hold-down strap. After this or that battery
trouble, it was commonplace for the owner to find reinstalling the
cover and strap bothersome and discard them.

All remained well until a large, heavy person rode on that side of the
back seat. Then smoke, crackles, seat on fire. That big guy had had
trouble getting into the back seat. Amazing how quickly he got out.
Can you imagine a large diesel truck battery in the VW? The seat sat
on my porch.
The battery in the 1943 military powerwagon was under the seat (or
behind it - I can't remember exactly) and it (the seat) went up in
smoke one night on the old tow-truck

On Tue, 2 May 2017 13:21:05 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:07:02 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

A headlight bulb draws around 5 Amps.

Yeah, headlights were an easy test for a charging system, too.
Start
it up, remove a battery cable, then turn on the brights. The engine
will die if the charging system isn't working properly.

I built a fault simulator for GM that created the types of voltage
transients that a car's electrical system can suffer. The energy
levels exceeded what they could do with their lab test equipment.
http://www.electronicdesign.com/powe...tion-headaches

A "load dump" occurs when the battery disconnects while the alternator
field is energized, their example was a rough road jostling the
cables. The stored field energy can raise the normal 12-14V to 100V or
more (I can't quote specifics), and the surge suppressors they install
to protect the electronics have limited dissipation capacity.

I vaguely remember zener clamping circuits from Coleman College (long
ago and far away) but don't recall meeting one in person.


The engineers tried out my new tester on a fuel injection computer and
blew it up when the protection Zener overheated and failed after a few
load dump cycles. I think that's why they went to side terminal
batteries.

? What's the difference in transient voltage handling between top and
side term batts? I thought the difference was merely physical config.

Bummer on the quick trashing of your tester.

--
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Average # of people killed when stopped by civilians: 2

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