BimmerJeeper

Hopefully, this post can help other new guys who are wondering if they can replace their cables by themselves.
If you appreciate details and pics more than "Disconnect all wires. Replace new wires. Drink beer!" ....then let me know.

My cables were very corroded. Even the bolts were frozen solid.
I replaced them all today. Now, the new cables match my brand new battery.

This job was suitable for a beginner. Every bolt came off without getting stuck.
It took me a couple of hours b/c on a new project, you spend a lot of time figuring out what you're looking at, you think about what order to do things in, etc.
If I did this again, I could probably do it in 45 mins.

BEFORE







http://www.kelleyswip.com/price.html.
I ordered a set of 4AWG cables (and brass terminals) for $80 from Jon who posts as 5-90 here. These are top quality cables that are better than OEM.
They were also presized to my year of XJ. Any 1-man shop is a labor of love that involves countless investment of time for minimal payback.
He's had quite some challenges in his life, and is doing what he can to survive, so I felt good about sending my business his way.
He spent a lot of time answering all my questions patiently. (And I had a lot, believe me)
So, as my thank you to him, I am going to preemptively answer all your questions in this write-up, so he won't ever have to again!

The 5 cables are as follows:

1. (+) to Starter Motor
2. (+) to fuse box/PDC
3. (-) to Engine Block
4. (-) to Fender
5. Braided cable from rear of Engine Block to Firewall

Tools needed:

• Metric and SAE sockets and wrenches
• Long flathead screwdriver (to pry off battery posts)
• Utility knife
• Dielectric grease (for all cable connections)
• Wire stripper (optional)
• PB Blaster (optional)
• Heat gun (optional)
• Electrical tape

All bolts came off with no problem. I did use PB Blaster just in case. My battery cables needed to be pried off with a long screwdriver. I used all metric sockets and wrenches (8mm, 13mm, 14mm). I also used wrenches for some tight fits where a ratchet head would not fit. Be patient here, b/c you might only get 1 or 2 clicks on the ratchet with each turn. I got a pillow to rest my neck while undoing the blots 1/8 turn at a time! I also used a 3/8" wrench for the fender ground wire. You can work under the car without jacking up the XJ.

Let's start!

First, you need to separate the indiv. cables from the "octopus" loom where the battery cables go into.
(This was daunting at first, b/c now you're hacking up your XJ. IT turned out to be no big deal)
There are about 7-8 wires and cables all taped together.
2 of the cables in the loom will be replaced. All others will be left intact.
You will need to slice open the loom with a utility knife. This took the most time. Be patient.
I did a combination of unravelling the tape and just slicing through it with a utility knife.

Purple goes to starter
Green goes to engine block
Red goes to alternator


In this angle, the bottom 2 go to the alternator.
The 2 going to the right go to the engine block.
The one going "up" is the (+) going down to the starter


Once everything is separated out of the loom, we can start to detach individual cables.

Cable 1
The main (+) cable goes into the loom and down to the starter.
So, let's look at the starter/solenoid under the car.


There are 2 wires that go into the starter solenoid.
Notice they are bound together by a rubber block.
You will remove 2 bolts to remove this "block" that binds the 2 cables together.
They will come out together with that block that binds them together.
In this photo, you remove the top 2 bolts. They are now detached.


Also, I unbolted this clamp guide thing about 8 inches up the cables.
Once the cables are out, remove this clamp for reuse on the new cables.
You now fish out these 2 wires up into the engine bay!


Since the thin green wire comes from the loom and not the battery, you need to reuse this. Since the block is fused to the old (+) cable you're replacing, you'll need to cut away the thin green wire away from the block for reuse.
Again, we're throwing away the red (and the block), but keeping the green (b/c the green does NOT come from the battery)



(This was the moment of truth. Now, there's no going back!)

NOTE: 2 mistakes here
1) I forgot to thread the heatshrink before crimping on the eyelet lug hole.
2) I think I pushed too much wire through the crimp area. See the excess. This would be exposed wire.





(There is a heatshrink sealer that I forgot to photograph)

Feed the green and the new long (+) red cable down to the starter as the original was.
Once you're under the car, now thread that metal mounting guide clamp onto the 2 wires.
Now bolt the new (+) cable and the existing green wire back to the starter solenoid.


Don't forget to reattach the "guide" and feed the 2 wires through.


Cable 2
The other (+) cable goes to the front of the fusebox/PDC
There are 2 cables attached at this point.
A green cable on the left (you leave that intact).
We are replacing the 90* cable on the right that turns straight down.
Note: The new one goes straight out which leaves one minor issue: How to put back that little cover that goes over this area?




Red cable was a bit long, so I looped it.




Cable 3
The main (-) cable goes to the lower front engine block.
Here is the view from underneath.
The (-) cable goes to the bolt on the right.
(The other stuff is for the alternator, which I left alone)




Cable 4
Negative ground goes to the fenderwell. right next to the battery itself.


(Cable 5 not yet done)

I now attached all 4 cables to the battery posts.
I used that battery terminal preserver grease and felt rings from Autozone
I slathered it on the entire brass marine clamps that were supplied.
I hammered down the battery clamps since the brass is less flexible than lead posts.
I tightened the wingnuts with some pliers.

Here is the final result!


Appendix:
I was curious how deep the corrosion travelled up inside the old cables, so I sliced them open.
It turns out it really doesn't travel very far up the cable, BUT it does crack many of the inner wires right at the connection point.
About 1/3 of my wires were dissolved & cracked off.

Turbo X_J

You should have this saved for future use:

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/su...rite-up-11151/

White_Jeep

So, did you notice any improvement since you replaced the cables??

Bryan98XJ

looks great! i was thinking of doing this soon too

cpttuna

I decided to do the wiring upgrade also. Instead of buying the wires from someone like 5-90, I took rough measurements and went to O'reillys and for about $40.00, I bought what I needed. Some of the new wires are longer that what I took off, but that doesn't cause me any major concern. I was able to complete the task and believe i saved myself some money. I am pleased that I was able to read how other forum members handled the situation and then decided for myself what would be best for me.

Radi

Nice job!

If I might make one minor comment (intended to be helpful, not to be picky)- it'd be to go back and re-do that ring terminal at the starter.
Either with a good quality crimper, or better yet- solder it. A failure at that point will leave you with a no-start.
Nice to see pics of 5-90's stuff- it always looks very well made.

5-90

I don't suggest soldering that lead - particularly if you're not well-experienced in electrical soldering anyhow (and electrical soldering is rather different from plumbing soldering, believe me! I've done plenty of both, as well as structural soldering and decorative soldering...)

Why not? Because I've seen engine bay heat make solders "go cold" over time. I know that it doesn't hit 750* under the engine bay (usually closer to 300*,) but that can be enough to screw with the connection and boil off any remaining rosin flux, which will cause you problems.

I've seen solders that I've done "go cold" in about six months, and I've been working with electronics for about thirty years. I think I've gotten at least fairly good at doing solder connections - using an electric pencil iron, using a butane torch iron, and even using a "hot iron" - grind yourself one out of metal stock and heat it with a torch flame between joins! (Ever do a solder joint with a paper clip, pliers, and a propane torch? It CAN be done. It is NOT easy.)

This is why I provide a solderless crimp terminal, and why I don't solder the lugs onto the cables.

And yes, you may be able to go to a big shop and beat me on prices, but:
- I can't afford to buy materials in the bulk that they do. They buy cable by the mile, I can usually spring for 25-50' at a time. I'd like to get that busy, but it hasn't happened yet.
- How picky are they about materials? Know that if you're getting cable made overseas, much of it will likely be CCA - Copper Clad Aluminum - vice pure copper. This is a bad thing because aluminum isn't as good a conductor as copper is, and it has a markedly reduced fatigue life (since the aluminum core of CCA is usually "commercially pure" aluminum, it doesn't have any of the alloying elements that improved ductility or fatigue life. Why should it? It's not structural, so there's no need to draw something like 6061, 7075, or 2024 into wire...)
- Similarly, the insulation probably isn't up to scratch. I'm picky about such things - which why why I only use TryStar or Direct cable (US-made, Oxygen Free High Conductivity [OFHC] copper. Double-jacketed, with a petroleum-resistant outer jacket.)
- The rings I use are similarly OFHC copper

And, as you noted, "it looks well made." It is. I put a lot of thought into process before I started doing this a few years back, and I decided that YOU aren't going to have a gear failure because of something I did. I've had gear fail on me when I needed it most, and that's made me cranky. (considering is was usually my **** on the line instead of just my truck, I think you can see why.)

However, you're half right - a proper crimper doesn't cost much (I don't suggest the cheap-O crimper you get with a terminal kit that's made with heavy sheet - those things are marginal at best. Go to the hardware store, electrical section, and look for a "Staking Tool." It looks like a funky pair of wire cutters - the nose usually IS a wire cutter, but there are crimp grooves behind that, and they do a very good job. They're what I usually use, unless I'm working on a specialty terminal. I think I have five or six different varieties of wire crimper available to me...) That tool will cost you rather more, but it will be money well spent (and should still come in under a $20.)

97AT4x4XJ

You needed:
to take apart and clean negative clamp and maybe replace positive clamp ($3)
That is it!
There are many bright and shiny bells and whistles on the market. There are gold plated battery clamps, polished alternators, chrome plated starters and, most important, 22" chrome rims!!!
I cannot believe, nobody installed 22" rims with sport tires on XJ yet!
check it out!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/22x9-5-GOLDE...sories&vxp=mtr

jebmccall

nice write up, looks like good stuff, and a well done job. looks much better than what is under my hood.

B-Dick

I was about to ask the same as above. Did your cold start improve at all?
Thanks for the write-up, I enjoyed the format.

Radi

Not to be a jackwagon, lol but I disagree on a couple of points.
Rosin flux has to be removed, in fact is designed to boil off. Any remaining needs to be washed away or it will eventually damage the connection. One of the hallmarks of a poorly-built PCB board or poor solder connection is leftover rosin.

As to longevity- Everything from engine sensors to the PCM are soldered.
If the job is done correctly, engine bay heat does no damage. What can do damage over time is a poorly-done solder joint that self-heats during use.
For extremely high-current applications, I agree on avoiding solder and using a good crimp or compression connection. That's what the power company uses...for good reason. For sensor/control/low-medium current, solder is preferable if done correctly.

I changed careers 30 years ago, went back to school for a BSEE and have designed, installed and maintained high-power broadcast transmitters for a living ever since. (see user name "radi"- I build things that radiate)
Soldered connections are SOP in this industry despite 24/7/365 exposure to several-hundred degree operating temperatures inside tube amplifiers, regular lightning strikes and constant blower-induced vibration. Yet these things run for 30-40 years+ without a connection related failure. If solder connections are failing inside the less-harsh conditions of an engine compartment, the job was done incorrectly to begin with.
The builder will have to assess their own skills and proceed appropriately. A bad solder connection is much worse than a good crimp, but a good solder connection is better than a good crimp.

black_771

Funny, I did this exact upgrade just this weekend. For me, I'm not sure what the issue was exactly, but yes, my XJ now starts where before it didn't. I'd get the key in the ignition tone, but that was it.

I don't have much mileage on it yet and dont have a radio in my XJ, but I also thought I had a bad alternator and even bought a new one. With just the cable upgrade however, my voltmeter went from just above red (~11v) up to normal (~13v) on the meter. My headlights also don't go up and down noticeably when I drive either. Granted I had an issue and this resolved so I can't comment of doing this to upgrade a well running system.

Not sure what to do with the alternator I bought now. May put it on anyway but thats a good problem to have I guess.

I recommend this wiring kit if you dont want to make your own. Oh, and for me, the rear engine block bolt was a complete PIA!!!!

5-90

I was throwing out a theory.

I honestly don't know why solder joins "go cold" - but it's happened to me with depressing regularity.

As far as modules - the farther they are from the engine, the better the longevity. Remember the old Ford TFI or Delco HEI modules? Those were always getting replaced! Almost invariably heat-related failures, per troubleshooting. Go with a remote module, and you've got longer life. The ChryCo SBEC/SMEC is always remote-mounted - and I recall the 2.2 Turbo had it in the intake stream to help keep the thing cool.

In a hot environment, gimme a mechanical join wherever possible - a good solid crimp, seal it, and it's going to last.

fallenknight308

I just did this to my terminals/cables
I Crimped, and Soldered. Those things aren't going anywhere!

Radi

You bet.
HEI modules were a different bird, GM potted the HEI coils in epoxy, perhaps the worst thermal-transfer material ever devised, stuck the module right under that heat source, then sealed the whole thing up in an oven. err....distributor.
The TFI's were a bad design from top to bottom, even after the heat sink was added they ran hot. They cook themselves from the inside out.
But the old Chrysler "lean burn" modules win the lifetime achievement award for failure. They were in a class by themselves.
They strapped' em to the air cleaner so they ran cool while the motor was running, but then heat soaked immediately when you shut down. And those lean-burn engines ran hotter than hades. That's what kills those modules, the thermal cycling. Relocating them somewhere with more moderate temperatures is an excellent idea.