Ok, so I did check both ends of the cables. When I took the cables off of the post I had the tender lead and another lead sandwiched between the main ground and the post.

I took it apart and used a wire brush to clean up the post and the ground cable.

I put the other two leads on top of the main cable this time before tightening down.

Hopefully this takes care of it. Thanks for all your replies.

 

If there was a significant amount of corrosion, the white crusty type, it is usually from a leak at the post. Having the battery load tested is still a good idea. And as mentioned by Spartenden, star washers will help keep the fastener from coming loose.

Paul

 

No white stuff like it would look if the battery was leaking acid. Just mainly the post was black on top where the cable’s contact.

There is a star washer on the screw that holds it all together.

The battery is going to get replaced in the next month or so anyway as a piece of mind thing.

 

Last year while checking and cleaning cables I found corroded wires in the lugs where they where crimped. I cut my lugs off cut the insulation back to clean strands, install heat shrink tubing, crimped on a clean lug , heat on the tubing, wire brushed the connection point, connected the cable and called it good. By the way I used to work in the electrical shop building cables for sporting and luxury yachts.

 

Have a '62 F100 that the positive terminal was turning black. Not like arcing/burned, just would turn black no matter how many time I cleaned it and the cable end. Never figured out why. New battery, cleaned cable end again, problem solved so far.

Does anyone know why a battery terminal would turn black? Other than arcing/loose connection. May help the OP.

Tom

 

Tom H, excessive heat from increased resistance (poor, bad connections) will cause discoloration in your cables. Wire connections, with the amount of current required to kick over these motors must be clean, dry, tight, and solid. Anything less will bring trouble down the line and surely cause untold headaches trying to track down - if these are the conditions on your battery.

 

OkieBill, I will keep an eye on my F100. So far so good. If the issue starts again, I will triple check my battery wires to body and all, and starter. Maybe just replace them. Did that about 15 years ago, they should be good

BTW, I did clean both ends of the + and - wires as well as all ground to the body/frame/engine. Maybe all that also helped solve the problem.

Thank you for that!
Tom