Lets say I have corroded cables and I clean them off, replace the terminal bolt using vaseline, and the corrosion comes back. Is this the result of the cable not being completely clean or does it mean my battery is leaking acid?

I'm wondering if even if I replace the battery, maybe the positive cable is bad and the corrosion will come back?

Educate me... or ask more questions if I didn't provide enough info.

 

If you have an AC Delco take a good look at the positive terminal - they're known to leak.

 

Dammit, I think I do, I'll have to go outside and check (stuck at work, lol).

 

Anyone have a link on what cables I need for a 98z? I took a look and saw 3 cables leaving the positive terminal. 2 red and 1 black. I'm guessing one goes to the starter, I haven't tracked where the others go.

Is there an install page somewhere describing how to change these cables or at the least which cables I need to get? The guys at Autozone didn't really have an idea asking how long a cable I need...

 

My local paper runs a couple of weekly car columns and this question was recently posed to them. Their reply was to check the alternator output because they felt the alternator output being too high was more then cause of the cracks (and thereby the corrosion).

I wish I could find the column, but I've searched the paper itself and both the columns websites, and have come up empty. The column was either Paul Brant, or Car Talk.

Anyway, my point here is that a quick (and free!) alternator checkup at a local parts store *might* be worth your time.

 

That's news to me, never thought about that or even knew it was possible. I just thought I had a POS battery. Either way I need to replace the positive cable before it corrodes more and becomes worthless.

 

Are there chilton manuals for 98 camaros? I'm having a heck of a time finding the part number for the positive battery cable I need.

 

Well lead acid batteries have been leaking since there have been lead acid batteries. So I'm not sure I buy the alternator bit. Over charging the bat. will deffinately cause venting but most of the cracks I've seen were caused by over tightening the cable bolts.
Any way once the corrosion gets "into" the cable(under the insulation) it's very hard to stop. I would replace the cable and the bat.
The big *** wire goes to the starter. The other two, one goes to the alt. and the other goes to the accessory terminal, usually on the inner fender well.
If you get the pos. cable from the auto parts store for this year, mod, etc. car, you should have all the wires attached to it that you need.

 

Positive 12157131
Negative 12157374

You'll pay about $30 with shipping for real GM parts.

 

Parts numbers! Thanks a million. BTW the corrossion started after I was having engine trouble which was the result of a low battery so the dealership replaced the battery with a new one, so they over tightened the bolt on the positive?