Engine Overheating

[WrathofGod]

good you had it tested. I like rockfangd have seen new bad batteries, particularly walmart. I had to return 2 in a row and of course they had to charge em two hours to test em. third one worked fine.

Anyway, it doesn't matter how tight the bolt is if there is "crap" between the contacts. The crap will just be squished more, but still stopping the current. I would double check the positive terminal for a spacer or dirty connection. My 99 doesn't have a spacer, but my daughters 86 sure did, and it was corroded. The timing of your problem sure sounds like a connection problem.

I looked closer at it and noticed they put the connections onto the terminal wrong. So I removed it and when doing so the battery was sparking when anything metal touched the positive terminal. This can't be correct can it?

After moving the cables and fitting them properly the problem still persists I'm going to ask them to change out the battery cause there shouldn't be sparking like that.

What do you fellas think?

[BodybyFisher]

Find an attorney and sue them because if the battery leads were truely reversed they did a LOT of damage. The problem is you can not prove it. Check for codes

Batteries are very dangerous, they can explode and they have enough current to start a fire. ALWAYS disconnect the negative cable first.

Check for codes, it is possible you are now loaded with codes. The last person that reversed the cables burned out lots of modules

But a thought comes to mind, IF they reversed the cables, how did the car start?, or did YOU reverse the cables now? RED = POSITIVE = the cable that goes to the starter. Black goes to ground

[WrathofGod]

LOL No they didn't reverse the cables, but the positive side of the battery has TWO leads to it. Then the post/terminal itself has two pieces.

They had the two pieces that make the terminal on wrong. They had them smashed togather whereas the two cables should fit in between the two of the two pieces. It's kind of hard to explain.

I found a post where you actually have a diagram albiet a bit different from my cables

So to explain the two wires that are connected to the post were just smashed straight to the battery. They weren't in between the two metal pieces that screw into the battery.

When I was unscrewing the terminal from the battery however I was getting sparks everywhere. That's what worried me. I plan to get the battery switched tomorrow and then if needed replace my alternator. BTW I have no idea how :'(

[BodybyFisher]

Those are my photos, and you can see the lug that goes between those wires.

ALWAYS disconnect the negative cable and you will NOT have sparking. I misunderstood what you said when you said they reversed the cables, if you dont have the correct bolt and lug, go to the dealer and buy the set, as you can see above its available

[airmike]

Your battery will arc if, for example your headlights were on as you were unhooking the cable. You may have found the beginnings of why your car was hard to start. If you are getting sparks, you have a draw of some kind draining your battery. Someone else will chime in here but I think you should unhook your cable, use a multimeter from your cable end to your batter post/contact to see what kind of draw you have. I think there is a minimal draw for the cars memory and clock etc...but very minimal. The sparking is not the battery at fault, but the car drawing from the battery.

[Cadillac Jim]

The car has to be shut off for ten to twenty minutes for the battery drain to drop down to the standby level, which is 0.050 amps or less, just enough to keep the fob receiver and theft sensors alive. Anything that bumps the car, or the key fob (any button), and the car "wakes up" and the battery drain increases. Things that turn on when the car wakes up include interior lighting power (think visor lights), cigar lighters (think GPS and phone chargers), and sometimes even headlights. The parking lights will flash when the doors are locked, and the headlights will come on when the car is unlocked. Using a key in the door will have the same effect as using the fob (although the car will not "know" whether you are Driver 1 or Driver 2, the number on the back of the fob, and which sets the memory seats and mirrors - and the PCM programming for light or heavy footed drivers).

Connecting the battery will make the car "awake" with the auxiliary power relays all "on."

[rockfangd]

exactly. there will always be a current draw when you first hook up the battery due to all of the modules being powered. But you must disconnect the negative battery terminal. If you touch the positive while the negative is hooked up you can cause arcs and short modules. glad you see the spacer I was talking about. They have to be installed properly otherwise they wont tighten, one or both may not make connection. Etc...