I need to know the size of the bolt that secures the end of negative battery cable to the terminal (the one that adjusts tightness). I ask because I don't know the correct size of wrench to buy to get it off, and it's half-stripped

Do I just use an open-ended wrench to get it off? No socket seems to fit quite right, and it's hard to get a grip on it. Thanks guys.

 

1/4 ratchet with a 10mm socket will do the trick.

 

I always use a 10mm box wrench.

 

If it's half stripped you'll probably have to use vice-grips

 

I feel like such a noob when it comes to this stuff

Can you guys explain what some of this stuff is to me? Like what a "box" wrench is? Or what a "1/4 rachet" is? (I'm assuming just a size of ratchet..?)

Also, in what way would I use the vice grips? You have to understand that there's a tiny little metal shield that covers half the bolt, making it impossible to get a socket on the whole way unless it's made of really thin metal...

I hate my cables (and my Bose headunit...)

 

is your friend... look things up, that's the only way to learn.

Box Wrench:

 

Ahh...I have many of those in my tool set, all of them 12-sided. I don't have a 10mm one though, I guess, because none of mine fit quite right. Also, they seem to not fit on there so good because of the shield I mentioned. They have a hard time gripping onto the bolt because they aren't all the way on the bolt. I dunno, maybe the 10mm will actually fit correctly...

Still need to know how I use the vice grips on a tiny little bolt though?

 

box wrenches, open end wrenches, sockets all have the size stamped on them. to say that "I don't have a 10mm one though, I guess" means you didn't read the size stamped on the wrench. its possible you don't have a metric wrench set. if you do have a 10mm wrench and it didn't fit tightly, then the nut or bolt is stripped or has been eaten away by corrosion (the whiteish powder that "grows" on the terminals). if this is the case, you will have to use a vice grip. vice grips is a manufacturing brand name of what is generically referred to as a "locking pliers."

how would you use vice grips on the battery terminals? VERY CAREFULLY so you don't short anything out, this is not the ideal tool for this task. but really, you need a small vice grip. I have one that is about 4 inches long. while i haven't used them for the battery terminals, i'm pretty sure they would work on the nut end because the nut is like double thickness and sticks out far enough. the vice grips that are 8 or 10 inches long are just too big for the battery terminals.

 

10mm bolts are ALL over the Max. I would say 10, 12, 14mm would all be handy to have around.

 

You could probably take half the car apart with 10, 12, and 14mm socets with differnt extentions...EVERYTHING on the car is either 10, 12 or 14..lol

-matt

 

AND 17, 19, 21, 27, and 36

 

I said half the car, not the entire thing

-matt

 

Well I definitely have SOME metric tools, I know that. Whether or not 10, 12, or 14 is included...who knows, I'll have to look. The nut isn't stripped THAT bad, but any of my attempts to use box wrenches before (more than likely I used the wrong size) didn't do anything, as I can't get them to slide onto the nut far enough to get a good grip to apply any torque to them. Yet the person I had take them off last claims all he used was a box wrench.

So what are my options if I can't get it off with a box wrench and/or it's too stripped?

EDIT: Yeah, I just checked, no metric box wrenches

 

Adjustable wrench or visegrips.

 

So if I use vice grips, I just need to find REALLY REALLY small ones...clamp them down nice and tight as best as I can (like I said, hard to get anything onto this bolt since it's partially covered up), and then just twist?

 

Either that or if that doesnt work or you just want to make your life way easier just cut the terminal off (leave enough cable to play with though)...strip, and put on a new terminal

 

Just be sure to watch how much moving around you do on the battery terminal itself. The terminal is made of lead, which extends down into the battery. It is not as strong as the steel bolts, and can be fatigued and damaged if you wrestle around and put a lot of leverage on it.

Steve