Broken battery terminal clamp

[mj56gt]

I wanted to clean the battery terminals of my 2003 Corolla LE today since there was a lot of corrosion around the post area, but when trying to unscrew the positive terminal clamp, I broke the clamp. I can still drive the car, but I feel that I should replace it sooner or later. Can I just get a new clamp or do I have to buy the whole positive cable? Toyota or generic brand? What is a good place to buy it? Toyota dealer, car parts store, or some website?

Also is this something I can replace it or do I have to go to a mechanic?

Thanks in advance!

[dblhelx]

I just did this. Cut the old wire as close to the clamp as possible. Clean the wire well. I used a dremmel to clean te contact area on the new clamp. I bought a generic clamp fro Autozone. Doesn't matter where you get it from.

I cleaned the battery post well. Attached the clamp and all is well.

[mj56gt]

Thanks a lot for the help!

What tool did you use to cut the old clamp off from the wire?

Originally Posted by dblhelx

I just did this. Cut the old wire as close to the clamp as possible. Clean the wire well. I used a dremmel to clean te contact area on the new clamp. I bought a generic clamp fro Autozone. Doesn't matter where you get it from.

I cleaned the battery post well. Attached the clamp and all is well.

[dblhelx]

Originally Posted by mj56gt

Thanks a lot for the help!

What tool did you use to cut the old clamp off from the wire?

I have a decent pair of pliers that have a sharp edge to cut wires....but they didn't do much. So I used a fine tooth hack saw.

[TrdSpeed140]

Originally Posted by mj56gt

Thanks a lot for the help!

What tool did you use to cut the old clamp off from the wire?

the easiest thing to use would maybe be bolt cutters since they're basically just oversized wire cutters. if you don't have access to those, then you could probably use regular sized wire cutters but it would take a few cuts to get completely through the thick battery cable; honestly, what you use to make the cut doesn't really matter (like using a hacksaw, it's not the best way, but it got the job done!). you'll also want to strip about an inch or so of insulation off; a razor blade would be my tool of choice for that. I would just make one or two slices along the length of the wire to the desired length (one inch) and peel it back like a banana and then cut the "peels" off; that would be the way I'd do it.