STARTER Question....Has anyone noticed this too?

[AcuraNSX]

So I started working on my timing belt and as I was removing the air box, I thought, why not take a look at the starter terminals since I have been reading through the forums of late and posts regarding their cars that wouldn't start. Needless to say, prior to starting to work on the timing belt, the day before, I replaced the main relay and ignition switch as preventative maintenance items so I wouldn't get stranded somewhere.....especially since, my NSX turned off all by itself while siting idle in my driveway....hence, I changed the Main Relay, even though I didn't see any visible cracks in the solder joints.....

So, when I looked under the rubber boot (B Terminal Mounting Nut), the starter cable was LOOSE! It was basically floating around under the nut. Has anyone noticed a loose starter cable too? Could the dealer or some mechanic loosened this nut to "create" a service visit? Or could it be the 6.5 lb ft torque requirement as the manual says, be too low which might be getting loose with engine vibration? Anyway I tightened it down....I assume it's not supposed to be free floating under the nut or am I missing something here? All my life I thought the starter cable was supposed to be tight.....

Thanks for any input!

 

[furinax]

A loose starter cable wouldn't cause the issue you noted.

But yes, that cable can get loose. 6.5 lb ft torque is so low I am wondering if anyone even bothers to tighten it to spec.

 

[AcuraNSX]

Yeah, I figured it was too low to even hold the cable tight so I torqued it to my liking! lol

 

[Old Guy]

I remain in blissful ignorance as to whether I have a loose (starter) nut or not. However, a word of caution about upping the retaining torque. The stud looks like it is copper. Compared to steel or even aluminum, copper is pretty soft and ductile. If it is pure copper and not just a copper plating for conductivity, the threads will deform very easily. If it is pure copper, the threads may already be deformed in which case the nut may not remain tight. When torqueing the nut, make sure the threads are nice and clean and use a little lubricant to help eliminate thread friction so that the application torque actually turns into retaining force.

A second word of caution. If the nut was really loose you may have had a bad electrical connection at the terminal. With 100 amps or so of starter current, a slight increase in resistance in the connection at the stud will generate a lot of heat really quickly. It looks like there is a lock washer under the retaining nut. Make sure that the lock washer has not lost its temper due to heating which could contribute to the nut coming loose in the future.

 

[Kaz-kzukNA1]

9Nm is enough for this type of washer nut, cable gauge size and the very short length from the cable holder point.
It will follow the movement of the eng.

Should stay tight until next service timing.

If loose, someone didn't tighten it properly or the cable was not secured to the bracket.
The rubber cover/insulator at the terminal could be trapped under the eyelet terminal from time to time.
Very limited space if coolant hoses are still there.

Please check that the cable is secured at the yellow marked bolt with the cable holder at the specific angle.
There is a tab on the holder that will prevent the cable from twisting while tightening the bolt.
If not secured, with such thick gauge, it will loosen the nut if someone pushed the cable.


Kaz