I didn't see as many posts on this subject as I thought I'd find. Does anyone have any objective info on when the battery cables need to be replaced? I found a site that says they last 100K miles. But to me, I think there's a lot that can be said about seeing if there are any visual issues (corrosion).
I wouldn't think the cable itself under all the plastic goes "bad"...but am I missing something? My negative battery cable looks great with no corrosion or issues. But for $12, is it worth changing it?
For my positive cable, I was at least going to change the post terminal b/c that part is corroded. and there is some green corrosion in the wire...but the section I can see doesn't look too bad.
Anyway, just wanted to see if other people replaced their cables, why you did, what mileage, if you used the OEM cable or aftermarket, and what improvements you observed.
Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.
05 6MT, 157K miles

 

At this age and mileage, I'd replace them with OEM's from the dealer. Mine were corroded internally where you couldn't see the corrosion to the point where I actually thought my starter kicked the bucket as the car wouldn't start.
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I just tackled this a few days ago but ended up buying a used OEM cable for a base TL thinking it was the same as my Type S. There's no mileage requirement when it comes to corrosion, it can corrode early or it can last for ages, just depends on upkeep. Stick with OEM, i don't like aftermarket clamps, they definitely work but I've found that without the proper protect, they lead to faster corrosion.


If you need an OEM cable for a base TL, i have one i can sell ya as it didn't fit mine

 

Thanks to both. DMZ's response was a worry I had with mine...I know there was corrosion on the just past the post to the cable, but I can't see how far in it went. For $50 OEM for both, I might as well. Thanks again.

 

Personally, I'm not a fan of the oem clamps. As they corrode they get weak and end up breaking. With a little searching on Amazon, you can get much nicer clamps that use a solder pellet, some heat shrink tubing, and proper gauge. Wire to make your own replacement cables. The braided grounding cables from the factory will turn green with time and they should be replaced as well... NOT just the battery ground, but also the engine ground cable and body ground.