Electrical short problem

[mrgunny]

Yesterday, my truck drove fine all up to the point that I stopped for gas. Got back in the truck, went to start the vehicle, heard a dull thump sound (not a click) coming from the battery area. Vehicle lights go dull, then bright, but when I went to start the vehicle all power goes out. Reading other forums I hear that it might be the cables, starter relay or even the starter itself. The battery itself is clean and so are the connections. BTW, a tow truck driver stopped and asked if I needed help. For poops and grins we decided to try and jump my truck. Hooked up the cables, and when I went to start, I got the same noise and HIS truck stopped running - and his truck would not restart. Anywho, my truck is at the dealership this morning and I'm awaiting the prognosis.. I know, I know - I hate to take it to the dealership... I'd like to think that I'm fairly well mechanicaly inclined, however when it comes to the electrical system I know I could end up wasteing alot of time chasing my tail.
Also, thanks to this forum I replaced my inner and outer bearings, seals, rotors, brakes and shocks about a month ago!
Any help or suggestions on this electrical problem are greatly welcome!

 

[mrgunny]

Okay, dealership repair shop called and said it was the battery cables. They are going to replace just the connectors - the rest of the cable is fine (or so they say). They said the battery is fried as well - plates inside fusing together... Cost of work @$180. To completely replace the cables is @$500 including labor. Checked Napa and the cables aren't that expensive.
Any special words of advise on where to buy the cables and how to replace them ?? (seems it can't be that hard to replace??)

 

[TedJ]

They look simple to replace but they go through some tricky places where it is very hard to snake the cable. It's more annoying than anything. They do tend to corrode internally, so replacing the connectors is probably more of a temporary fix, though it might last quite awhile.

It's a DIY job if you want to take it on, just be prepared to spend some time acting like a contortionist.

Do their prices include a new battery?

I'm still not convinced there is no short somewhere else as well, something that would have managed to kill the towtruck. I don't see how just corroded terminals could do that.

 

[mrgunny]

TedJ,
Thanks for the heads up on the cables. I'm going to pick some up and give it a whirl on a long weekend... They said the plates inside the battery were shorting out - helped along the way by the resistance in the cables due to corrosion just behind the original connectors. $111 for a dealership supplied battery - ouch! I could have easily done this replacement - just kinda freaked me out because the power came and went, shorted out the tow truck, and never heard "clicking" from the starter that one would hear if the battery was low... I did have a battery do the same sort of thing on another vehicle many years ago - sediment inside the battery shorts the plates. Just kinda sucks when it happens without warning... All is better now - truck runs fine - 220k plus and still averages close to 20mpg.