Now that you bring nuts up.........Any hows...during my research on my tach problem, I found several threads where people said to use regular nuts and avoid wing nuts. Of coarse with any thing there are other opinions.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000624.html
Here are two very simple suggestions which cost just pennies to implement, yet both of them can save you hundreds of dollars in future repairs:
COLOR CODE BATTERY CONNECTIONS
Mark your battery terminals with tape to clearly indicate polarity. Use RED tape for the positive (+) terminal and YELLOW tape for the negative (-) terminal. Also mark all cables that attach to these terminals with the same color coding.
Color-coding the connections will help to prevent connection of the battery with reversed polarity. If you ever connect the battery with reversed polarity you are almost guaranteed to destroy the diodes in your engine's battery charging circuit. A repair of the diodes will cost hundreds of dollars.
USE HEX NUTS ON BATTERY TERMINALS
Remove the wing nuts on the battery terminals and replace them with proper hardware consisting of star-washers, flat washers, lock-washers, and hex-nuts. Tighten the connections with a wrench--but be careful not to short the terminals with the wrench!
The stacking order on the battery terminal post should be:
--star-washer
--lugs (engine first, then other accessories)
--flat-washer
--lock-washer
--hex-nut
Use a copper star-washer if you can find one. Use stainless steel hardware for the remaining fasteners.
Wing-nut connections can easily become loose. A loose battery connection has the potential to cause damage. Loose connections tend to cause sparking. Interruption of a circuit with inductive loads (like electric motors) can cause very high voltage transients to be developed. These high-voltage transients can damage any electrical device connected, including the engine itself or electronic accessories.
If the negative connection to the engine becomes loose, there may be other paths to the negative battery terminal through wiring harnesses or accessory wiring which will suddenly try to supply the current. If a heavy current draw is required, such as operating a trim/tilt motor, the current may destroy the wiring. Replacement of melted engine wiring harnesses can be very expensive.
Many OEM manuals explicitly state that installations with wing-nut battery connections will not be covered by warranty. From the Bombardier BOAT RIGGING instructions:
"IMPORTANT: Do not use wing nuts to fasten ANY battery cables. Wing nuts can loosen and cause electrical damage not covered under warranty."
