What are the battery terminal small gauge wires for?
 

My hand-me-down '96 Dakota 4 x 4 3.9L 5 speed from Dad has every option available as far as i can tell (including trailer wiring harness). Well, it does not have remote or electric side mirrors, but everything else.

When cleaning the battery terminals, I broke off the connection to a small gauge wire (18 gauge or so) that connects to the negative battery terminal bolt. There is a corresponding red wire of the same small gauge connected to the positive terminal bolt. The battery terminal bolts are more like studs (see foto of battery bolt/stud and black wire), already set up to accept these smaller wires, so I am sure that are factory installed,

My question is, what is the purpose of these two smaller gauge wires connected to the battery? Do I even need them? Thank you.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...c9cca800b4.jpg

Not seeing the pic.....

Going to have to follow the wires, and see where they go.

In case the foto I posted is confusing, it shows the negative battery terminal bolt on the right, and the black wire on the left that attaches to the same negative battery terminal bolt in the foto. On the positive battery terminal there is similar style bolt and wire, only the small wire is red, not black. Of course, we also have the main large gauge positive and negative battery cables that we all know and love.

Once again, trace it out.

That's not a standard way to connect; factory had nothing connecting to the bolt like that.

RwP

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...116e5943bb.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...bfe445e253.jpg
OK, began tracing out the two mystery wires, they go directly into their own dedicated portion of the factory wiring harness which then heads back toward the firewall. Time for me to consult factory service manual, I guess.

That's always a good place to get started at. Don't forget, if you don't have one, there's a download link in the FAQ.

RwP

Here's a quick question: Do you have a subwoofer or other aftermarket amplifier on the truck? If so, that's probably the feed for that.

RwP

Factory radio, no aftermarket anything (it was Dad's ranch truck, you know how parents aren't into that custom stuff sometimes).

*raises eyebrow*

M'dear boy, I happen to be a 62 year old grandpaw with a hittin' sub right behind the back of the seat, an auto dim mirror with a compass, a GPS and dash cam wired into the ignition switch (so they get power when the engine is at RUN only), and a bit of a custom interior being finished.

OK - ranch truck. Any extra lights? Maybe it had a CB radio at one time? In any case, I bet it was a well done after market addition.

RwP

I'm 63 myself, so Dad would be 98 years old now if he had not already kicked the bucket.