need help, my battery was stolen

Hi! My battery got stolen, and worse than that all of the cables leading to it were cut. I have zero mechanic experience and not very much money, and my manual doesn't give a good description of how to entirely replace the cables and terminals. I need a description of where the cables connect from the battery, and a good idea about how to do it. Anything would be helpful, thank you!
-C

 

Sorry about your truck.

It shouldn't be too bad to fix. You will need a battery, a positive battery cable, a negative battery cable, and maybe a new battery holddown, if they broke that, too.

Just go to the auto parts store and tell them what you need. They should have, or should be able to get, replacement cables with the lugs and connectors already attached, so all you have to do is bolt them on. If you need a new holddown, take what's left of the old one to the auto parts store to help pick a new one.

For a 2001 Tacoma, the NAPA part numbers are:
Positive cable: Belden 781135
Negative cable: Belden 781104
Holddown: don't know
Battery: many choices

The part numbers will probably be different if you go to another auto parts store.

To make sure that you don't mix up the connections of the positive and negative cables, follow what's left of the cables in the truck.

The old negative cable is probably black. It will connect to the frame of the truck. The new negative cable will connect where the old one did. The battery end will go to the negative (-) terminal on the battery.

The old positive cable is probably red. It will connect to the fusebox and/or the starter, but it won't connect to the frame of the truck. The new positive cable will connect where the old one did. The battery end will go to the positive (+) terminal on the battery.

 

Positive goes from battery to starter and fusebox. I don't know for sure where the neg goes, either frame or block. I never had to mess with this truck's neg lead on the truck's side. Follow what's left of the old lead.
Measure the legnth of cable you need and gauge size. Take the old positive lead with you, so you know what size the starter lug is.

 

wow, $5 scrap value in battery and maybe $3 scrap value for the copper lines. Scrap metal thieves should have their hands cut off.

 

Wow, now that sucks, sorry man. Just goes to show that times are really tough...

 

how did they open your hood?

 

they broke the window on the pass through in back of the cab, and then when they popped the hood they also broke the latch so it won't secure anymore- another thing i have to fix. what jerks!