Battery pole confusion

[Doc_Bob]

Which pole is the pos pole and which is the neg pole?

Bob

 

[MrJimi]

The one on the left should be positive.
Which one goes to ground?
Jim

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I would guess the left is the positive since the cable is sheilded. When in doubt use a test light. Hook the clip to a good ground (not the battery) and when the light lights you have the positive post. Life would be easier if the battery manufactures would mark the batteries better. It seems like the +and- marking are always under the hold down or the clamp.

 

[toolaholic]

the neg is ALWAYS smaller in diameter

Old farts know this stuff

 

[Ford960]

the neg is ALWAYS smaller in diameter

Old farts know this stuff

Old farts also know that the Positive is always bigger too!!!

 

[DieselPower]

Check with a volt meter, no doubt then.

+ terminal is usually slightly larger in diameter

Take a small wire, place one end on a battery terminal and tap the other end to the frame rail. If it sparks it's the positive.

+ battery terminal usually has the protective boot and wire loom over the wire to prevent it from rubbing through and shorting out.

Remove the cables from the battery. The top or side of the battery should be marked + and -.

Grab the frame rail with your hand and put your tounge on a battery terminal. When you get the shock you have found the +. Oh wait, that's how you test 9 volt battery's not auto batteries.

 

[MrJimi]

Grab the frame rail with your hand and put your tounge on a battery terminal. When you get the shock you have found the +. Oh wait, that's how you test 9 volt battery's not auto batteries.

That might work better than those blue pills

 

[Bird]

I would guess the left is the positive since the cable is sheilded. When in doubt use a test light. Hook the clip to a good ground (not the battery) and when the light lights you have the positive post. Life would be easier if the battery manufactures would mark the batteries better. It seems like the +and- marking are always under the hold down or the clamp.

That usually works, but some of us are old enough to remember some cars that had a postive ground instead of negative ground. And of course, I, for one, will probably never forget it since I put a new battery in the mayor's Plymouth when I was 17 and had it in backwards. It ruined the battery, but fortunately, didn't hurt the car.

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Bird,
All my old Farmalls are positive ground, 6 volt of course

 

[cwray57]

I nominate the positive as the one on the left in the phots, as it is ran in flexible conduit, which is normally used to protect against shorting a positive cable to ground.

Note that the right one is not ran in protective conduit, indicating that if it rubs through there will be no immediate problem.