----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 4:29
PM
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] Popsitive
ground
Postive is always
Positive. When you hook up a charger to a battery, any battery, or
a battery to a battery, it is ALWAYS positive to positive and it is ALWAYS
negative to negative.
When you have a car that is positive
ground, and before 1956 that was common, the cable from the positive post on
the battery attaches to the ground on the engine while the negative attaches
to the cable to the starter,
If you ever attach booster cables to
any car, regardless which side is the ground, it is ALWAYS positive to
positive and it is ALWAYS negative to negative.
To do otherwise may cause your
battery to explode with battery acid being sprayed everywhere.
The only difference between a negative ground car and a positive
ground car is the way the cables are attached to the battery.
Whether the ground is positive or negative, the positive post on the battery
is positive.
By the way, in the 1930's
through the early 1950's, cars that had positive ground were Auburn,
Chrysler, Cadillac (to 1942), Crosley, DeSoto, Dodge, Ford, Frazer, Graham,
Hudson (1934-1957), Hupmobile, Kaiser, Lafayette, Lincoln, LaSalle (except
1934-35), Mercury, Meteor, Monarch, Nash, Packard, Plymouth, Reo,
Studebaker, and Terraplane (1934-1937). The big switch to negative ground in North
America occurred in 1956 with the adoption of 12 volt systems.
Cars with negative ground were
Buick, Cadillac (from 1946), Chevrolet, Essex, Hudson (before 1934),
LaSalle (1934-35), Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Willys. So before
1956 manufacturers with negative ground cars were in the
minority.
As well, many British cars (Austin,
Envoy, British Ford, Hillman, Humber, MG, Morris, Riley, Rover, Singer,
Standard, Sunbeam, Triumph, Vauxhall) used positive ground into the
1960's. Datsun also used positive ground through 1965, not
surprising as it was based on the 1950's Austin Cambridge.
Bill
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 11:46
AM
Subject: [FWDLK] Popsitive ground
My car's battery
was showing in need of a charge to I hooked up my 3 amp battery charger set
at 6 V. It showed about a 1/2 to 3/4 amp charge. Left it
overnight and totally dead. So, I tried a new Interstate that had been
shelf sitting for 3 years or more and it was dead.
Bought a new 6 V
battery from Napa and installed it and cranked car and drove it under
carport. Noticed the amp meter going negative when I juiced the motor
and positive when I turned on the lights. Shut is off and went to bed
and i woke up in the middle of the night realizing this car must have been
like the old Fords of the era and had a positive ground. Got my shop
manual out and verified it is a positive ground. So, I took the
battery to my shop and connected the battery charger and it only registered
a 3/4 amp charge when I put the positive battery charger on positive battery
and neg on neg. I then reversed the charger connections and it jumped
to 3 plus amps which is all this little W.T. Grant charger, that is 50 or
more years old, can handle.
Then I decided
to just remove the battery charger and see if I should be doing it
reversed. On the surface it seems that that would be correct but
wanted to run it by folks who have more experienced with the 6V pso ground
stuff than me. Even my M/ASE mechanic said he did not know as it was
before his time.
TIA
Tom
*************************************************************
To unsubscribe or set your subscription options,
please go to
http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1
*************************************************************
To unsubscribe or set your subscription options,
please go to
http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1
Back to the Home of the Forward Look Network