The negative terminal of a car battery is grounded and marked with a minus sign. The positive terminal goes to the starter motor and accessories. When jump starting a car, precautions should be taken and connections made in a specific order. Battery terminals must be kept clean and free from corrosion. To maintain a healthy battery, use products like BatteryMINDer® or a solar panel charger.
A negative terminal is the grounded terminal of a car battery, usually marked with a minus sign (-). It is usually color coded black. The other terminal is positive, usually color coded red or orange and marked with a plus sign (+). The grounded terminal connects to a grounded source on the vehicle, typically a bolt in the chassis. The positive terminal goes to the starter motor and the various switches, relays and accessories. If the battery is not properly grounded, the vehicle will not operate.
Most vehicle batteries today are filled with a charged acid solution that expels gases and is highly explosive. From time to time a battery may require the addition of distilled water to the filler caps to keep the internal battery plates submerged in the acid bath. The solution should cover the plates, just reaching the bottom lip of the fill plugs in each cell. The cells should have approximately the same level of acid.
It is very important to wear eye protection and to avoid bending over a battery while servicing. If you use a metal tool such as a screwdriver to gently pry the filler cap covers, avoid touching the terminals and do not rest tools on the battery. If metal were to touch both terminals at the same time, an arc could form, creating sparks and a possible explosion.
When disconnecting a battery, remove the negative (-) terminal lead first, then the positive (+) terminal lead. When connecting the battery, reverse these steps. Connect the positive terminal first and the grounded or negative terminal last. Be careful connecting the wires to the terminals to avoid creating sparks.
It’s a good idea to know how to jump start your car battery using another vehicle and jump leads, should that ever be necessary. Connections should be made in a specific order, but follow a few precautions first. Line up the cars as close as possible without letting them touch. The engines should be off and both cars should be parked with their headlights off. This procedure can cause a high voltage spike that could potentially ruin the electronics, so turn off all radios, radar detectors, CD players, GPS devices, and unplug any equipment from electrical outlets, such as cell chargers or power converters. diet. Remove the cigarette lighter, if your car has one.
Connect the first post of the jumper wire to the positive (+) terminal on the dead battery. Next, connect one clamp to the positive (+) terminal on the live battery. Connect one clamp to the negative (-) terminal of the good battery and finally connect the last clamp to a chassis ground of the dead car. Use the same bolt that the car battery’s negative lead uses, if possible. Do not use greasy bolts or painted metal. It’s best to avoid using the negative terminal because it will light up when the circuit is completed. To minimize the possibility of explosions, it is recommended to use the frame.
Once all the connections are made, start the good machine and let it run for a minute or so, turning it on moderately. Try starting the dead car at this point. If the dead car’s engine is cranking but won’t start, wait a couple more minutes while the working car continues to run, then try again.
After the dead car has started, loosen the starter cables in reverse order. Both cars can continue to run during this step, but as you remove the jumper posts be careful that they do not touch anything or each other. Watch out for moving parts of the engine, including radiator fans and belts. Remove the jumper clamp from the chassis first, then from the negative (-) terminal on the good car. Then disconnect the jumper cables from the positive (+) terminal of the good battery, then from the positive (+) terminal of the previously discharged battery.
Do not attempt to jump a leaking or damaged battery. This could cause an explosion. A damaged battery must be replaced.
Battery terminals must be kept clean and free from acid corrosion. Baking soda and water neutralize and wash away corrosion, and petroleum jelly or a similar product can be used on the cleaned terminals to prevent future corrosion.
A running vehicle in good mechanical condition will maintain a healthy and properly charged battery. A vehicle stationary for long periods of time will drain the battery and repeated charging will significantly reduce battery life. To keep a new battery in top shape, products like BatteryMINDer® use A/C power to charge the battery at a constant rate, automatically shutting down to prevent overcharging. An alternative product is a solar panel charger, which is typically located on the dashboard and plugs into a cigarette lighter or car power outlet. A solar panel uses converted sunlight to maintain a healthy battery for long periods of non-use.
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