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I'm an idiot..... Never assume.

JordanB

Senior Member
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I figured that since the cable coming off the battery, connecting to the body, was red. This was the positive terminal.
WRONG
crazy.gif

This thing has been converted to negative ground. Am I ever glad I didn't try to do some electrical work, or try and jump start it.
 
I'm glad you didn't blow it up!

My 66B is still positive ground, and I'm a little paranoid about it. I put a "positive earth" sticker on the battery compartment, and even added stick-on + and - signs to make sure if someone goes to jump start my car they understand the polarity.

Even so, a guy in my MG club was helping me put a new battery in it last week (I was having a voltage regulator problem and it wasn't charging), and he started to put the battery in backwards.

We're ALL idiots from time to time! You should probably change that red ground cable . . .
 
This really isn't funny (but it's true). Many years ago, my Dad was jumpstarting my TR-3 from his Ford. He was unfamiliar with the + ground and he mis-connected the terminals (and I didn't check).

Believe it or not, the way we used to jump start cars involved making sure that the bumpers were touching (metal bumpers back then) and connecting "hot to hot" with one jumper lead.

Anyway, the TR has press-in battery caps.....several of them shot out of the battery with tremendous force....probably 15-20 feet into the air. Fortunately, no injuries or electrical damage (just a good story we still talk about).
 
I was certain that it was positive ground...
I had to look at it 3 or 4 times just to be sure that it had been converted, and that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me.
 
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