Battery hooked up backward

[torch]

Both electrical tape and heat shrink are available in red. A cheaper option than replacing the cable...

 

[scdeerslayer]

And then there are those of us who have had ford 8 n's that did have positive grounds. I had to write tape labels on the cables to remind myself how to hook up the battery....and then I'd forget which other piece of old equipment I had around that had that anomaly, and panic on one that was "normal".

Farmall Cub had positive ground also. According to my father, his father charged the battery backwards more than once.

 

[scdeerslayer]

Is it's possible to hook it up backwards and start and run.
The one part that will burn out when the cables are swapped, is the regulator / rectifier, and when that happens it won't charge.

It the battery were hooked up backwards wouldn't the starter also turn backwards? Every DC powered motor I've ever played with turned one way with + and - hooked one way and the opposite way when they were reversed.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

It the battery were hooked up backwards wouldn't the starter also turn backwards? Every DC powered motor I've ever played with turned one way with + and - hooked one way and the opposite way when they were reversed.

A starter motor is different than most DC motors in that it doesn't have a fixed set of field magnets (magnets around the case and over the center core), it has electrical charged field magnets, so when you reverse the polarity at the starter connections, you also change core polarity and field magnet polarity so it still ends up turning the same direction.

 

[Trtr0611]

My L2850 has a positive ground. I found out when I put a new battery on it and the sparks scared the crap out of me. It almost fused the cable to the post. I flipped the battery around and it worked just fine.

 

[GeoHorn]

The COLOR of the boots is UN-important. The Boot only acts as an insulator…it does not conduct current.
Where the cable actually connects IS important. The POSitive (regardless of color) goes to the starter. The NEGative regardless of color goes to the frame or engine block for a ground.

 

[GeoHorn]

A starter motor is different than most DC motors in that it doesn't have a fixed set of field magnets (magnets around the case and over the center core), it has electrical charged field magnets, so when you reverse the polarity at the starter connections, you also change core polarity and field magnet polarity so it still ends up turning the same direction.

I’m shocked. Disappointed. The Earth has shifted off its’ axis! The Wolf has actually made a mistake!

Those so-called “lightweight” starters (many of the most recent designs used on most equipment) have permanent-magnet fields. Older/Original designs have electrically energized Fields.

(Of course, the basic topic addressed in the thread by NIW is still correct however, if a starter turned backwards its’ bendix-drive, if equipped, would prevent its’ engagement of the flywheel..)

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I’m shocked. Disappointed. The Earth has shifted off its’ axis! The Wolf has actually made a mistake!

Those so-called “lightweight” starters (many of the most recent designs used on most equipment) have permanent-magnet fields. Older/Original designs have electrically energized Fields.

(Of course, the basic topic addressed in the thread by NIW is still correct however.)

Wrong and right:
There are 2 different starters for the old engines like this, and they are built the opposite.
Some of the old Kubota engines had starters with coil magnets then the newer starters went to a fixed magnet design.
I've seen and worked on both styles.
The fixed magnet style is a much better starter and it requires less energy to run.
So while earth might have shifted a little due to my Semi misinformation, it's still spinning.

 

[D2Cat]

Yes, an it took Geo. 5 years to discover it!

 

[GeoHorn]

I hope you folks understand I was only poking a little fun.

 

[Trtr0611]

The COLOR of the boots is UN-important. The Boot only acts as an insulator…it does not conduct current.
Where the cable actually connects IS important. The POSitive (regardless of color) goes to the starter. The NEGative regardless of color goes to the frame or engine block for a ground.

I ran this tractor for 3 yrs unaware that the positive was hooked to the ground. So apparently something was modified to make it run this way. I’ve been posting trying to find out why this could happen. I guess a lot of folks on here think I’m stupid and correct me about polarity in a sort of derogatory way. I know that negative is supposed to go to ground. I guess whoever had this tractor before me didn’t know that.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

well..to add a bit more cornfusion.... not ALL alternators are negative ground ! Some actually ARE positive ground..rare, 1 in a million you might say ? The HOW did I manage to get TWO of them a few years back ?
sigh....
one lost it's 'magic smoke' when I went to use it....

 

[kubotasam]

I ran this tractor for 3 yrs unaware that the positive was hooked to the ground. So apparently something was modified to make it run this way. I’ve been posting trying to find out why this could happen. I guess a lot of folks on here think I’m stupid and correct me about polarity in a sort of derogatory way. I know that negative is supposed to go to ground. I guess whoever had this tractor before me didn’t know that.

7 or 8 years ago I bought a used B7100. I used it for a few months and one day while fueling it I noticed that the positive side of the battery was connected to the ground cable. I was very confused at this situation. I checked with a volt meter and the polarity of the battery had changed. The positive side of the battery that was connected to the frame ground registered as negative when tested with the volt meter. Somehow someone had reversed the charging of the battery. They must have put a battery charger on backwards and charged the battery. Then figured out what they had done, so installed the leads from the tractor on the opposite terminals. I turned the headlights on and left them on till the battery was totally discharged. Removed the battery from the tractor, put a trickle charger on it (+ to + and - to -). When the battery reached full charge I put it back in the tractor with the cables on the correct terminals. That battery worked about another year then died.

 

[Henro]

7 or 8 years ago I bought a used B7100. I used it for a few months and one day while fueling it I noticed that the positive side of the battery was connected to the ground cable. I was very confused at this situation. I checked with a volt meter and the polarity of the battery had changed. The positive side of the battery that was connected to the frame ground registered as negative when tested with the volt meter. Somehow someone had reversed the charging of the battery. They must have put a battery charger on backwards and charged the battery. Then figured out what they had done, so installed the leads from the tractor on the opposite terminals. I turned the headlights on and left them on till the battery was totally discharged. Removed the battery from the tractor, put a trickle charger on it (+ to + and - to -). When the battery reached full charge I put it back in the tractor with the cables on the correct terminals. That battery worked about another year then died.

Aside from whatever we might think we are measuring, I have found it meaningful to use a battery to confirm what the VOM meter is showing polarity wise...just to be sure I understood what the meter was showing.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

news flash.......
it really,really is kinda, well, important to have the BLACK DVM lead in the 'com' hole and the RED DVM lead in the 'V' hole... to get 'proper' readings....like +12 IS +12....

 

[Henro]

news flash.......
it really,really is kinda, well, important to have the BLACK DVM lead in the 'com' hole and the RED DVM lead in the 'V' hole... to get 'proper' readings....like +12 IS +12....

That may be true, BUT what differnence does it make to what is going on in the ECU? When the battery is disconnected from the circuit?