Changing Battery - Commonsense

[David Nock (RIP)]

I knew there was a correct order for disconnecting/ reconnecting batteries and I knew in my mind it was a funny way round.

I changed Gus\'s Battery last week (Old one was 2001)!

The instructions with the new battery were...."disconnect negative terminal (earth) first and positive terminal last. Reconnect in reverse order."

As an electrical engineer that seems daft to me; on building systems and control systems you would make the live pole dead first and follow on then to the neutral and earth wiring.

When I did the job it became clear. From the photo you can see the 2 terminals - negative the left one and positive the right one.

Here\'s the thing, if you do the negative first and accidentally short the spanner to the car body shell nothing happens. Then when you do the positive terminal this time there is no circuit if you accidently short to the body.

So all\'s safe and I\'m sure that\'s why it is this way round. Not that I shorted anything but I was watching all the time for that danger.

[JBerg]

With batteries, I was always told...negative is the first off and the last on.
 
On another note...can anyone recommend me a battery which fits properly? ie, fits within the lockdown...got a replacement but had to prop it up with wood since it was too short...not ideal

[David Nock (RIP)]

Hi JBerg, The battery in the pic above is a Halfords HB005. Perfectos fit. It went on the car in 2001 and is only just showing signs of not holding charge.
I would have gone straight for another no hesitation but a friend had this virtually unused Varta which also fitted a treat.

[JBerg]

Hi Dave,
 
thanks for the info! I\'ll deffo pick one up this weekend then! Made my day

[CHC (RIP)]

I fitted a bosch silver to \'JAZ` - no problem

[1990_fc3s_t2]

Where i used to work the forklift always needed a boost and one time i shorted one of the leads on the body of the forklift and BOOM, battery exploded, i got covered in plastic shrapnel and acid right in my face.
Luckily i was near a tap and managed to feel myself to it as i couldnt see and wash my self down. That made me very wary of batterys!
Also another time a battery blew up on a wagon that was being charged, no shorts this time it just blew up, no one near it thank god as it was a big truck battery and went with such a boom people came out from other units thinking there had been a gas explosion.