Stupid Question-Pos-Pos or Pos-Neg?

[Trix Are For Kids]

I'm trying to hook my car battery up, and I'm feeling like an idiot right now. Isn't this like the first thing you're supposed to learn?

Ford Taurus, pretty sure it's negative ground (if that matters). Do I hook up the positive cable to the positive post or the negative cable to the positive?

Easy question but I somehow never learned it.

[Trix Are For Kids]

I'm asking because I could've sworn it was pos-pos, neg-neg. But I did that, and when I turn the car over the battery makes a clicking, sparking sound.

[is all mememememe with me]

if you'd have posted this in google you'd have had an answer by now.

[Township Rebellion]

Wull. It's definitely positive to positive, they're marked red and black for a reason.

You say hooking them up the right way causes a clicking/sparking sound. Sounds to me like your starter isn't getting enough juice. Sometimes it takes a while to charge a car battery if it's REALLY dead. And make sure the cables are hooked up properly at both ends.

Do you have a volt meter? Test the battery; you need around 12 and a half volts to start the car, it should eventually charge to 13 once it's running if the alternator is working properly. How long have you had the battery?

[The Cheshire Cat]

Originally Posted by Township Rebellion

Test the battery; you need around 12 and a half volts DC to start the car,

Added for some clarification.

[is all mememememe with me]

he's asking if its negative or positive ground. altho unless he's ripped the cables out it should be pretty obvious.

[Trix Are For Kids]

Originally Posted by Township Rebellion

Wull. It's definitely positive to positive, they're marked red and black for a reason.

You say hooking them up the right way causes a clicking/sparking sound. Sounds to me like your starter isn't getting enough juice. Sometimes it takes a while to charge a car battery if it's REALLY dead. And make sure the cables are hooked up properly at both ends.

Do you have a volt meter? Test the battery; you need around 12 and a half volts to start the car, it should eventually charge to 13 once it's running if the alternator is working properly. How long have you had the battery?

The charger is saying it's charged. I know all that but I don't have a voltmeter so I'm pretty screwed as far as double checking.

Originally Posted by is all mememememe with me

if you'd have posted this in google you'd have had an answer by now.

Believe it or not I couldn't find an answer on google. I actually can't find a single site that says it, because it really is that obvious I guess.

Originally Posted by The Cheshire Cat

Added for some clarification.

Thanks for that but I already knew that too.

Originally Posted by is all mememememe with me

he's asking if its negative or positive ground. altho unless he's ripped the cables out it should be pretty obvious.

No that's not what I was asking, 99% of vehicles are negative ground and the negative is bolted to the frame (obviously).

As of right now I think the battery is shot, but there's no way for me to tell so I guess I'm SOL. Thanks for all the advice anyway guys.

[Trix Are For Kids]

Fuck my life. I FUCKING KNEW that's what the clicking was. There was no oil in it. Hope I didn't just wreck my engine trying to turn it over like 50 times. Problem solved I guess, thanks again for all the help guys.

[YoureATowel]

Originally Posted by Trix Are For Kids

Fuck my life. I FUCKING KNEW that's what the clicking was. There was no oil in it. Hope I didn't just wreck my engine trying to turn it over like 50 times. Problem solved I guess, thanks again for all the help guys.

no oil in the engine?

[Zok Jr.]

You should probably not work on anyone's car. Ever.


Just sayin'.

[MediumD]

Originally Posted by Trix Are For Kids

Fuck my life. I FUCKING KNEW that's what the clicking was. There was no oil in it. Hope I didn't just wreck my engine trying to turn it over like 50 times. Problem solved I guess, thanks again for all the help guys.

No oil in an engine will not cause a no-start condition, or a clicking noise. (Unless the engine was already seized up prior to the attempt to start it.)

[crazzyass]

Originally Posted by MediumD

No oil in an engine will not cause a no-start condition, or a clicking noise. (Unless the engine was already seized up prior to the attempt to start it.)

This. The engine should start fine, and THEN proceed to fuck your shit up.

[CitizenUzi]

Throwing this out there, but I heard that leaving the charger hooked up when the battery is full-ish and the charger is on fast charge can fuck some electronics up if you try to start it. Not sure on this though, anecdotal.

Also, I learned from multiple shadetrees and actual mechanics to hook up the pos/pos and neg/ground. I've also heard that it doesn't matter if you hoook both up to the battery, but I swear there was some reason (outgassing from the battery maybe?) that you're not supposed to.