Negative or Positive?

[Dads Baby]

Might be a dumb question, but somebody just had to ask it! I just bought a battery disconnect for my Hawk. Should it go on the Negative or the Positive side?

Carey
Packard Hawk

[BobGlasscock]

Electronically it doesn't make any difference. An open circuit is a dead non-circuit. I put mine on the 'hot' - negative - side. Reasoning being that the entire metal entity can be 'ground' and nothing will happen if you have the hot side carefully nowhere near the actual battery post. Meaning anywhere under the hood except on top of and next to the battery post. On the other hand, if you disconnect the ground and keep the hot connected, if the ground makes connect, the whole electrical system is functional.

'50 Champion, 1 family owner

[StudeRich]

Your situation may vary! Keep in mind that Bob's '50 is a Positive (+)
Ground, so he disconnects the (-) Cable. If you have a 1956 or later, your "HOT" cable is the (+) Positive one! [:0]

quote:Originally posted by BobGlasscock

I put mine on the 'hot' - negative - side.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[Dads Baby]

Thanks guys! The grass is cut, trimmed, fertilized, watered, and my belly is full. Off to the garage!!!

Carey
Packard Hawk

[curt]

Electrons flow from negative to positive; I put my disconnect on the negative side for that reason.

[raprice]

I always hook up the battery disconnect to the negative post.
Rog

'59 Lark VI Regal Hardtop

[Dick Steinkamp]

We've got almost all possible combinations covered in this thread...

- if it's a positive ground system

+ if it's a negative ground system

Always - no matter which side is grounded

Do I hear always + ?


[)]

[bondobilly]

On my car, the kill switch won't fit back where the Positive pole is, so mine is on the negative. I could flip the battery though.