Hooking up battery charger on Model A

[Afordman31]

My Dad asked me tonite how I hook up a battery charger on my Model A with 6 volt positive ground. I said like any battery, red to positive post and black to the negative. He asked if the battery was out of the car what then, I said red to positive post and black to the negative post.
He said on his Model T's he hooks up the red lead to negative post and black to the positive post.
Are we both doing it right? Afordman31

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

If that works for your friend, then he has his battery CHARGED UP, BASS-ACKWARDS.
Bill W.

[eagle]

No, he is not doing it correctly. ALWAYS hook red up to positive, black to negative. A model A is positive ground, a model T is negative ground. (If stock) However, if you are looking at the battery itself, it doesn't matter what is ground. If you leave the charger on backwards long enough, and it doesn't burn out, you can charge a battery backwards. Not good!

[Tom Wesenberg]

If the battery is in the car it's much easier to connect the charger to the starter switch and a good ground. It's also safer to do connections and disconnects away from the battery posts.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Per Tom's good advice in Reply #4 ..... (i.e., always try to hook up cables, away from the battery) ..... I saw a guy removing battery charger cables from a large truck where the top of the battery was up high at his chin level with all battery acid caps screwed on.

A spark from his charger cable ignited the battery gas, the battery exploded, blew the entire top off of the battery, and acid went all over his face & head & down his neck.

Luckily, there was a water hose and hose bibb within 6 feet where I was able to immediately rinse off his face, head & neck ....... poor soul was unharmed because of having water nearby to rinse off the acid.

[johnbuckley]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Someplaces I've read that one should disconnect the battery before charging it in-situ. (I have never followed this advice!) Can any one tell me the rationale for this generally ignored reccommendation; so long as all switches are "off" the battery is in-effect already isolated

[marc hildebrant]

Besides the good advice given, I keep the charger itself away from the car. Just the wires coming from the charger connect to the battery.

I.E. do not put the charger on the running boards.

Battery Chargers should not have the chassis connected to the output power. The correct design is for the AC ground (third wire) to be connected to the chassis. However, it is sometimes made where the negative output also is connected to the chassis. Thus, I always have the charger not touching any part of the car.

Marc

[takomaned]

If you're unable to see the + - markings on the battery, the positive post will be slightly larger in diameter than the neg. post

[rscardina]

I've always disconnected my battery when charging it. Now that I have a battery disconnect switch on my ground lead (positive) I just turn the switch before charging it.

[Patrick L.]

If connecting charger to the starter stud then that stud gets the negative cable and the positive cable goes to a good ground.
Thats the easiest way on an 'A'.

[vern hodgson]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

Per Tom's good advice in Reply #4 ..... (i.e., always try to hook up cables, away from the battery) ..... I saw a guy removing battery charger cables from a large truck where the top of the battery was up high at his chin level with all battery acid caps screwed on.

A spark from his charger cable ignited the battery gas, the battery exploded, blew the entire top off of the battery, and acid went all over his face & head & down his neck.

Luckily, there was a water hose and hose bibb within 6 feet where I was able to immediately rinse off his face, head & neck ....... poor soul was unharmed because of having water nearby to rinse off the acid.

I had exactly the same experience, truck, battery, blast in the face etc. luckily I wear glasses.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Always be SURE the screw on caps' vent hole is punched out properly, 2 of mine WEREN'T!!! (boom!)
Bill W.

[roccaas]

Buy the Schumacher unit that auto corrects polarity.

Even a cave man can do it.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by takomaned

If you're unable to see the + - markings on the battery, the positive post will be slightly larger in diameter than the neg. post

A lot of batteries are poorly marked. I bought a white out pen at the dollar store and use that to paint the + and - marks white. The white out pen is actually like a ball point pen with white paint, so be sure to shake it well before using it. The paint dries in seconds.

I use the white out pen to mark a lot of things which are poorly marked. I marked the electric fuel pump IN and OUT and the + and - terminals on my friend's fuel pump the other day.

[George Miller]

I also had a blast in the face from a car battery, it was not fun. Lucky I was with in two feet of a water faucet. Do not make sparks around a battery

[700rpm]

I connect at the starter and a head bolt, and loosen the caps on the battery. That was the way I was taught in 1962 when I was 17 and worked at a Shell garage.

[modelAtony]

I always charge battery in car under the hood . I cut a piece of water hose about 3" long and split one side with a knife and wrap it around starter rod, this will keep you from getting SPARKS if you bump it with hot cable. have fun modelAtony tony white Lafayette, LA

[johnbuckley]

Originally Posted by modelAtony

... I cut a piece of water hose about 3" long and split one side with a knife and wrap it around starter rod, this will keep you from getting SPARKS if you bump it with hot cable. ...

What an excellent idea- another of "why on earth didn't I think of that" moments!

[Ted Duke]

I got off an interstate exit one afternoon and just as I passed a car with the hood up the man shorted the battery with a wrench. It exploded in his face and his lady friend screamed. I stopped and forced him to his knees at a water puddle (it had just stopped raining) and splashed water in his face. Fortunately, he knew what I was doing. The lady was screaming, but afterwards wanted to hug me. He was okay, I told him to go to the 7-11 a block away and buy water and rinse down some more.
I always carry some water in the car and also a piece of rope and a blanket, but those are another story!

Ted

[catsailr]

I was going to hook my charger up today. I hooked the negative wire from the charger to the post on the starter. It sparked and blew the fuse. The charger was not turned on or plugged up.