Battery Minder
Anyone with a battery minder could let me know how it is hooked up to battery. Not sure which is terminal is ground. Thanks.
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Re: Battery Minder
Hi Jerry:
Looks like you may have a mid-year in which the cables can be confusing.
The battery itself should be marked but the TAN cable is the GROUND and should be the side of the battery closest to the fender with a properly installed battery. You can many times see this cable grounded to the engine on the bottom of the starter or engine block.
The BLACK wire should be POSITIVE and if the battery is installed properly, should attach to the battery terminal closest to the engine This black cable is usually shorter and connects to the center lug of the stater solenoid.
Therefore, the battery tender red should go to black and the black for the tender to the tan.
I never understood why the black was positive but I'm sure someone here has an explanation for it.
BobComment
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Re: Battery Minder
Plus, when in doubt regarding which post is hot vs. gnd, just follow the cables. The ground wire will route pretty quickly to the engine block itself...Comment
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Re: Battery Minder
Most other cars in the GM fleet, as well as other manufacturers, mark RED as positive and BLACK as negative. That is also an electrical industry standard. You are right that the battery should be marked. Follow those markings.TerryComment
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Re: Battery Minder
I have the same situation on mine. I have to remind myself each time I attach the battery minder clamps; red closest to the engine. I believe it would be hard to install the battery backwards in a midyear that has the surge tank mounted to the inner fender panel above the battery. If the battery was in backwards, the posts would be nearly under the tank and might make for some interesting fireworks. I also have a ground interupt knife switch on the ground post. It is not as handy back in there, but is just as well out of sight. It's not too pretty.
I attach the clamps first, then make the plug in connection to the lead wires over the back of the engine (seems 110v outlets are always on the wrong side in the garage).
Stu FoxComment
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Re: Battery Minder
Take a test light, attach the clip to ground (anything metal on the engine or frame) and then touch the probe to each battery cable, one at a time.
The one that lights the test light is positive.Comment
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Re: Battery Minder
Thanks everyone. I just put on my flame retardant suit, closed my eyes and went for it. Actually the red clip to the engine block and the black to the negative terminal ( right next to the fender) and walla. The black (positive) was near the engine block and the tan (neg.) was at the fender with the cutoff.Comment
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Re: Battery Minder
Jerry, unless there is an error in the way you typed your last posting, you have not connected the Battery Minder correctly. You said you put the red clip of the Battery Minder on the engine block (ground) and the black clip on the negative terminal (ground) of the battery. Such a hook-up does not complete the circuit.
As stated in an earlier post, the red clip goes on the Positive post of the battery (or the battery cable attached thereto) and the black clip goes to the engine block (ground). The black clip could be attached directly to the Negative post of the battery but this is not the safe way to make the connection, therefore, the black clip is to Negative (ground) on the engine block. Hooking each clip directly to their respective posts on the battery could produce a spark that is very undesireable condition around a lead acid battery.
Read the polarity direct from the battery and don't be overly concerned about brown wires and black wires although yours seem to be installed correctly. Polarity is indicated on the top of the battery adjacent to each post as Positive (+) and Negative or ground (-).
Best regards,Comment
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Re: Battery Minder
If you have the brand name Battery Minder and hook it up backwards you will not get the green. You will not damage anything. Reverse the clips and the green light comes on. Then plug into outlet. There idiot proof.Comment
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Re: Battery Minder
Thanks again everyone. Charlie, Bob, Jack and Mike are right. It works now, before I only had the red light meaning AC current working, but now I have both lights and have red clip to positive and black to negative. Thanks to you too Vinnie P.Comment
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Re: Battery Minder
i had a one explode in my face and i was glad i wore corrective lens full time for i could have been in trouble. i saw a neighbors car coming down the street with a bright glow showing underneath. i flag them down because it thought the car was on fire but after opening the hood i saw the battery cable was glowing bright orange. just then the battery blew up in my face and i was glad for 2 things my wearing glasses full time and having a garden hose laying in my front yard and i was able to wash off.Comment
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Re: Battery Minder
True battery story from the "old days". When I was a Production Foreman at Willow Run in the early 60's, we were provided with white "Chevrolet" dress shirts with the bowtie and your name embroidered above the pocket (wore ties in those days) - you'd get five washed/ironed shirts every Monday, and turn them in on Friday.
I was working with a repairman on a Chevy II in Final Process one day, and the battery exploded; our safety glasses prevented any serious injuries, but the acid burned about 100 little holes in the front of my white shirt.
When I turned my shirts in that week, I enclosed a note telling them to replace the damaged shirt. When I got my shirts on Monday, one of them was about the size of an 8-1/2 x 11 piece of paper - some lady at the contract shirt laundry had sewn up every single one of those 100 holes and sent it on for washing and ironing
. Chevrolet wasn't into wasting money on anything that could be made serviceable 
.
I took it into the Personnel Director's office and suggested he try it on, and he authorized a replacement.
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