The Negative Batt. Terminal... I thought it's safe?

[danteBirosel 5,000+ posts]

just in curiosity, when disconnecting the negative wire for safety precautions, why putting the negative wire back to the battery, it causes a spark or little bit of smoke?

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[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

smoke? never seen smoke....

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

You're completing the circuit...so any residual devices in the electrical system that happen to want to draw a current are going to when you put the terminal back. It's only a few hundred mA or so, but it'll make some nice sparks.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Yes....it's simply because you are completing the circuit again. Nothing to fret about.

 

[dak0ta_g33k 10+ year member]

good info, i was wondering why that occured after i had hooked up my first amp.

 

[danteBirosel 5,000+ posts]

thanks alottt.. yeah there was a spark today when changing a few thigns in my eletrical wiring.. can smell the spark...

 

[93 saturn sl2 10+ year member]

It sparked when I put it back on after hooking up my neons and scarred the shit out of me...

 

[shellshocked 10+ year member]

Maybe I missed something but you are suppose to remove the positive battery lead to keep from accidentally frying something. The negative lead is grounded to the car chassis.

 

[SSS 18734 5,000+ posts]

Maybe I missed something but you are suppose to remove the positive battery lead to keep from accidentally frying something. The negative lead is grounded to the car chassis.

as long as you break the circuit, either will work.

most recommend removing the negative terminal though, in case you accidentally touch the positive to the body of the car with a wrench or something, in which case could prove disasterous with only the positive terminal removed.

 

[jtj5002 10+ year member]

just happened to me today, in addition to the sparks my car also turn the horns on for a sec, made me jump

 

[thefunkybunch 10+ year member]

doesn't matter really. as long as you disconnect one side or another, after a minute or so there's no power in the car anyways. the negative side is just usually easier because you don't have to worry about welding your wrench to the car if it touches metal while you're loosening it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif it still makes me jump every time i hook up an amp when you put in the fuse onthe power wire... zap!