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Aside from the mechanical system, the electrical system is another important aspect of the overall operation of a vehicle. A major fault in this section can render a car to a complete halt. Care should be taken when working on the electric components of a car because a small short-circuit or spark can have a diversitating ripple effect on other electrical components. Follow these guidelines below to prevent such occurrences:
If you’re going to do any work on a car involving the electrical system, disconnect the battery first. To do this, loosen the connector for the negative/ground terminal first, and wiggle the terminal cap off. Use a wire-tie or similar to tie the cable back out of the way. If you need to take the battery out, you can now take off the positive connector.
When disconnecting a car battery, remove the negative connection first. If you disconnect the positive side of the battery first, the negative side is still connected to the entire car. If you drop a tool and it lands on the positive battery terminal and touches anything else on the car, you’ll have an electrical short. By disconnecting the negative first, you’re cutting off the return path for the current. Now, if a tool drops on to either of the battery terminals, it doesn’t matter if it touches part of the chassis or not – there’s no continuous path for the electrical current.
When you are done with what you want to do, connect the positive terminal first, and the negative second – the reverse of removal, and for the same reasons. When you slip the negative connector on, there will be a spark as it gets close and makes contact with the negative battery terminal. Don’t be afraid of this – it’s nothing to worry about. Make sure the terminal caps are done up nice and tight.
Most modern cars run on a 12 volt negative ground electrical system. If your battery terminals or contacts aren’t clean, you’re making it more difficult for the current to pass around the electrical system. Remove the terminal caps and clean each contact post with a wire brush to get a nice clean metal contact surface. Do the same to the terminal caps, then reattach them as described above.
