What is the positive and negative of a car battery? – A car battery is a device used to store electrical energy. It is a type of rechargeable battery. A car battery has both positive and negative terminals. The positive terminal is the red one and the negative terminal is the black one.
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Where is the negative side of car battery?
Find Your Car Battery’s Negative Terminal – With the vehicle powered down, pop the hood of your car using the release mechanism in your car’s cabin or under the hood itself. Once open, locate your car battery. These are large, block-like components with two large cables attached to them near the engine bay’s surface.
- In some instances, a car battery will be located in the trunk.
- If you’re having difficulty finding it, consult your owner’s manual to determine the exact location of your battery.
- Once you’ve located the battery, find the negative terminal.
- It is electrical contact that is typically on top of the battery with an attached cable.
The negative terminal should be marked by a “-” symbol, whereas a “+” sign will mark the positive terminal. The negative terminal is also black and may have a black plastic cap for labeling, while the positive terminal will be red and have a red plastic cap.
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Which side is negative and positive in the battery car?
– When removing the old battery, remember to first disconnect the cables from the negative terminal, which is usually black and has a minus (-) sign then disconnect the cables from the positive terminal, which is usually red and has a plus (+) sign. Take caution at all times to never touch a metal object to both terminals of the battery at once.
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How do you connect jumper cables to a Mercedes?
On the dead battery, attach the red clamp to the positive post. Uncoil the battery cable and attach the other red clamp to the positive terminal on the charged battery. On the good battery, attach the black clamp to the negative post. Connect the final clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the frame of the car.
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Where do I connect the negative?
Bring Your Dead Battery Back to Life – Mobile EV charging is among the innovative and vital services Urgently has identified to support our partners’ EV strategies and enhance the ownership experience for their customers Your car battery is an essential piece of your vehicle, providing one of the most important functionalities: starting the car.
- In most traditional vehicle types – that is, cars that run on gasoline – the battery is an SLI, a starting, lighting, and ignition battery.
- It’s primarily used to start the engine, but also powers auxiliary components of the automobile including the lights and radio.
- Once the engine is running, the majority of the energy used to power your car is generated by its alternator.
But turning the car on is an essential function of the car battery, a function without which the car is rendered pretty useless. When you turn the key and hear some sputtering, or maybe nothing at all, but the engine fails to start, a dead battery is probably the culprit.
- A variety of things can cause your battery to die: cold weather, leaving your lights on for too long, or of course, an old or dysfunctional battery.
- Regardless, a jump start can sometimes do the trick to solve all your battery troubles – or at least get your car started so you can drive it off to the mechanic’s shop and figure out what the bigger issue is.
Jump starting your battery yourself requires some special tools and a little bit of knowledge – but never fear, this guide will tell you everything you need to know! Before you attempt to jump start your vehicle, take a moment to gather a few pieces of information.
- Read your vehicle’s manual, specifically any sections related to jump starts or your car battery.
- Certain car manufacturers recommend not jump starting the car, or some may offer you special instructions related to your specific model.
- Make sure you know where your car’s battery is.
- In most vehicles, it’s in the front of the car, under the hood, with the engine.
But in some models, the battery is located in the trunk. Often, if this is the case, there will be designated terminals under the hood for use in case of a jump start. Take a look at the battery to identify the positive and negative terminals, Each terminal should be clearly marked with a + (plus) sign for positive and a – (minus) sign for negative. 
A set of jumper cables should have one red cable, and one black. The colors are important indicators of where to attach the cables. In any electrical system, electrical energy flows from the negative terminal of a battery to the positive through a system of wires, powering something – in this case, the vehicle’s starter – along the way.
- In order to allow for a jump start to work properly, one must ensure that the correct terminals are being connected.
- The red cable will always represent the side that should be attached to the positive terminal, and the black should be attached to the negative terminal.
- Don’t touch the jumper cable clamps to anything but the intended target.
You can jump start a car either using a portable jump starter, or with the help of another vehicle. In either case, begin by ensuring all involved vehicles and tools are turned off. To be safe, remove your keys from the ignition entirely. Take caution that there is nothing flammable nearby.
- Though uncommon, sparks, fires, and even explosions are possible when jump starting a car.
- Car batteries and jump starter packs contain high voltages of electricity, and while jump starters and cables are designed to reduce risk of improper usage, accidents can happen under certain circumstances.
- Here’s how to use jumper cables if you’re jump starting your car with the help of another car: First, identify where each car’s battery is.
In most vehicles, the battery is with the engine. Then park the cars close enough together that you’ll be able to connect jumper cables to both cars’ batteries. Be careful, however, that no parts of either car are touching the other. This is important to prevent any flow of electrical current between the vehicles other than through the jumper cables.
- Both cars should be put into park and powered off to begin the process.
- Notice again which terminal on each battery is positive, and which is negative.
- Then, attach the jumper cables to the appropriate places.
- The positive (red) cable should be attached to the positive terminals on each battery.
- The negative (black) cable should have one end attached to the negative terminal of the dead battery, and one end grounded.
The safest order to attach the jumper cables is as follows:
Attach one red jumper cable clamp to the positive terminal on the dead battery.Attach the other end of the same cable, the second red jumper cable clamp, to the positive terminal on the working (live) car battery.Attach one black jumper cable clamp to the negative terminal of the working (live) car’s battery.Attach the other end of that cable, the second black jumper cable clamp, to an unpainted piece of stationary metal on the car with the dead battery. Do not attach this clamp to the negative terminal on the dead car’s battery.
Though some may say it’s alright to attach the last negative jumper cable clamp to the negative terminal of the dead battery, this increases the risk of fire or explosion if the jump start doesn’t go as planned. Try to find somewhere away from the battery, to decrease the potential of sparks igniting any hydrogen gas that could be coming from the battery. 
Next, start the car with the live battery. This will immediately start charging the dead battery. In some cases, the car with the dead battery will be able to be started immediately, but in others it will need some time to charge. Allow the engine to run for a couple of minutes in order to allow electrical current to flow from the working battery to the dead one.
- Then, attempt to start the car with the dead battery.
- Turn the key to start and hold for a few seconds, but no longer than that.
- You may want to try this a couple of times.
- If your jump start was successful, the engine should spring to life.
- Depending on the cause of your dead battery, you may want to have the car immediately looked at.
In other circumstances, your car may be okay after the jump start. Driving the car for a while will help to recharge the battery. The last step is to disconnect the jumper cables. This ought to be performed in the reverse order that they were connected.
Disconnect the negative (black) jumper cable clamp from the chassis/terminal on the car that received the jump startDisconnect the negative (black) jumper cable clamp from the working battery’s negative terminalDisconnect the positive (red) jumper cable clamp from the working battery’s positive terminalDisconnect the positive (red) jumper cable clamp from the car that received the jump start
Congrats, you’ve jump started your vehicle! Be sure to thank the good samaritan, friend, family member, or neighbor who helped you out by letting you use their live battery! If, however, your jump start doesn’t work, and you find yourself turning the key in the ignition over and over again without the engine turning on, you may have a larger problem at hand. 
Here’s what to do if you’re jump starting your car with a portable jump starter: Portable jump starters, battery packs and jump boxes are often small enough to be carried around in your car, stowed away in the glovebox or trunk just in case you need them.
Be sure to read their instructions, however, as not all are suitable to be stored in the high temperatures that cars can reach in summertime heat. As with using another car to administer your jump start, the jump starter should be off when you begin the process. Your car and it’s auxiliary features should also be off.
Many portable jump start devices and chargers come with two clamps that are permanently connected to the tool. There should be one positive (red) clamp and one negative (black) clamp. Keep them separate, to help avoid the possibility of a spark. If the cables are not connected, you will connect them to the jump starter, while both jump starter and car are still off, ensuring the positive (red) cable is connected to the positive terminal and the negative (black) cable is connected to the negative terminal of the portable jump starter. 
Connect the clamp on the red jumper cable to the positive terminal on your car battery, and the black one to either an unpainted piece of metal in the engine or directly to your car’s chassis (the frame of the vehicle). Don’t attach the negative (black) clamp to the negative terminal of the dead battery.
It is important to connect the cables in that order, and it is safest to connect the negative (black) clamp as far from the battery as possible, in order to reduce the risk of sparking that could cause a fire or explosion. Once the cables are properly connected, power on the jump starter. Then, attempt to start the vehicle.
Turn the key in the ignition to start, and hold for a couple of seconds if necessary. If a couple of seconds doesn’t start the car, give the battery pack a few minutes to cool down and prepare itself before making another attempt. This increases the amount of energy that will be given to your battery in an attempt to start the vehicle.
If the jump start is successful, you should hear your engine turn over and begin to run on it’s own. Congratulations! You can now disconnect the jump starter cables. First remove the negative (black) cable from the car, then remove the positive (red) cable from the battery terminal. Depending on the cause of your dead battery, you may want to have the car immediately looked at.
In other circumstances, your car may be okay after the jump start. Driving the car for a while will help to recharge the battery. If, however, your jump start doesn’t work, and you find yourself turning the key in the ignition over and over again without the engine turning on, you may have a larger problem at hand. 
Hopefully this guide was helpful in showing what to do (and what NOT to do) when attempting to jump start a car. If for any reason you do not feel confident that you can safely perform the jump start, it’s best to call professionals. Of course (shameless plug) Urgent.ly is always happy to lend a hand.
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Which is the negative terminal?
Difference between Positive and Negative terminal Table of Content: A battery is an electrochemical device that stores energy in the form of chemical energy and gives out electrical energy. The battery has a positive terminal, and a negative terminal and the electrolyte is the chemical solution which surrounds the anode and the cathode.
- The current starts flowing in the battery when the positive terminal and negative terminal are connected.
- A battery terminal is an electrical contact that can be used to connect a single or multiple-celled battery.
- The battery terminals come in a variety of sizes, designs and features.
- However, the two main configurations of a battery terminal are – positive on the left and negative on the right, or negative on the left and positive on the right.
For example, the positive and negative terminals of a dry battery have a projection at one end (indicating positive terminal) and a flat base on the other end that indicates negative terminal. These batteries are of different types. An example of a primary battery is the dry cell.
- In a dry cell, a zinc container is used as the anode, and a carbon rod is used as the cathode.
- The space around the cathode is surrounded by manganese dioxide and the cathode.
- The space between the container and the rod is filled with a moist paste of ammonium chloride and zinc chloride.
- The electrode, usually metal, is the electrical conductor used as a positive or negative terminal of an electrically conducting medium.
The electrodes conduct the current into the medium and out of the medium. The medium is either solid, gas, vacuum or an electrolytic solution, as in a storage battery. The electrode from which the electrons emerge is the negative terminal. It is also called the cathode.
The cathode is the negatively charged electrode It attracts the positive charge or cations The cathode is the source of the electrons The cathode generates the electrons, which do the actual movement in a circuit and produces current. Therefore, we can say that the cathode produces the charge or that the current moves from the cathode to the anode. Though the conventional direction of current is defined by the way, a positive charge would move.
The anode is the positively charged electrode. It attracts electrons or anions
: Difference between Positive and Negative terminal
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How do you jump a car with a Mercedes?
Place the red clamp to the on the positive post on the dead battery. Then, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge. Place the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery. Connect the last clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the car’s frame.
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Where do you connect negative terminal jump start?
If your battery needs a jump, here’s how to get some life back into it. Pay close attention to the connection order; it’s one of the most common and overlooked causes for unsuccessful jump-starts. You’ll need jumper cables and another vehicle. Make sure the second vehicle is parked close enough to allow you to connect the jumper cables to the batteries in each car with plenty of slack.
Open both vehicle hoods and locate the batteries. Remove any terminal covers and corrosion. Attach the positive (red) jumper cable to the positive (red) terminal of the dead battery. Make sure both metal clamps are firmly in contact with the terminal. Attach the other end of the positive (red) jumper cable to the positive (red) terminal of the assisting battery. Attach the negative (black) jumper cable to the negative (black) terminal of the assisting battery. Attach the other end of the negative (black) jumper cable to an exposed metal part of the disabled vehicle’s engine, away from the battery and the carburetor/fuel-injection system. Start the assisting vehicle’s engine. Start the disabled vehicle’s engine. Allow both vehicles to run connected for about three minutes. Leave the jump-started vehicle running and disconnect the cables in the reverse order that they were attached and close the hoods. Keep the jump-started vehicle’s engine running for about a half hour to allow the battery to fully charge.
Source: Jumper cable instruction manual
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What side is negative Left or right?
You can think of a number line as having three parts: a positive direction, a negative direction, and zero. Everything to the right of zero is positive and everything to the left of zero is negative. We think of positive and negative numbers as being opposites because they are on opposite sides of the number line.
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How do you tell positive and negative on an unmarked car battery?
Car batteries, without them, we’re going nowhere; knowing which terminal is which can be a head-scratcher, but five minutes from now, you’ll be an expert. Car battery terminals will be marked and color-coded. The color red and the plus sign for the positive terminal, and the color black and the minus sign for the negative terminal. 
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Is the negative side of a battery the same as ground?
Is the negative terminal the same as ground? No the negative terminal have a different of potential lower than the reference. The reference usually is called ground, and you measure the different in potential using this point as reference.
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Why don’t you connect the negative when jumping a car?
Quick Tip: –
- Never connect the black cable to the negative (–) terminal on your dead battery. This is very dangerous, could result in a possible explosion.
- Make sure you follow the instructions in your owner’s manual when jumpstarting your vehicle. Every car is different. Trust us. We’re experts.
Where is negative and positive?
As you might guess, the plus sign indicates the positive battery terminal, while the minus sign indicates the negative battery terminal. Most batteries also have a positive and negative sign stamped into the case. In many cases, the battery cable itself will also be red in color.
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What happens if you accidentally connect positive to negative?
3. Keep Track Of Your Cables – When you’re using jumper cables, it’s important to keep track of which cable is connected to which terminal. To avoid any confusion, you can label the cables with tape or markers. Another way to keep track of your cables is to use different colors for the positive and negative terminals.
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What happens if u connect negative first?
Which car battery terminal to remove positive or negative first? – Again, identifying the order between positive and negative first when removing the battery can be somewhat confusing. The cables are not mere wiring that can be randomly removed when disconnecting a battery. Therefore, carefully remove the negative battery terminal first before the positive terminal.
- If you disconnect the positive terminal first before the negative, the wrench you use in removing the positive cable may touch the car’s body (metal surface) or the engine block and trigger a severe spark capable of damaging the battery.
- In that case, simply follow the reverse order of connecting the car’s battery.
In other words, while the connection procedure starts with the positive terminal, the disconnection procedure begins with the negative terminal. For more guides, I recommend you check how to safely disconnect the car battery.
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How do you use a Mercedes to jump start another car?
Locate both the positive and negative terminals, and check to see if they’re free of corrosion. Place the red clamp to the on the positive post on the dead battery. Then, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge. Place the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery.
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Is positive on left or right side?
Positive on left and negative on the right corner on the long side of the battery.
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How do you read a Mercedes battery?
The code starts with a digit and a letter; 14 would indicate 2014 and it is followed by a number denoting the month A being January, B being February and so on. The older your battery is, the more likely it may need to be replaced.
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Where is the battery located on a Mercedes Benz car?
How to Change a Mercedes Battery: 7 Steps (with Pictures)
- 1 Locate and test the battery. On many Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the battery location ranges from under the hood to in the trunk, under the rear seat (W210) or under the front passenger seat (w164/166/151). On the G-wagen (W461/463), the battery is under a cover in the floor board behind the center console. Most vehicles with the battery in the trunk will have a sticker under the hood stating “battery in trunk”.
- For vehicles with two batteries, the systems battery will be in the trunk. The starter battery will be under the hood. For starting issues, you will want to replace the battery under the hood. It will be a smaller white battery.
- 2 Using a DVOM (voltmeter), check voltage by contacting the positive and negative terminals with the corresponding test wires from the DVOM.
- A good battery will read 12.1-12.9 volts when the vehicle is off. A Mercedes-Benz vehicle needs a minimum of 11.4 volts to properly operate the onboard control units.
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- 3 Acquire a replacement. Once the condition of the battery is determined and you have acquired a replacement, double check the amp hours (Ah) and cold cranking amps (CCA) on the battery sticker to be sure that it matches your vehicle specifications. Part numbers on said sticker may differ if the original battery is older.
- 4 Remove the old battery.
- On vehicles with exposed batteries (under the hood), a 10mm wrench or socket is required to remove battery cables and battery top mounts. A 13mm socket and extension are required to remove battery bottom mounts. Additionally you may need to remove the cabin air filter box. There are three snap clips on top that hold it to the firewall. use a screwdriver and pop them upward and removed air filter box. Although some batteries may seem shoehorned into their respective place, push all cables and wires to the side and lift straight up.
- On vehicles with the battery in the trunk, you need to lift up the trunk floor panel and the battery should be on the right or center of the trunk under compartment. In some cases, there is a strap wrapped around the battery that can be loosened by finding the buckle, usually located on the side of the battery. On the S-Class or AMG S-class (2010 or later) there is a panel at the forward most part of the trunk that can easily come out with the removal of the trunk bottom panel. The trunk bottom panel has two T20 Torx bolts that sit inside the black plastic hooks bolted to the floor of the trunk. Once the bolts are removed and the bottom panel comes out, the forward most panel will pivot out from the left side (right side pivoting) and slide out to reveal a space between the forward-most trunk panel and the back of the seat. This is where the systems battery will be located.
- On vehicles with two batteries (starter battery and systems battery), usually S-class (221) and SL class (230/231) the starter battery needs to be connected first. Therefore, if you are replacing the systems battery (in the trunk) you need to disconnect the negative battery cable from the starter battery (under the hood). Once the systems battery has been replaced you can reconnect the starter battery. A battery light may appear in the instrument cluster otherwise.
- 5 Put the new battery in its place. Once the new battery is secured into the vehicle, connect the positive battery cable first. Then connect the negative battery cable. Make sure the positive cable connects to the positive post on the battery.
- If you connect the negative cable first then the positive, there is a chance the electricity could arc between cable and terminal which could possibly cause a control unit to short out. To reiterate, the negative battery cable comes off first and goes on last.
- Ensure that the new battery fits in your vehicle properly or that it’s bracketed on correctly so it doesn’t shift around while you’re driving.
- 6 Clear your settings after installation. Three things need to be done:
- Resetting the time: On most newer vehicles the car will reset the time itself after being driven around and acquiring a satellite signal. Unless the “time zone” has been reset in the menu, there is no need to reset the clock manually.
- Window normalization: When you disconnect the battery the windows sometimes forget where they need to start and stop. To reset window normalization, simply roll the window up and hold the button for 5 seconds. There should be an audible click once the window has relearned its position.
- ESP: On all newer vehicles and most older ones, the ESP light will illuminate if the steering angle sensor has lost its positioning. To turn the light off, start the engine and turn the steering wheel from lock to lock until the yellow triangle (ESP light) on the instrument cluster is gone.
- 7 Congratulations! You have successfully replaced the battery in your Mercedes-Benz!
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Question I replaced my battery, and my car started up but immediately shut down. Now will not start back up. Why? You might want to check your alternator because you could have fried the alternator by putting in a new battery.
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Advertisement HM Co-authored by: Auto Repair & Design Specialist This article was co-authored by, Hovig Manouchekian is an Auto Repair and Design Specialist and the Manager of Funk Brothers Auto, a family-owned business operated since 1925. With over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, Hovig specializes in the process of auto repair and maintenance.
- Co-authors: 6
- Updated: November 10, 2022
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“The things to watch out for while replacing a dead battery were helpful. ”
: How to Change a Mercedes Battery: 7 Steps (with Pictures)
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