Normally, a 12 volt system is negative grounded. However, if you have a generator and regulator, the system will work with a positive ground. You didn't mess up the coil. Depending on how the coil's internal, secondary winding/wire is grounded, it may not work quite as well if correctly grounded. I have an excuse. CRS.
Full Answer
How many amps does a 12 volt positive ground supply?
In a 12 volt positive ground system it can supply 4.0 amps (min) and 4.7 amps (min) and 4.7 a,ps (max) contiumous duty. The PGPI-HC uses a common ground so isolation is not necessary, and because of its effecient design, its current draw is negligible when no load is applied (10 milliamps).
How does a positive ground system work?
A positive ground system works by directly connecting the chassis of a vehicle to the positive side of the vehicle’s battery. This system effectively earths the vehicle as the chassis attaches to the battery using a positive battery cable. The cable is tethered to the battery at one end and the engine block at the other.
Why is negative ground used instead of 12 volt?
Transition to negative ground came with the change to 12 volt systems and the use solid state components such as alternator rectifiers, transistor auto radios, etc. Apparently these early devices were cheaper to manufacture for negative ground. Thus negative ground became the 12 volt ground standard and has been retained ever since.
What is the history of positive ground wiring?
The evolution of the less functional positive ground system is easily explained, as before the invention of PVC-insulated plastic wiring in the 1960s, live wires were covered with cloth insulation that performed poorly in the damp conditions found in the U.K. and other European nations.
What is the purpose of a positive ground system?
A 6-volt positive ground system runs the positive side of the battery to the frame of the car, causing the frame and chassis to carry the current (this was thought to reduce corrosion). When an accessory is wired back to the ground side of the battery, it completes the circuit.
What vehicles had a positive ground?
0:141:10Positive or Negative ground - How to Tell - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipCar. They can just as easily be used at a negative ground car and always remember if you work with aMoreCar. They can just as easily be used at a negative ground car and always remember if you work with a battery that doesn't have any markings. The larger terminal is always the positive.
How do you change a negative ground to a positive ground?
Reversing the polarity of your positive ground electrical system is simple! All that you need to do is reverse the battery cables (negative cable from the battery is now ground... the positive cable from the battery goes to the starter) then reverse the wires on the amp gauge or in the case of Fords...
How do you hook up a positive ground?
You should check the ignition coil polarity. For positive ground the + primary terminal should go to the points. For negative ground the + primary terminal should go to the ignition switch and the - terminal should go to the points. You will get better spark that way.
Why did British cars use positive ground?
The car needed more than positive earth to survive.. BMC Corp needed more than the flow of electrons to rustproof their cars. Around 1967, negative earth became more popular and more common on all cars, especially British ones.
What is the difference between negative ground and positive ground?
This is also often referred to as negative ground, i.e. the negative line is used as the ground – also referred to as return or common – and the positive line is the “hot” line which carries the +12 or +24 volt potential.
How do you change a 6 volt positive ground to a 12 volt negative ground?
9:0716:306 Volt Positive Ground and 12 Volt Conversion Explained - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe don't need a new wiring harness what you need to change when you do the 12-volt conversion isMoreWe don't need a new wiring harness what you need to change when you do the 12-volt conversion is battery cables the starter cable. Any type of ground cables that you're using all needs to be redone.
What does positive earth mean?
Jump-Starting A Positive Ground Car On positive ground cars, the cable that's attached to the positive post of the battery attaches to the engine block or chassis. The cable that attaches to the negative post of the battery attaches to the starter solenoid. The connections are opposite on negative ground cars.
Are all alternators negative ground?
Most lighter duty alternators use the alternator frame for one electrical output terminal, so are built as pos or neg ground only. In that case, some parts, rectifier pack, diode trio , regulator, need to be the correct parts for a given ground polarity.
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Product description
POWER INVERTER Will operate 12 volt negative ground accessories from 6,8, or 12 volt postive ground electrical systems. When used in a 6 volt postive ground system, it can continuously supply more than 2.1 amps with the engine off, and about 2.5 amps with the engine running at a fast idle.
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What is a 12 volt starter relay?
If a 12 volt EXTERNALLY GROUNDED starter relay (also refered to as starter solinoid) is used, the stock grounding button can be used. The external grounded solinoids (12 volt) are used in a lot of industrial applications.
What does a solenoid do?
And the solenoid physically moves something (valve, starter bendix, door latch, etc.). Most starter solenoids (SBC) use the solenoid to physically move the bendix & physically make the hi-current contact, so it's not a combination solenoid/relay - just a solenoid.
Why does the starter button only have one terminal?
The starter button only has one terminal because the housing is the other connection to the dash itself - now ground. If you try to run 12V through it, you WILL short your wiring. The solenoid now requires 12V to the S terminal - can't get there with the stock starter button - no way.
Can a switch handle 12 volts?
Switches don't know the difference between POS ground or NEG ground. Because they are/were 6 volt, they can handle 12 volts without any problem. (as long as they are in good condition electrically)
Is a 12 volt generator bigger than a 6 volt generator?
Six volt wires are usually bigger than twelve volt ones. Something to do with Ohms law: to carry the correct combination of amps/volts the wires have to be bigger for six volts. Starters are not "polarized". There are 12 volt generators available to replace the earlier six volt ones for each manufacturer.
Can you switch from positive to negative?
The short answer is, yes you can. The long answer is, it probably isn't worth the 12V hassle and it isn't really much extra hassle to switch to negative ground at all. The only extra steps required to switch from positive to negative is ammeter/voltmeter, starter button, and any relays (starter/horn/OD) which you'll be changing anyway for ...
Can a starter run backwards?
Also, just to dispel a myth, your starter will NEVER run backwards. It's only designed to go one direction. That is why you can convert to 12V and switch the groundings and run the original starter forever.
What color is the ground wire on a tractor?
The ground wire to the battery is red and the wire to the tractor is black,......... It is a good practice to never solely rely on the color of the wire to determine whether positive or negative ground. Verify with the + or - physically marked on the battery case near the post and where the wire attached to each goes.
What happens if you reverse a 12 volt battery?
If you reverse the battery, polarize the generator before starting the engine. Failure to do this could cause damage. Eugene wrote: Normally, a 12 volt system is negative grounded. However, if you have a generator and regulator, the system will work with a positive ground. You didn't mess up the coil.
What does the hash mark on a generator mean?
The long and short hash marks that represent the battery indicate a negative ground. Having run with the coil reversed won't do any damage. If you reverse the battery, polarize the generator before starting the engine. Failure to do this could cause damage.
Is a 12 volt system grounded?
Normally, a 12 volt system is negative grounded. However, if you have a generator and regulator, the system will work with a positive ground.#N#You didn't mess up the coil. Depending on how the coil's internal, secondary winding/wire is grounded, it may not work quite as well if correctly grounded.
Is a 12 volt battery negative ground?
Hi, The 12 volt system is negative ground, like they said, beginning in 1964, at Cub serial number 22440 1. Here are pics from the 1975 Cub owner's manual showing how the battery originally looked. There is info about the negative ground on the 2nd page, below the pic of the 6 volt battery.
How to diagnose a positive ground system?
The simplest way to diagnose a positive-ground system is to reverse any diagnostic procedure normally used on a negative-ground system. For example, instead of starting on the positive side of the battery and following the current that way, start at the negative side of the battery and follow the current the other way.
What is the connection between a positive ground battery and a negative ground battery?
On positive ground cars, the cable that's attached to the positive post of the battery attaches to the engine block or chassis. The cable that attaches to the negative post of the battery attaches to the starter solenoid . The connections are opposite on negative ground cars.
What is the difference between a positive and negative ground coil?
The negative wire attaches to the power supply and the positive wire goes to the distributor/points.
When did cars go back to positive ground?
In the mid 1920's, nearly half of the cars produced had positive ground, including Rolls Royce. The Ford Motor Company used negative ground polarity on the Model-T, then went to positive ground starting with the Model A, and then went back to negative ground in 1956. Positive ground in automobiles was mostly abandoned with the introduction ...
When did Packard switch to 12V?
One exception to this was the 1955 Packard, switching from 6v to 12v but not switching to negative ground. All British vehicles imported to the U.S. after World-War-II were positive ground, and many stayed that way until the 1960's. Jaguar cars switched over in 1965. The MGB coupe and roadster were positive ground until 1967.
Is it common to change a car from positive to negative?
It was, and still is, fairly common for owners to change their cars from positive to negative ground. The argument for either seems to be one of theories, with lots of opinions and few scientific facts.
Can you jump start a 6 volt car?
When charging positive-ground cars, put the positive cable on the ground and the negative on the battery or starter lug. If you want to jump start a 6 volt positive ground car, the best way is to use another 6 volt battery of either polarity.
How do generators change from positive to negative ground?
Generators are easily changed from positive to negative ground (and back...) by "re-polarizing" the field windings - sending a current of the proper polarity thru the windings for an instant. Ammeters ARE polarity sensitive - they will read "backward" if connected the wrong polarity.
Why do telephone companies use positive ground?
were Positive ground. Telephone companies still use it due to the fact that to change every telephone office and piece of equipment in the world would have to be changed at the same time due to the way they are interconnected.
What does the + pole mean in a battery?
The chemical action going on in a battery is shoving electrons to the - pole, and the + pole indicates the absence of electrons. Since electrons were deemed to have a - charge somewhere many years ago, the terminal or pole where all those little guys are hanging out get the - sign.
Can a 6V starter run 12V?
wire's are heavier gauge need shorter in length. generator would need poles wired for correct flow to charge. most 6v starters can run 12v if not overheated.
Can PNP transistors be used with NPNs?
There is very little to prefer the use of one versus the other until electronics came about. As we know semiconductor PNP transistors never caught up with the capability of NPNs, which in turn are easier to design with using a positive supply, particularly in switching electronics.
Is a positive ground the same as a negative ground?
Dax - A positive ground works exactly the same as negative ground. The ONLY difference is current in a positive ground system flows the opposite direction from current a negative ground system. Think of left hand vs. right hand threads - both accomplish the same thing only one tightens the opposite direction from the other.
Do mechanical voltage regulators work on ground polarity?
Also some mechanical voltage regulators are polarity sensitive. They may contain clamping diodes, arc suppression capacitors, etc. that work on only the correct polarity. However if a regulator is not marked for polarity it will work fine on either ground polarity. ----.
What does positive ground do to spark plugs?
The positive ground extends the life of spark plugs. The electrons flow from the center to the edge of the plug. Then most of the damaging heat of the spark is put into the spark plug body and not the center electrode which has limited heat dissipation.
Why is the voltage on a battery called negative ground?
Hooray for Wikipedia: Originally, the voltages on the wires were positive with respect to earth. This is called negative ground, since the negative side of the battery is grounded to earth. Then engineers discovered that with positive voltage on the copper wires, copper wires age quickly, due to electrolysis.