What happens when battery leads are switched?

Hi gang,

Just realized today that a garage reversed the battery cables on my
positive-ground '53 Packard. What, if anything, does that do to the
car? I realize that my gauges might read backwards, but is there any
serious damage to the system? Thanks,
Marshall

Marshall Schuon wrote:
>
> Just realized today that a garage reversed the battery cables on my
> positive-ground '53 Packard. What, if anything, does that do to the
> car? I realize that my gauges might read backwards, but is there any
> serious damage to the system?

Probably no problem, but repolarize the voltage regulator just to make sure.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

>Probably no problem, but repolarize the voltage regulator just to make sure.
>
'ahem' You polarize the generator field coils not the regulator,
but it's usually done at the regulator.

Sorry to be a stickler.

Pete

wrote:
> >Probably no problem, but repolarize the voltage regulator just to make sure.
> >
> 'ahem' You polarize the generator field coils not the regulator,
> but it's usually done at the regulator.
>
> Sorry to be a stickler.
>
> Pete
Hi Pete ,could you refresh us on this, I use to hit the batt. post and
make sparks. BUT I don't know what I was doing. My 54 Dodge waiting for
me up at my dump.

On 5 Jun 2005 04:42:06 -0700, " >
wrote:

wrote:
>> >Probably no problem, but repolarize the voltage regulator just to make sure.
>> >
>> 'ahem' You polarize the generator field coils not the regulator,
>> but it's usually done at the regulator.
>>
>> Sorry to be a stickler.
>>
>> Pete
>Hi Pete ,could you refresh us on this, I use to hit the batt. post and
>make sparks. BUT I don't know what I was doing. My 54 Dodge waiting for
>me up at my dump.
>

My appologies for not getting it quite right. The field coil pole
shoes are surrounded by the field coils. The shoes have residual
magnetism that initiate the generator's charging. The field coils at
this very short and critical point are not yet energized. Because a
generator is directional and self energizing (only charges when spun
in one direction as opposed to an alternator) the generator may not
self energize because the residual magnetism says South instead of
North.

When a generator is rebuilt/ assembled, the field coil shoes may or
may not be assembled in the correct direction - north or south and
should be polarized to re-orient the residual magnetism that gets it
to 'kick in' and start charging.

On an "A" circuit charging system (most everyone except Ford),
momentarily jump the B terminal to the F terminal at the regulator.
You can do it at the generator F terminal, but it means using a longer
jumper wire from the battery or other powered wire.

On a "B" circuit (Ford), disconnect the F wire at the regulator and
momentarily touch it to the B terminal.

On the earlier systems that used only a cutout relay, momentarily
jump between the two terminals at the cutout.

I hope this helps

Pete

After reading what I wrote, I messed up again. Instead of the F
terminal, It's the A or gen terminal. "A" circuit only.

Sorry about that.

P
>
>On an "A" circuit charging system (most everyone except Ford),
>momentarily jump the B terminal to the F terminal at the regulator.
>You can do it at the generator F terminal, but it means using a longer
>jumper wire from the battery or other powered wire.
>

The same thing happened on my 50 Dodge. It ran when I bought it, but not
well, and the gauges were doing weird things. I put the battery cables
where they belonged and everything started working perfectly except the
ammeter. Its leads had been reversed too, and I had to put them back the
right way. No problems now in a year and a half.
- S Richardson
St Louis MO

"Marshall Schuon" > wrote in message
...
> Hi gang,
>
> Just realized today that a garage reversed the battery cables on my
> positive-ground '53 Packard. What, if anything, does that do to the
> car? I realize that my gauges might read backwards, but is there any
> serious damage to the system? Thanks,
> Marshall