[Z06] Which Battery Post is Grounded?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: London Ontario
Which Battery Post is Grounded?
Quick question for you. I own a 2001 Z06 and I assume the negative post is the grounded terminal on the battery. But I have heard that the positive is also a grounded post on rare occasions.
Just wondering for my battery charger/tender.
Thx
Just wondering for my battery charger/tender.
Thx
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 11,482
Likes: 0
From: Common courtesy and common sense are not common.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,037
Likes: 9,801
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I have never heard of a GM vehicle that had a positive ground. Whoever told you that probably doesn't know much about domestic designed and built vehicles.
Bill
Bill
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,993
Likes: 7
From: LaPine Oregon
British positive ground systems
The only positve ground systems incorperated into production that I recall were the British cars and bikes to the mid sixties. 1965 Landrover, my 1937 Austin , all my 650cc Triumph M/C with Zener diodes ( remember them?) , Triumph TR3 , ect. Some how when the British started making cars , they got it backwards . Add to that concept the Lucas electronics and you had a real winner to deal with.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
Actually, aside from many tractors and foreign manufactured vehicles in the '40s and '50s, there were GM/GMC vehicles with 6v positive ground. Ford and Chrysler also produced them in that configuration.
They didn't start as well and there was an issue with corrosion. Electrical gauges didn't work as well. Jump starting was a problem. It caused issues at dealerships with the confusion of both positive and negative ground. There were some 12v positive ground vehicles. Most of the positive ground systems got changed over to negative ground systems by the owners.
They didn't start as well and there was an issue with corrosion. Electrical gauges didn't work as well. Jump starting was a problem. It caused issues at dealerships with the confusion of both positive and negative ground. There were some 12v positive ground vehicles. Most of the positive ground systems got changed over to negative ground systems by the owners.
Last edited by hotwheels57; Nov 26, 2008 at 10:52 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,993
Likes: 7
From: LaPine Oregon
Can recall.............
Actually, aside from many tractors and foreign manufactured vehicles in the '40s and '50s, there were GM/GMC vehicles with 6v positive ground. Ford and Chrysler also produced them in that configuration.
They didn't start as well and there was an issue with corrosion. Electrical gauges didn't work as well. Jump starting was a problem. It caused issues at dealerships with the confusion of both positive and negative ground. There were some 12v positive ground vehicles. Most of the positive ground systems got changed over to negative ground systems by the owners.
They didn't start as well and there was an issue with corrosion. Electrical gauges didn't work as well. Jump starting was a problem. It caused issues at dealerships with the confusion of both positive and negative ground. There were some 12v positive ground vehicles. Most of the positive ground systems got changed over to negative ground systems by the owners.
[/IMG] Well , the '51 is not all stock , with 12 v and alt, open drive line , Fenton dual exhaust and twin carbs. Power Gluide behind the 235, and shortened steering colum.Ya, ok, I went back and looked up from my old stovebolt speeded catalogs and there were GM/GMC vehicles up till mid fifties I see that had positive 6 volt grounds. But Scrivs should not have to worry about that issue in his C5, I would think.
Last edited by dieseldave56; Nov 26, 2008 at 05:52 PM. Reason: add image
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 11,482
Likes: 0
From: Common courtesy and common sense are not common.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Maybe its the years but I've owned so many late forties and fifties cars and trucks ( still have the stock '51 Chevy) but don't recall one being a positive ground, maybe 'cause I'm getting or cause I'd have swtiched to neg. ground immediately.[IMG][/IMG] Well , the '51 is not all stock , with 12 v and alt, open drive line , Fenton dual exhaust and twin carbs. Power Gluide behind the 235, and shortened steering colum.
Ya, ok, I went back and looked up from my old stovebolt speeded catalogs and there were GM/GMC vehicles up till mid fifties I see that had positive 6 volt grounds. But Scrivs should not have to worry about that issue in his C5, I would think.
[/IMG] Well , the '51 is not all stock , with 12 v and alt, open drive line , Fenton dual exhaust and twin carbs. Power Gluide behind the 235, and shortened steering colum.Ya, ok, I went back and looked up from my old stovebolt speeded catalogs and there were GM/GMC vehicles up till mid fifties I see that had positive 6 volt grounds. But Scrivs should not have to worry about that issue in his C5, I would think.
Last edited by BobbyC3; Nov 26, 2008 at 10:09 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 3,571
Likes: 420
From: Taildragers rule! USA1
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 11,482
Likes: 0
From: Common courtesy and common sense are not common.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Your pic brought back some great memories for me.
My day kept the '49 in the garage for six years while "restoring" it. I had a lot of fun as a 4 - 5 year old playing behind the wheel. I know, it wasn't safe
Glad you enjoyed the pic, I have a 1/18 model of it on my office shelf.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,205
Likes: 5
From: Jupiter FL
There is a group of British car owners that call themselves the Positive Earth Society. Many British cars had the positive ground, including the older Jaguars. The early E-types (XKEs, to you who don't know Jaguars) and the XKs, some of the earlier sedans, were all postive ground. But by the early 60s, Jaguar switched all of its cars over to negative ground. Many Jag owners of older cars, and other marques as well, have converted their cars over to negative ground to avoid unintended consequences of hooking things up wrong on the assumption that the car is negative rather than positive earth.
P.S. IIRC, virtually all American made cars since at least 1950 have been negative earth.
P.S. IIRC, virtually all American made cars since at least 1950 have been negative earth.
