Do i connect positive or negative first

I need to clean the terminals on my car’s battery because they’re a little corroded. I can’t remember the order to disconnect and connect the battery terminals. Which battery terminal do you connect first?

It’s great to hear you’re cleaning your battery—a lot of people don’t know they need to!

When it comes to car insurance and car batteries, everything needs to be squared away to work correctly. For your safety and to ensure your car isn’t damaged, you’ll need to know how to properly disconnect and reconnect the cables to the battery terminals.

When you need to disconnect the battery terminals, start with the negative cable and then the positive cable. However, you’ll do the reverse when you reconnect the cables to the battery—connect positive, then negative. This order will keep you safe and prevent damage from occurring to the battery.

After you’ve taken care of your car’s battery, see if you can save on your car insurance with Jerry. All you have to do is download the app, enter your information, and let Jerry take it from there—you’ll get affordable quotes in less than a minute, the paperwork is taken care of, and Jerry can even help cancel your old policy!

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    Why do you connect positive first?

    When connecting a car's battery cables to the terminals, ensure to put the positive first before the negative cable. This is because the positive cable will not arc if your wrench or spanner touches the car's body in the process of tightening up the cable due to the absence of the ground (negative cable).

    What happens if I connect negative first?

    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.

    Do you hook up red or black first?

    Attach the red jumper cables first. Start by clamping one red cable to the positive side of the battery that won't start. Then attach the other red clamp to the positive side of the working battery. Next, clamp one black cable to the negative side of the working battery.

    What happens if you connect the positive first?

    You connect the positive terminal first. It is easy for your wrench or tool to make contact with something grounded on the car. If you connect the positive terminal first, the ground isn't connected. So your first connection is safe.