Steven Dill
New User
Okay here is a questions that so far no one has been able to tell me. How do tell if a tractor is postive ground or negative ground to the battery? Thank you
- Thread starter Steven Dill
- Start date
Look at your battery to see which post leads to the ground/frame.
If the positive battery post is hooked to the frame of the vehicle it is a positive ground system.
If the negative battery post is hooked to the frame of the vehicle it is a negative ground system. This is the most common now days.
If the positive battery post is hooked to the frame of the vehicle it is a positive ground system.
If the negative battery post is hooked to the frame of the vehicle it is a negative ground system. This is the most common now days.
If the batteries + post is bonded to frame its POSITIVE Ground, if the batteries - post is bonded to the frame its NEGATIVE Ground.
In some makes many older 6 volt tractors were Positive ground while when they changed to 12 volts they went to negative ground.
All Two Cylinder John Deeres BOTH 6 and 12 volt were Positive Ground.
Most alternators use negative ground.
If a tractor has an ammeter and if the battery polarity is changed the ammeter leads need swapped or it will read bass ackwards.
A typical tractor DC generator can charge at EITHER polarity once polarized.
Got it?????????/
John T
In some makes many older 6 volt tractors were Positive ground while when they changed to 12 volts they went to negative ground.
All Two Cylinder John Deeres BOTH 6 and 12 volt were Positive Ground.
Most alternators use negative ground.
If a tractor has an ammeter and if the battery polarity is changed the ammeter leads need swapped or it will read bass ackwards.
A typical tractor DC generator can charge at EITHER polarity once polarized.
Got it?????????/
John T
teddy52food
Well-known Member
Not always true. A 560 IHC came with a 12 volt generator and negetive ground. The 2 cylinder JD's came 6 or 12 positive ground. If there is no battery in it , hook one up & turn on the lites. If the ampmeter reads charge, the battery is in backwards. If the cables are in good shape you should be able to tell the positive is larger than the negetive. Also the regulator may say + or - ground.
I think this would apply to both positive and
negative ground. Years ago I had a battery that
went completely dead. When I put in on the
charger, I accidently hooked the terminals up
backwards. The battery took a good backwards
charge. Boy did this confuse the positive
and negative issue.
negative ground. Years ago I had a battery that
went completely dead. When I put in on the
charger, I accidently hooked the terminals up
backwards. The battery took a good backwards
charge. Boy did this confuse the positive
and negative issue.
I think this would apply to both positive and
negative ground. Years ago I had a battery that
went completely dead. When I put in on the
charger, I accidently hooked the terminals up
backwards. The battery took a good backwards
charge. Boy did this confuse the positive
and negative issue.
negative ground. Years ago I had a battery that
went completely dead. When I put in on the
charger, I accidently hooked the terminals up
backwards. The battery took a good backwards
charge. Boy did this confuse the positive
and negative issue.
Moline_guy
Well-known Member
I am wondering if maybe his question is if the tractor does not currently have a battery in it, then how would you determine if its + or - ground. We have an M5 moline with postitive ground 12v and a generator, we have a g707 with negative ground 12v and generator, so i am curious too as to how do you determine polarity if it does not currently have a battery? I think when you go to hook up a battery the normal way to a positive ground it will arc like crazy, so i guess thats my only guess to the question.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Six and 12 volt can be either positive or negative. Six volt Ford and Chrysler cars were positive ground while millions of 6 volt Chevrolets were negative. Six volt Farmall and Deere tractors were positive ground while Case was negative. Chevrolet in 1955 and Ford and Chrysler in 1956 went negative ground with their 12 volt system. Twelve volt Deere tractors remained positive ground. Practically all alternator machines are negative ground.
Mark from the Fort
Member
Can you look at the coil and see which lead goes to the distributer? I always thought that should be the same as your electrical ground.
old
Well-known Member
- Location
- Camdenton Missouri
What is the tractor??????????? 99% of them made before 1960 where + ground but yes some where not. So fill in the big blank as to what tractor your talking about
If that was the intent of the question, a couple clues I would look at is 1) Which coil terminal (+ or -) is wired to the distributor because if its Pog ground the coils + is while if Neg ground the coils - is........2) If it has an ammeter if its wired correct to match the batteries + or - ground, if you turn on lights or ignition not running it should swing over to - discharge but if it swings instead to + charge the battery ground isnt consistent wtith how the ammeter is wired. (one or the other is incorrect)
Of course this cant be a guarantee because someone may have wired things different or already switched polarity in the past...If its ORIGINAL AND IF CORRECT the two clues above can help answer the question.
The genny can still charge at EITHER polarity if polarized but the coil and ammeter polarities need to be taken into consideration also.
Hope this helps
John T
Of course this cant be a guarantee because someone may have wired things different or already switched polarity in the past...If its ORIGINAL AND IF CORRECT the two clues above can help answer the question.
The genny can still charge at EITHER polarity if polarized but the coil and ammeter polarities need to be taken into consideration also.
Hope this helps
John T
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Well DUH! There's a fat post and a skinny post. The cable connectors often match the posts, one being made for the fat post and the other made for the skinny post. Generally the cable connector for the fat post won't get a tight fit on the skinny battery post. And the skinny connector needs to be spread to fit the fat post when reversing. The posts are different sized for just that reason.
Then as already posted, there is the coil polarity, and the ammeter polarity. The coil wire hooked to the points shows the battery grounded post. The ammeter terminal hooked to the battery shows the battery grounded post.
Connected backwards, turn on the lights. If backwards the ammeter will show charge. Then its time to connect the battery the other way.
Gerald J.
Then as already posted, there is the coil polarity, and the ammeter polarity. The coil wire hooked to the points shows the battery grounded post. The ammeter terminal hooked to the battery shows the battery grounded post.
Connected backwards, turn on the lights. If backwards the ammeter will show charge. Then its time to connect the battery the other way.
Gerald J.
Not necessarily on the cable and post size. I see alot of situations where someone has replaced both cables with extra long cables off the parts store rack of the same color, usually more all red than black. And then the battery is gone and/or the batteries are in a position where the battery can be twisted/turned end for end so you can't tell which cable is supposed to hook to what post. An old tractor sitting somewhere with no battery, I could figure it out but nothing wrong with the question here.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Which means that someone before didn't take the time to match post and connector though the factory did just for the purpose of polarity protection.
Gerald J.
Gerald J.
Kentb of SWMO
Well-known Member
The 6 volts are positive ground. and 12 volts negative is not right. I and my Dad have 3 C-II Gleaners that WERE 12 volt positive ground with generators. They are not now as we converted them to alternators. I think Allis kept positive ground until the changed to alternator on their new equipment.
Kemt
Kemt
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