Reversed Polarity

That was why I was slightly confused about how it was all still working. The wires are swapped over too.

Warwick

It was 33 degrees C in the shade. I'd changed brake calipers, a hinge from hell and a clutch cable. I think I'm allowed to suffer brain fade after that. I'll plead partial idiocy since I should *really* know that a DC system tied to an earth bond can't work the wrong way round

True. And that is actually the case. The wires have been swapped over to accomadate a battery with terminals at the wrong ends as it were. I was coated in grime when I finished up working and noticed it when I was tidying tools away. I noticed it as I was putting sockets in their slots. I wasn't in any mood to think things through and check where the cables went. Once I started to cool down I read through the froup with the usual intent of maybe being able to give back a small amount of the information you have all given me or that I've learned for myself when I remembered the odd quirk I'd noticed and thought it would be useful to ask.

Even worsee, I'm off work for two weeks (not going anywhere, just trying to get jobs out of the way) so I'm running the router, cutting timber, planing and making things along with prepping for a 3 year old's birthday party. I'm hoping to have two spare brain cells to rub together next week.

Warwick

What the hell are you prattling on about now, you illiterate arse?

OK, I'll let you off! Hope the party goes well.

read what you just said, you just proved my point.

You'd know by looking at the other colours.

Likewise.

If you're not sure you shouldn't be fiddling.

However that would involve you being dumb enough not to wonder what to do with all the other cores :-)

What do you mean by "too"?

Is it possible someone mounted the battery in the car the wrong way around AND swapped the wires? That way the positive wire would still be connected to the positive terminal etc. It would be electrically correct but physically different to a photo in the manual.

Ah yes possibly. I forgot they aren't permanant magnet DC motors are they.

No, they mounted the battery the right way round, but the terminals are presumably opposite to the one originally fitted. So, they put the red cable on the negative etc.. then they took the other end of the red cable off the fuse box and put it on the ground point and put the black on on the fuse box. It is do-able at that end whereas the length of the cables would make it a bugger to either mount the battery backwards or try to stretch the black one to the terminal. Its a damned big battery too. I suppose turning a diesel engine over takes a bit more power than turning something that uses a spark.

Warwick

Many starter motors are these days.