VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt polarity question

Hey all, I just picked up a 36' Chevy coupe and I would like to know if it is positive or negative ground? And what is the consequence of reversing it? Thanks, Dan

All Chevrolets are negative ground, and don't reverse the polarity.

Negative ground. Current flows from the positive terminal to the negative. Most people would say there is no difference but they would be wrong. The electrical devices (starter, light filaments, instruments, etc.) use electrical energy and turn it into work and heat so the amount of current (power or energy) going back in the ground circuit to the battery is less than what leaves. Directly connected wires are used on the positive side of the circuits. They have minimal resistance and therefore loss. The ground part of the circuit uses frame, body, drive train components that can have higher resistance connections. The higher the resistance the more energy that is turned to heat and lost. Therefore changing to positive ground will reduce the amount of energy available to power electrical devices. Science lesson adjourned.

Electron flow from negative to positive but do not revers polarity. Just a note.

Which direction does the current flow? To most of us "layman" the answer is often confusing and there are different explanations regarding the "positive to negative" and the "negative to positive" theories.

There are two theories regarding the flow of current. Electron Flow Theory states that current flows from negative to positive. Conventional Flow Theory (proven to be incorrect by experts) states that current flows from positive to negative.

Many of the electronic experts state that current flows from negative to positive through a battery and that current flows from positive to negative through other circuit components.

The more one reads up on the "negative to positive" or "positive to negative" issue the more confusing it gets!

You are absolutely right and I was just throwing that little bet of information out to see what happend. It all depends on how you talk to. I had different instructors teach both ways all I know if you hook a DC motor backwards it runs backwards. My old Jag was positive Gnd but that is the UK and the Jag is gone. This is a Chevrolet forum.