I'll admit it up front, I am stupid. I pulled the battery out of my 86 Mondial 3.2 QV to replace it and totally forgot which side was positive. Both cables are black so no help there. I assumed it was + closest to the driver but the negative lug won't tighten on the the side closest to the outside. I don't want to be paranoid but I am wondering if this isn't some sign that I have it backwards. I don't want to flip it around and connect it up backwards and possibly fry my Mondial's electrical system. Can someone please confirm which side is positive? If I have it in there correctly, why won't the negative tighten? It's an Optima red top purchased based on what I have read here. Maybe I'm overthinking all of this.... Thanks in advance!
Hi Stupid You'll see the earth (black) strap bolt onto the side of the battery shelf to the left. Seen from above. It's on a 13mm bolt. Otherwise as you look directly down onto the battery from above the red+ pole is on your right. The earth cable may or may not also have an in-line shut-off switch. My Euro car doesn't have this switch. Jeff
Thanks, Jeff. I do have a knob I turn to feed power to the rest of the car. Is that the inline shutoff switch? re: left or right - when I look down from above in your example where am I standing? Next to the car or at the front?
When you are standing by the LEFT front fender, turning the cut off switch clockwise turns it off, so that would look like counterclockwise from the right. It is tough to tell what is what in that area. I made up neat labels with a label maker tool for the positive and negative posts and on/off rotation for the battery cut off switch. No help to you now, but for the future or any other owners. Alden
If you have a LH drive US spec car then if you are sitting in the drivers seat the positive is on the right close to the right side fender (passenger side). Negative on the left (drivers side) with a disconnect switch next to it.
Since we have no idea without looking and we have no idea of prior work that may have been performed and assume wrong , well you know that does! On the battery the Positive post will be marked with a + and it is typically bigger than the negative post you will need to remove the battery again to determine which post is Positive if you can not see the + marking The ground is the one that has a braided strap and goes to chassis
The negative cable goes to ground (chassis) somewhere near the battery. Connect that one to the post that has a - on it. There is only one place remaining to connect the other cable.
Got it sorted out. Thanks for all of the help and the reminder that I need to remember to take notes when I work on my car. In case anyone cares, the negative was closest to the driver and the cutoff switch.
Today's funny battery story. I decided to drive the Mondial down to the local winery today, turned the battery switch but the battery was dead anyway. Its been sitting awhile but I have been preparing for just this occasion! I have one of those ultra-light battery packs and this was a good time to test it out. The positive battery post (located starboard side) required a bit of horsing. And BOING! Off flies half the red jumper clip into the body work below. Then the thought passed trough my grumpy mind perhaps last time I parked the car I had not turned the switch OFF. Started right up. Well anyway, I have discovered a weakness to consider in my battery jump-start plans for the future.
