OK folks, I know this probably takes the cake for the dumbest question on record: I took the battery out of my '79 308 so I could put it on a charger...a week ago (it hasn't been sitting on the charger for the week, I just took it out a week ago). Now that I have a chance to put it back in, I forget which cable is positive and which is negative. They are both black cables. So which is the positive....right cable or left cable as I stand at the front of the car and look into the spare tire bay? I know, I know...but with my luck I'll guess incorrectly and blow the whole thing to pieces. Thanks in advance.........
Often the pos lug on the battery is larger diameter than the neg lug. Look to see if there is any difference in size. If so, then just reconnect the appropriate connector. If you have a multimeter, check for continuity between the terminal of each cable and a good ground (chassis). The cable that has continuity is the neg cable.
Follow the cables: the ground goes to frame where its bolted down! Any more help, just drop me a line! Visit my car blog for more great cat talk:http://autotechtalk.blogspot.com/
Some really smart people decided a long time ago, that all directions are referenced to sitting in the car. Front, right, left, rear, just like when your behind the wheel. In an early 308, the negative is on the right side. The negative is short, only about a foot long, and bolted down right next to the battery. DO NOT trust a VOM to indicate the cables, as connections in the electrical system could give you a false indication. You should visually inspect the negative is in fact bolted directly to the chassis. The positive goes down and into a chassis tube that runs rearward to the engine starter.
