What happens if you disconnect the positive terminal on a car battery first?

Electrically it makes no difference which terminal you disconnect first as either one will remove power from all the electronics in the car. However, there is a safety issue if you plan to leave the battery in the car and only disconnect one terminal.

What happens if I leave my car battery disconnected overnight?

Rashidi also notes that disconnecting the car’s battery will reset all electronic systems and settings in your vehicle, so be prepared to reset the clock and any other systems. Familiarizing yourself with the settings is a good idea before disconnecting the battery.

Which terminal do I disconnect to save battery?

It is always recommended to disconnect the negative terminal first. When connecting the battery, however, the order will be opposite: Positive end first, then negative terminal after.

Can I just disconnect the negative terminal?

You can disconnect whichever terminal you want, or even both, it won’t discharge. Whichever one you choose results in an open circuit so no current can possibly flow.

Is it OK to just disconnect the positive terminal?

You will be fine. Disconnecting either cable works. The reason they say to disconnect the negative and not the positive is because while taking the positive connection off with a wrench if you happen to touch anything with the wrench while it’s on the positive terminal it can arc and be dangerous.

Can a battery drain with the positive cable disconnected?

No, it won’t drain overnight if you disconnect the positive lead. However, it’s very bad practice & can be dangerous, assuming the car is negative earth/ground. NB: Just about every car built since about 1965 is negative Earth. Disconnect the negative terminal.

Will a car battery drain if disconnected?

This is because they will be getting power from the car battery even when it is off. This is why batteries lose charge even when the car is sitting. However, you need to keep recharging the battery over time. Ideally, the battery should be recharged every 12 weeks when the battery is disconnected.

How long will a car battery stay charged if disconnected?

A new and fully car battery can stay for around two weeks without needing to be recharged from a generator. This battery will fully get discharged after approximately two to three months. If you leave the battery for roughly two and a half months, you will not be able to start the car engine.

Can a car battery drain with the positive cable disconnected?

What happens if you disconnect the negative on a car battery?

Simply disconnecting the negative terminal will safely break the circuit and your car’s electronics will not be draining your battery while you’re away. If you disconnect the positive as nothing bad will happen, but you won’t be accomplishing anything more than by simply disconnecting the negative.

Will the battery drain overnight if I Disconnect the positive lead?

No, it won’t drain overnight if you disconnect the positive lead. However, it’s very bad practice & can be dangerous, assuming the car is negative earth/ground. NB: Just about every car built since about 1965 is negative Earth.

Should I Disconnect the battery during the night?

Disconnecting the positive (or negative if you want less risk of shorting tools to chassis) terminal during the night often gets around most discharging problems but would have little effect if the battery itself is self-discharging internally which sometimes happens.

Where does the negative terminal of a car battery connect to?

The negative terminal of the car battery connects to the frame right beside the battery. That means that if you go to disconnect the positive terminal first with a metal wrench and you bump anything that is metal that is also connected to the frame of the car, you will automatically complete the circuit and begin to short out the battery.