The red positive on a car battery, often labeled with a positive or plus sign, is the positive terminal. The black negative on a car battery, labeled with a negative or minus sign, is the negative terminal. Attach the red cable to the positive terminal and attach the black cable to the negative terminal. 1.
Generally, the positive battery terminal is red and marked “+”, and the negative terminal is black and marked “-”. We spoke to auto repair specialist and manager of Funk Brothers Auto, Hovig Manouchekian, to get his expert advice on battery care and common mistakes. Keep reading to learn which terminal is which!
Check for a red terminal with a “+” sign. Many batteries are color-coded–red for positive and black for negative. The terminals are also often marked “+” for positive and “-“ for negative.
When looking for the negative terminal on a car battery, remember it’s usually smaller in size compared to the positive terminal. Typically, the negative terminal is marked with a “-” symbol and might have a black-colored cap.
The good news is that you don’t have to panic because there are other ways to identify the positive battery terminal. If the battery terminals don’t have rubber covers, look for a positive symbol. On car batteries, the positive symbol will be displayed as a (+) sign – the symbol used for addition. Some vehicles will also have color-coded wires.
The negative terminal is smaller than the positive. Identifying the terminals correctly helps prevent short circuits or damage to your car’s electrical system. Understanding the positive and negative terminals helps troubleshoot electrical issues and ensures safe maintenance.