Hmmm, Did I Do Something Wrong?

Based on the Original Post, it sounds similar to what would happen to a car with a drained battery or weak connection in the terminals.

 

I guess I should have asked, why is it the negative cable thats removed and not the positive? And its the negative cable I have a concern about touching other metal on the truck and causing the ground.

 

Well I can't answer you 100% on that but I can tell you the negative is much easier to remove on our trucks. The last time I removed positive instead of negative a blew a bulb

 

You remove the neg. and touch the frame...no sweat... the frame IS the neg. If you remove the pos. and touch the frame (with the neg connected).....fireworks tonight....!!!!

 

I absolutely love these " . . . I wired up some shit and now it won't work" threads!!

G.

 

What over 60 said, the ground is on the body/frame so if it touches its ok, where if the positive touches body/frame it will ark and u could end up with this...

 

Umm...no!

The battery is still not connected so you are not completing any circuit (as long as you are pulling the cable off of the battery).

am sure that there is a reason for the Ground to be disconnected and I'm pretty sure someone told me what that reason was. However, I cannot remember what that reason was, so I just do it now because it is what you do.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM1uBvNvUuE

 

I think this is the reason...If you pull the positive you still have the possibility of getting something between the positive terminal and a ground. That would complete the circuit and all hell will break loose. (my Dad did that with a twist-o-flex watch band once and worn a scar in that pattern for the rest of his life). With the negative disconnected the only possible way to complete the circuit is to drop a wrench or something between the two battery terminals.

 

That doesn't work in real life. I tried that with my dealer and corporate. They told me get lost. It's your fault.

Even though I never touched anything. I even asked them to prove I caused it. Nothing.

 

Re-read my post.... I stated that with the - still connected and you remove the + and touch the frame...you WILL get fireworks.

Always remove the neg. cable.

 

This, always check and repair the obvious things first. Put milk on it.

 

Dealer holds first right of refusal. Good luck with your Magnusson Moss Act. Do you have time to hire lawyers and deal with corporate when the dealer tells you "so we see you modified your headlights, you're having electrical issues, we think you fucked up your truck with the headlight wiring--- pound sand"... good luck with that.

 

If you remove the + first and your wrench touches chassis, fireworks.

If you remove - first and your wrench touches chassis,
nothing

If your wrench touches other terminal, fireworks.

Every 1/2-9/16 combo wrench in my old work had chunks taken out

 

No need for a relay either. Properly fused off constant power is fine so long as the draw on the circuit isn't anything nuts. LED pods don't typically draw more than 2-3amps a piece depending. Now would I wire them up without a relay, no. Why? Because I have an aux panel prefitted with relays so why not.

And solo light harnesses with relays are cheap too.

 

yup that too.

 

no. once you pull the positive cable there is no power available at the cable...thus...no fireworks

yes always remove the Negative first (unless your working on some very old positive ground system).

 

I'm struggling to see how if you remove the positive (including all accessory wires) it will spark when touching metal. Sure there is some residual voltage to bleed off but that's it.

On that note, I always remove negative. It's always seemed weird to me removing the positive first.

 

There is a risk of drawing an arc between the terminal and cable when removing the cable. ECU vehicles don't like that. Removing the ground first, and installing it last (if you are taking both off, like to replace the battery) means you won't have this issue.

And the old 'trick' of pulling off a cable while the vehicle is running to 'test' the alternator? Don't do it. Unless you like electronic Russian Roulette.

 

Are you saying you touch the frame with the +cable unhooked?OR touch the +post?