Should the Negative or Positive Terminal Be Removed When Disconnecting a Car Battery?

[DiMaximus]

When disconnecting a car battery, it is sufficient to remove the negative terminal. The reasons are as follows: 1. The negative terminal of a car is connected to the vehicle body, which is made of metal. The entire car body serves as a path to the negative terminal. For any electrical component, connecting its negative terminal to the vehicle body (ground) is enough, as the current will return to the negative terminal through the body. This eliminates the need to run a separate wire from each component to the negative terminal, significantly reducing the amount of wiring and simplifying circuit troubleshooting. 2. If the positive terminal is removed instead, since wrenches are metal and conductive, accidentally touching any metal part of the car body during the removal process would directly connect the positive terminal to the negative terminal, causing a short circuit in the battery. Therefore, the danger lies in the removal process. Once disconnected, whether it's the positive or negative terminal, the effect is the same. 3. Metal tools are conductive, and holding them directly in hand may also pose a risk. Thus, removing the negative terminal is safer.