What are the consequences of reversing the positive and negative terminals of a car battery?
1 Answers
Reversing the positive and negative terminals of a car battery can lead to the following consequences: 1. Burning out fuses and control units: Many control units contain diodes, which are characterized by unidirectional conduction. Therefore, applying reverse voltage may cause the diodes to break down, resulting in a short circuit between the battery's positive and negative terminals. The excessive instantaneous current can burn out the main fuse, and these control units may also be damaged. 2. Motor reversal: Reversing the battery terminals can cause the motor to rotate in the opposite direction and fail to start. 3. Burning out the starter: If the battery terminals are reversed and the driver attempts to start the vehicle, the starter may be burned out.