what colour is positive on car battery

[VonMicah]

The positive terminal on a car battery is almost always marked in red and has a plus (+) sign. The negative terminal is black with a minus (-) sign. This color-coding is a universal standard designed to prevent dangerous mistakes during connections, such as jump-starting.

Connecting cables incorrectly can cause severe damage to your vehicle's electrical system, including frying the alternator and electronic control units, or even creating a spark that could ignite battery gases. Always double-check: red is positive (+), black is negative (-).

Beyond color, the terminals are often different sizes. The positive terminal is typically slightly larger in diameter than the negative. This is a secondary physical safeguard to make it harder to attach the wrong clamp. When cleaning terminals or jump-starting, always disconnect the negative terminal first and reconnect it last to minimize the risk of a short circuit.

Feature	Positive Terminal	Negative Terminal
Color	Red	Black
Symbol	Plus Sign (+)	Minus Sign (-)
Typical Size	Slightly Larger	Slightly Smaller
Connection Order (Jump-Start)	Connect First	Connect Last
Disconnection Order (Maintenance)	Disconnect Last	Disconnect First

If your battery terminals are corroded and the colors are obscured, look for the engraved + and - symbols on the battery case near the posts. Never rely on memory or guesswork.