Battery on neg put out spark

Bugler · Post by **Bugler** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 5:12 pm

Got everything hooked up, wen t to connect the batteries and the neg side sparked and scared the heck out of me. what could have made it spark like that? is something wrong with starter or something

Xamon · Post by **Xamon** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 5:44 pm

It means something is drawing power, remove one circuit at a time until you have no draw. then you know what circuit has a short and you just have to find it. a common one is the starter switch from what I have read so it might be a good circuit to start with.

artificer · Post by **artificer** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 6:00 pm

Depends on the intensity if the spark....you may have a short somewhere or you may just have the lights, ignition or something else turned on.
First thing to do is make sure everything is turned off.

oilleaker1 · Post by **oilleaker1** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 6:02 pm

Had the same issue. Put a test light in the circuit with the cable and post disconnected. If it lights up , you have a draw or short. If it doesn't, there is a capacitor inside the 24 volt voltage regulator that discharges and causes the initial spark. That small spark is normal. John

Post by **wesk** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:59 pm

Oil leaker hit the nail on the head. A momentary spark when connecting the ground is usually the capacitor in the regulator discharging. If after the short spark you connect a light between the disconnected ground wire and the neg terminal on the battery and it glows then you have an active current draw. If all switches are off then the most usual cause is the shorted contacts in the manual starter switch.