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Hooked Up Mower Battery to Wrong Terminals?

I did a very bonehead thing. In the fall I disconnected my standing mower battery, as I should, neg (black) first, then positive (red). However over the winter I did not remember how the battery fit into the slot. I put it in, as I logically thought it should go. However, I did not confirm neg to black, pos to red, I just used the cable lengths to "logically" put them where I should.

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So, I then managed to hook the the red to the neg terminal and the black to the positive terminal. Now that I recognize my problem, I am not sure which to carefully disconnect first. The black cable on the positive terminal, or the red cable on the neg terminal. There were a few sparks.

I know you are rolling your eyes, but I do not want to harm the mower.
I am going to go and try putting a rubber mat under the terminal to cover the locations that would spark, wear gloves, and move very slowly, so as to not cause a spark or shock myself or hurt the mower.

Needless to say, I did try to start it, even though I could not close the battery compartment (first sign) and it would not start. I hope I did not hurt it.

Thank you for any help.
"feeling like a bonehead"

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Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
May 3, 20170 found this helpful
Best Answer

You could have damaged the battery, the starter, or any electrical component that is attached to the battery. Disconnect in the order you connected them.

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This article explains in detail: www.techwalla.com/.../damage-caused-incorrectly-hooking...

 
May 7, 20170 found this helpful

Thank you for responding. I protected metal surfaces and my hands while carefully removing the leads....small space, difficult to get to, but i did it without any arcs or sparks..... reconnected properly and the machine started right up....
positive lesson learned.....
I appreciate someone taking the time to respond....
s

 

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