DIYbanter - View Single Post - 12V Battery charging problem

Unquestionably Confused

On 12/23/2015 8:12 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 23 Dec 2015 05:56:04 -0800 (PST), wrote:

Did you try disconnecting the battery from the tractor before charging it? ?.?

[8~{} Uncle Charge Monster

+1

disconnect BOTH sides of the battery from the tractor.

then connect the charger

there may be a conflict with the grounds
M

I did disconnect BOTH sides (later on). I tried another charger, and
without even plugging it in, when I connected the leads, I got sparks
and the meter pegged on that charger. Thats when I checked the voltage
and polarity with my meter, and found that the polarity is surely
reversed.

Following this thread has been about as confusing as Chinese Algebra but...

Speaking only to the apparent issue of the BATTERY's polarity having
been reversed somehow; if that is truly the case, what would happen if
you fully discharge it - say by connecting some 12v accessory to it and
draining it down over the course of a day until it's dead, dead, dead?

Could you not then reconnect it to the charger in the correct fashion
and charge it?

I realize that by fully discharging the battery you're going to affect
some of its life, but what alternative do you have?

That still leaves the problem with the reversed polarity on the
generator which, if I'm not mistaken, you need to have a battery in the
circuit to "cure."