QuestionI need to know which wire goes to the positive and which goes to the negative. Would you have any illustrations that would show me how to do this? I have a 1950 Chevy Deluxe Styleline 235 6 cylinder automatic. I have two problems. The battery cables are heating up and the car won't start.
AnswerAll Chevrolets were negative ground, so the "-" post of the battery is the one that is connected to the car frame or engine block, and the "+" terminal goes to the starter.
If the cables are heating up when the car is just sitting unused, there is a serious short somewhere in the electrical system, and you must disconnect the battery when the car is parked, or else risk losing it to a serious fire.
If the battery cables heat up when you crank the engine, you probably have the wrong cables. The cables on a 6 volt car have to be much thicker than what you will find in the auto parts store - all the modern cables are made for 12 volt cars. The metal inner wire in the cables must be at least 3/8 inch thick - and thicker is better. The whole cable, including the insulation, must be at least 1/2 inch thick, and 5/8 inch thick is better.
To get the right cables, take the car to a battery retailer, one who sells ONLY batteries (not an auto repair shop). They will have the equipment to make the right cables for your car. They should be wire size "00" or at least size "0" for a 6 volt car. These will be expensive, but they should cure your overheating cables problem.
As for the car not starting, there are at least 1000 possible reasons for this - I need a little more infomation:
Will it crank (turn over the engine)?
If so, try giving it a little gas (put 2 ounces in the top of the carburetor (remove the air cleaner temporarily to do this). If that makes it start, even briefly, we know the problem is lack of gas.
If it doesn't, pull one spark plug wire off a spark plug and lay it near the engine block - with the tip of the wire within 1/8 inch of the block. Then have someone crank the engine while you look for a spark jumping from the end of the wire to the block. If you see the spark, ignition is probably not your problem, but if you don't, investigate the points/condensor, the coil, the distributor etc - in other words, the ignition system. A very common problem, if the car has been sitting for a while without being run, is for the points to get dirty - try cleaning them with a point file (or a metal nail file). If they are dirty at all, they won't produce a spark.
Give me some answers and I'll try to help further.
Dick
