The electrical system of your vehicle is made up of an alternator and a battery--the alternator produces power and the battery stores it. To transfer power from one to the other, electrical cables are bolted through terminals to their respective posts. Attaching battery cables to your battery is a fairly easy task, but it must be done in the correct order to prevent injury from sparks or shocks.
Verify that the positive cable that is supposed to go to the battery runs to the starter and alternator on the vehicle. If not, see if it runs to a ground surface such as the frame or engine. If the former is the case, it is your positive cable. If the latter, it's the negative cable.
Run the positive cable to the positive terminal on the battery, which is marked with a (+) sign and is typically red in color. Place the terminal on the battery cable onto the terminal on the battery and tighten the clamp on the battery cable terminal using an open-end wrench.
Run the negative cable to the negative terminal on the battery, which is marked with a (-) sign. Place the terminal on the battery cable onto the terminal on the battery and tighten the clamp on the battery cable terminal using an open-end wrench.
Start the vehicle to verify that the wiring is correct.
