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DC to AC Power Inverter

Hi, I just purchased a 300W power converter. It must be plugged in the cigerette plug thing. However I must connect the inverters ground connection to either the positive or negative connecter depending on whether the car has positive or negative chassis connection.

My question is: How do I determine whether the cas has positive or negative chassis connection?

Could I simple meassue the voltage difference between the chassis and the + on the car battery. If its zero the car has a possitive chassis connection. If its +12 or -12 depending on the polarity the chassis is connection to the black connecter on the battery.

Reply to
lyhnet
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Open the hood and look which pole of the battery is connected to the chassis. I bet it is the negative one.

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ciao Ban
Apricale, Italy
Reply to
Ban

schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...

Have a look at your battery. One side - usually minus in European cars - has been firmly connected to the chassis with a short, thick cable.

petrus bitbyter

Reply to
petrus bitbyter

Almost all cars except real antiques have negative ground.

1) Call a dealer, and ask somebody from the service department. 2) Get a digital voltmeter and pop the hood (motor off, please -- let's be safe). Connect the black lead to an unpainted piece of metal, and then touch the battery posts with the red lead. You should read +12V on your DVM when you touch the + terminal with the red lead. That would mean negative ground. If you read close to 0V, try touching the negative terminal. If you read -12V when the red lead touches the - terminal, then you have a positive ground. If you don't get a reading on either measurement, your first probe isn't touching a piece of metal electrically connected to the chassis. Try another piece of metal, and repeat. 3) Post again to s.e.b. and mention the make and model of car.

Chris

Reply to
Chris

Its on the negative. Its a Ford Mondeo 2.0TDCi

Thank you guys..

/Anders

Reply to
lyhnet

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