SuzukiSavage.com - Battery Terminal Question

Jeff Jopling

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Battery Terminal Question
04/11/14 at 21:11:57

Ok so after having a bad battery. I went to batteries and bulbs (only place open) and purchased a replacement battery. After being told it was the identical replacement I stupidly left without checking the terminals. Well no sooner had I poured the acid into the cells and I realize the positive and negative terminals are on opposite sides compared to the (what I assume is factory) battery. So I have no clue how to work around this. I know that currently I do not have enough slack in the battery cables to reach opposite sides. Can I just buy an extension or something and cross the cables over?

Help me out here guys what's the best solution?

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S-P

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Re: Battery Terminal Question
Reply #1 - 04/11/14 at 21:25:02

I'd take it back to Batteries and Bulbs and tell them to exchange it (they are pretty cool, actually). Now here's another problem with their "correct" batteries (I just got one too because they were the only place open when I needed a battery to get my bike out of the Circle K parking lot so it wouldn't get impounded)... the little vent on the left side makes the battery too wide to fit into the battery holder. I had to cut a notch in my battery holder for the vent so I could get the tool box and tool box cover on the right side.

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Jeff Jopling Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 65	Re: Battery Terminal Question Reply #2 - 04/11/14 at 21:44:14 Will they exchange it after I've put the acid in the battery? Also I don't see any vent on the left side. The battery I got was a black battery the brand is extreme. Any suggestions on the terminal solution?
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28660 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Battery Terminal Question Reply #3 - 04/11/14 at 21:49:22 It ain't your fault, they sold you the wrong battery... and you did what you supposed to with a new battery... You have zero fault... They'll take it back... ...(or you make them eat it)... ...
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Re: Battery Terminal Question
Reply #4 - 04/11/14 at 21:59:44

Jeff Jopling wrote on 04/11/14 at 21:44:14:

Will they exchange it after I've put the acid in the battery?
Also I don't see any vent on the left side. The battery I got was a black battery the brand is extreme.
Any suggestions on the terminal solution?

Yeah I looked at one of those too, but the terminals were on the wrong side. Wink

The only other battery they have with the terminals on the correct side has the venting tube on the left side (of the bike). At least that was what I found at my local store after looking at all the batteries they had in stock.
Sorry, no expertise on lengthening battery terminals, though I'm sure it can be done as many places as people put batteries in their remodels.

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Jeff Jopling Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 65	Re: Battery Terminal Question Reply #5 - 04/11/14 at 22:20:51 Thanks for the help. I'll stop by there in the morning and see what I can do. How difficult was cutting the battery box?
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Re: Battery Terminal Question
Reply #6 - 04/11/14 at 22:43:34

It is basically "pot metal" so I was able to cut it with a pair of tin snips. You can probably hack saw a cut then just take a pair of pliers and bend the tab back and forth until it breaks. You just need to notch out about a half inch by half inch little square at the top of the box. Then I ran the vent tube down to the underside of the bike and did a zip tie to hold it to the frame.

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kochic

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Re: Battery Terminal Question
Reply #7 - 04/12/14 at 05:18:14

The replacement battery on my '86 was bought by my father at a battery expert store.
The terminals are on wrong side but i had enough wire to put the battery back on with the positive facing to the left.
If you do this make sure that the protective boot is in good condition and always screw the negative side last.
This was a sealed battery, so no vent tube issues.

The battery fit if they would not exchange it
Marc

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Jeff Jopling Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 65	Re: Battery Terminal Question Reply #8 - 04/12/14 at 08:35:25 On my 06 the positive is on the left and ground on the right side of the bike. On this battery it's reversed and I don't have enough cable length to switch.
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Jeff Jopling Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 65	Re: Battery Terminal Question Reply #9 - 04/12/14 at 12:36:25 Ok maybe I'm a complete fool. On a 06 s40 what what side (right or left) is the positive and ground battery cables? I took the battery back and it matches the old one but i could swear the left side cable is red and the right side is black. On the battery the left side is def. ground and right side is def positive.
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Jeff Jopling Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 65	Re: Battery Terminal Question Reply #10 - 04/12/14 at 14:03:44 Ok Guys I'm sorry for being such an idiot. The cable on the Right side of my bike has a red tip. On the left side it is solid black. So the battery i purchased was in fact correct. I feel like a fool but hey this is how you learn. Sorry for wasting forum space.
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Battery Terminal Question
Reply #11 - 04/12/14 at 15:06:21

Yep,, thats how ya learn, The first thing ya need to learn is to slow down, calm down & THINK,,,Its easy to get a little off kilter playin with these things,,
Now, youre not wasting space here,, its all good.. However, you ARE breathing our air, so,, see if theres anything you can do about that, okay? Lets dont be wastin that stuff,, heck,, theyre down to buying cans of air in China..Remember what Mom told us when we were kids? Theres Starvin kids in Africa, so, clean your plate. ( I never DID figure our how me eatin my broccoli helped anyone else,, but,, hey,, she's mom,, )

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Re: Battery Terminal Question
Reply #12 - 04/12/14 at 20:21:12

Jeff Jopling wrote on 04/12/14 at 14:03:44:

Ok Guys I'm sorry for being such an idiot. The cable on the Right side of my bike has a red tip. On the left side it is solid black. So the battery i purchased was in fact correct. I feel like a fool but hey this is how you learn. Sorry for wasting forum space.

Hey, don't sweat it! Everyone is good for something, if nothing else as a bad example. Wink

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