Everything has a positive side and a battery could not be the exception! Jokes aside, one of the most important parameters when it comes to seeing if a battery can be installed in a car, is to see if the positive pole of the battery is located on the left or is located on the right, because if we choose wrong polarity is very likely that we can not install the battery. And we will not be able to install the battery because the cables from the car will not reach us and we will not be able to connect the battery correctly.

Important: before buying a battery make sure that the arrangement of the battery poles is correct.

Although there are some vehicles or equipment (current generators, boats, caravans, etc ...) where, on some occasions, the polarity does not matter, either because we have slack in cables or because we can turn the battery over. Usual is that we have to look for a battery that has the same polarity as the battery we have installed.

Battery with positive pole on the right or with positive pole on the left. That is the question!

Now, how can we know if a battery has the positive on the right or on the left? This question that seems simple is not so simple and, in fact, most people tend to see the situation of the positive pole of the battery incorrectly, since we tend to see the positive pole from the field of vision where we are. .

We are going to illustrate it in a graphic way so that everyone understands it. If we open the hood of our car and see the following battery:

 

Where do you think the positive pole of the battery in the photo is?

1) Obviously to the left

2) It is clear that to the right

3) I have no idea ...

If you have thought that the battery pole is located on the left because from your angle of vision it appears in that position, and also the letters on the batteries are in line with that field of vision, we regret to tell you that the answer is wrong. As strange as it may seem, the battery positive in the photo is located on the right!

The explanation is very simple, to avoid that the installation of the battery influences the position of the terminals, the convention is always the same. To see where the positive pole of a battery is located, you always have to see it from the side closest to the terminals or, in other words, "you have to stick the terminals to the chest". Therefore, in the previous photo, it should be seen from the following position:

 

 

To finish we put two examples of two batteries with exactly the same performance but with one with the positive pole on the right and another with the positive pole on the left:

 

Battery with positive pole on the left Battery with the positive pole on the right

 

Finally, some practical considerations:

- If your vehicle is European (BMW, Mercedes, Renault ...) and it is not an off-road vehicle, it is most likely that your battery carries the positive on the right.

- Always compare the photo that appears on the product page or in the technical sheet.

We hope we have clarified all your doubts about how to see where the positive side of a battery is. Still, if you're still not sure, give us a call and our excellent customer service will help resolve any issues you may have.