Positive Earth Electrical System
A positive earth system connects the battery’s positive terminal to the car body, used on some older cars instead of today’s negative earth.
What is Positive Earth Electrical System?
It was common on some British cars into the 1960s. Polarity matters for radios, chargers and electronic parts. Many owners convert to negative earth. Some accessories have a switch or setting for positive or negative earth.
How it works
Current flows back through the body to the battery’s positive side.
Why it matters for your car
Connecting a battery or jump leads the wrong way can damage parts. Check polarity before fitting any electronic accessory.
Other terms
- Ball Joint
- Battery Thermal Management
- Bike Rack (Bicycle Carrier)
- Boot Floor (Load Floor)
- Car Valuation
- Depreciation (Value Loss)
- Hill Start Assist
- Hybrid Battery
- Off-Road Cruise Control
- Patina
- Pushrod Engine (OHV)
- Steering Wheel Controls
- Steering Wheel Lock
- Subframe
- Telematics Control Unit
- Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF)
- Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)
- Twin-turbo (Biturbo)
- Water-in-fuel Sensor
- Window Regulator