Reverse battery
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8th Gear
Joined: Oct 2025
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Reverse battery
My dad while the truck was parked at his place, noticed what he thought was a backwards hooked up battery.Decided to switch it, I drove it and it killed the lights.The next morning with light, I looked under the hood to inspect and take the headlamps out and noticed the mistake.After switching lights to new ones and hooking battery back to positive ground. The headlamps still blew out. Truck starts fine, all other electric that worked still works.....where should I start?
Parts Nerd Extraordinaire
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,327
Likes: 1,759
From: Western NY
Traditional lights are not polarity sensitive. A reversed battery alone is not the cause of the lights blowing out.
Are you using a 12V battery and 6V bulbs?
Is the self resetting circuit breaker tripping, causing the lights to go out? Then after a period, it resets to allow the lights to work again?
To really help us troubleshoot here, help us with the following:
Year, Make, Model, Engine?
6V Stock System, 12v Stock System (1956), or a 12V Conversion?
Are you using a 12V battery and 6V bulbs?
Is the self resetting circuit breaker tripping, causing the lights to go out? Then after a period, it resets to allow the lights to work again?
To really help us troubleshoot here, help us with the following:
Year, Make, Model, Engine?
6V Stock System, 12v Stock System (1956), or a 12V Conversion?
Thread Starter
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8th Gear
Joined: Oct 2025
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
12v battery. As soon as I replaced the headlights and turned the car one, I pulled the switch to turn the lights on and they stayed on for a out a second and burnt out again.
My tail lights, turn signals, truck still start
My tail lights, turn signals, truck still start
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 930
Likes: 334
From: Newton Illinois
My dad while the truck was parked at his place, noticed what he thought was a backwards hooked up battery.Decided to switch it, I drove it and it killed the lights.The next morning with light, I looked under the hood to inspect and take the headlamps out and noticed the mistake.After switching lights to new ones and hooking battery back to positive ground. The headlamps still blew out. Truck starts fine, all other electric that worked still works.....where should I start?
Parts Nerd Extraordinaire
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,327
Likes: 1,759
From: Western NY
No. Our starters are not polarity sensitive.
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Parts Nerd Extraordinaire
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,327
Likes: 1,759
From: Western NY
What headlight bulbs are you using? Do they have a 6006 or 6014 stamping on the backside or on the package? Or otherwise indicate voltage?
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Parts Nerd Extraordinaire
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,327
Likes: 1,759
From: Western NY
The whether polarity reverses the rotation is determined by the type of motor such as series wound (universal), permanent magnet field, shunt, or what have you.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,292
Likes: 876
From: Lititz PA
When I bought my 1955 Fairlane in 1984 it was wired 6 volt negative ground. I reversed the cables at the battery and repolarized the generator. Been working fine ever since.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,903
Likes: 763
From: Hillsborough NJ
If you’re running a generator and regulator, you may need to polarize the generator/regulator. I don’t know if that would cause excess voltage and blow out the headlights, but the regulators are fairly easy to screw up.
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