# Car jump-start question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-jump-start-question/313657>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 22, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-jump-start-question/313657 "2005-07-22T15:47:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-jump-start-question/313657/41 "2005-07-24T19:43:43Z")

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> [@Snowboarder Bo](#):
>
> I bow to Gary and Rick’s expertise and promise to stop posting after I work a 16 hour day. Sorry for my poor reasoning skills.

Well, one point you made had merit. It is possible for a loose connection to give the same basic symptom as a weak or dead battery. While it could cause the no-start, it wouldn’t result in the damage described.

> [@](#):
>
> I throw myself under the bus, to save anyone else any trouble. :smack:

Oh, great. Now what am I going to do for fun? 😉

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**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-jump-start-question/313657/42 "2005-07-24T20:07:45Z")

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> [@Gary T](#):
>
> At least some American cars from the 50’s and earlier also had positive ground systems. The British, in keeping with their typical pace in breaking traditions 😛 , held on to the design into the 60’s, as **Rick** mentioned.

Having owned a positive earth car (MG Midget) can I ask you what the disadvantage was with them? I had the feeling that when the change to negative earth came about it was more for falling into line with the majority than anything else.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-jump-start-question/313657/43 "2005-07-25T01:59:25Z")

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> [@Vetch](#):
>
> Having owned a positive earth car (MG Midget) can I ask you what the disadvantage was with them? I had the feeling that when the change to negative earth came about it was more for falling into line with the majority than anything else.

Exactly. The only real disadvantage was being different.

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**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-jump-start-question/313657/44 "2005-07-25T06:06:54Z")

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Bugs were + earth for manny years… no?

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-jump-start-question/313657/45 "2005-07-25T18:41:54Z")

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> [@GusNSpot](#):
>
> Bugs were + earth for manny years… no?

I don’t recall that. They were 6 volt through 1966.

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