The Ford Barn

DirtyDuck · 03-21-2015, 11:28 AM

Just picked up our 31 pickup - haha - and brought it home on the trailer. It started right away on the trailer, but then I was a bit shy on the clutch and stalled the engine.
As I have no experience with the A at all, the 2nd start attempt failed. I might have had to much choke and/or throttle, so obviously flooded the engine.
I kept trying to start but eventually the battery was empty.

I don't have a 6V charger yet and no 6V spare battery, so I tried to jump start using a 12V battery with positive on the block and negative on the starter main wire as I remembered to have read this somewhere here. Result was that I shorted my 12V battery (and most likely killed many more things), since unfortunately I didn't actually know if I have positive or negative ground...

All electrics in the car seem to be dead, the 6V battery only has 2.1V left. I didn't have time yet to check everything, will do as soon as the 6V charger and a replacement battery arrives, but would appreciate to get any hint on what I possibly could have damaged. I.e., how much of an idiot am I?
Also, how can I determine if I have positive or negative ground?

Thanks.

03-21-2015, 11:28 AM	#1
DirtyDuck Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 13	Dead 6V battery, 12V jump start with pos and neg wrong Just picked up our 31 pickup - haha - and brought it home on the trailer. It started right away on the trailer, but then I was a bit shy on the clutch and stalled the engine. As I have no experience with the A at all, the 2nd start attempt failed. I might have had to much choke and/or throttle, so obviously flooded the engine. I kept trying to start but eventually the battery was empty. I don't have a 6V charger yet and no 6V spare battery, so I tried to jump start using a 12V battery with positive on the block and negative on the starter main wire as I remembered to have read this somewhere here. Result was that I shorted my 12V battery (and most likely killed many more things), since unfortunately I didn't actually know if I have positive or negative ground... All electrics in the car seem to be dead, the 6V battery only has 2.1V left. I didn't have time yet to check everything, will do as soon as the 6V charger and a replacement battery arrives, but would appreciate to get any hint on what I possibly could have damaged. I.e., how much of an idiot am I? Also, how can I determine if I have positive or negative ground? Thanks.