Why do European cars use reverse-terminal battery?

[brianl703]

Most European cars use reverse-terminal batteries, where the position of the positive and negative terminals are reversed compared to what most US cars use.

Is there some reason why? It sure made finding a replacement for the battery in my 1995 Ford Contour a lot more difficult--I think I ended up sticking a group 58R in there because it's all Montgomery Wards had that would fit and had reverse terminals.

These days it seems a lot easier to find reverse-terminal batteries, and in fact Ford is now using them in the new Mustang and the Fusion/Mazda 6 (same oddball Group 40R battery that only Ford cars use, but can be replaced with a Group 47 or 48 battery that Ford probably should've used in the first place instead of inventing a new battery size)

 

[surfstar]

My '93 Mazda uses an R battery. Never knew Japan was located in Europe.

 

[The Critic]

Most of the newer 4-cyl Hondas use a "R" battery. Size 51R.

 

[Propflux01]

It's because, as usual, American cars lag behind in change.

 

[Papa Bear]

Maybe they are positive ground systems..

 

[BrianWC]

If your cables are long enough you can use any battery that fits.

 

[JHZR2]

Quote:

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It's because, as usual, American cars lag behind in change.

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come on... talk about a useless post. what technical basis or information is there in that statement???

If it is because of a reason, then great... but if it is 'because', that is not a reason. If you dont know, dont reply.

JMH

 

[Anduril]

It's just more rice. Now owners of new Hondas can claim to have a "Type R" battery.

 

[Silk]

Why do American cars have side lug batteries? We can't buy them here.....

 

[brianl703]

Only GM vehicles (for the most part) have side terminal batteries. I've seen some newer GM vehicles that do not use side terminal batteries. Chrysler used side-terminal batteries on a couple of their models. Ford has never used them.

As far as the cables being long enough, they usually seem to be made with about 2 inches of slack and that's it.

Some Japanese vehicles use reverse-terminal batteries, but pretty much ALL European ones do (and it's usually a 41/42/47/48/91 battery with no "R" after the group size, despite being a reverse terminal battery, so that brings up another question, why do only some reverse terminal batteries have an R after the group size?)

 

[bar1]

I would rephrase the question

Why doesn't US cars use batteries with terminal + to the right?

 

[brianl703]

Some US cars do use reverse-terminal batteries, mainly Ford vehicles. Some 2007 GM trucks (Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban) do too. But then Ford is the only US manufacturer to ever use DIN size stereos, too. I threw an AM/FM/Cassette from a Ford car into a boat last week, the boat already had a DIN-sized hole.

 

[Alan]

Cause most German cars rock! j/k

LoL ,I don't know why!

 

[Shannow]

What is reverse terminal ?

checked my Nissan, Toyota, and BMW, and all have the positive closest to the centreline of the car, i.e. away from the sheetmetal.

 

[Throckmorton]

Can't you just rotate the battery 180 degrees?

 

[JHZR2]

Quote:

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What is reverse terminal ?

checked my Nissan, Toyota, and BMW, and all have the positive closest to the centreline of the car, i.e. away from the sheetmetal.

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My E30 BMW has the battery in the trunk, terminals front to back of the car... And what is worse, the + line (double or triple aught) is black, and the ground wire is brownish red!

JMH

 

[Shannow]

Yuck

My E30 is in front of the driver (I'm on the wrong side compared to you 'though)

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah they changed it part-way through the life cycle (mine is a 91, so its near the end of the body style) to the trunk to get better weight distribution...

JMH

 

[brianl703]

A reverse terminal battery will, when set so the terminals are closest to you, have the negative terminal on the left and the positive terminal on the right.

Most US domestic vehicles take a battery that, when set so the terminals are closest to you, has the positive terminal on the left and the negative terminal on the right.

A top view of reverse-terminal battery like that used in European cars:


POS*******NEG
*************
*************
*************


A top view of a standard US domestic car battery:


NEG*******POS
*************
*************
*************

You can't just flip the battery around since the terminals are much closer to one side of the battery, and there often isn't enough slack in the battery cables to reach.

 

[brianl703]

This is a reverse-terminal battery. The red cover on the left is over the positive terminal.

This is a regular battery. The positive terminal is on the right and you can just barely make out the + in the photo.