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Old 11-18-2014, 02:32 PM   #21
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Really old thread, but really there isn't any issue when switching a vehicle from positive to negative ground.

Gauges don't care, starter doesn't care, most other electric motors don't care, lights don't care...

Therefore the easiest solution is to convert the vehicle to negative ground and 12volts at the same time.

Going to 12 volts isn't a challenge either, just a few more simple fixes.


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Yes and no... I switched several British Sports cars from positive to negative ground. Tachometers had to be reconfigured and it didn't always work. I had one electric fuel pump that didn't take kindly to being told to run on negative ground.

Supposedly you got less corrosion with positive ground vehicles because of it was correct for the flow of electrons in a DC system.

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Old 11-18-2014, 04:19 PM   #22
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Help! Help! Positive Ground Tow Vehicle

Some tachs might be a problem, fuel pumps maybe, both depending on their configuration.

In any case, back to the original post, if I had to tow a trailer, the most simple solution would be to convert the tow vehicle to 12V negative ground.

My Lincoln required 12 volt light bulbs, a 12 volt generator, a gage resistor from a Mustang, and a 12 volt to six volt converter to run my stock radio. The radio now runs negative ground with no ill effects.


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Old 11-19-2014, 06:13 PM   #23
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I was told that my 1999 Dodge 2500 with 24-valve Cummins diesel has a positive ground system by the lead diesel mechanic at Southbank Dodge in Ottawa where I service my truck.
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Old 11-19-2014, 06:21 PM   #24
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Hudsons were negative ground until they went to 12v in 1954 or 55.

This should have read Hudsons were positive ground.


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Old 12-15-2014, 06:31 PM   #25
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I was told that my 1999 Dodge 2500 with 24-valve Cummins diesel has a positive ground system by the lead diesel mechanic at Southbank Dodge in Ottawa where I service my truck.

Negative ground
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Old 12-15-2014, 09:23 PM   #26
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Model T's were neg. ground, the A's on up were positive ground until the early 50's.My 07 dodge with 2 batteries is neg ground, my 92 ford 7.3 made in Canada is negative ground...
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Old 12-16-2014, 07:50 PM   #27
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Negative ground
Regrettably, you are incorrect. The 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel has a positive ground. FYI, see https://www.google.com/search?q=1999...A&ved=0CD8QsAQ
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Old 12-16-2014, 08:26 PM   #28
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Regrettably, you are incorrect. The 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel has a positive ground. FYI, see https://www.google.com/search?q=1999...A&ved=0CD8QsAQ
Google isn't 100% correct.
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Old 12-16-2014, 11:12 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blkmagikca View Post
Regrettably, you are incorrect. The 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel has a positive ground. FYI, see https://www.google.com/search?q=1999...A&ved=0CD8QsAQ
I may be blind, but I see nothing on that link indicating that a 1999 Dodge 2500 is Positive ground. What am I missing?

Put quotation marks around your search and see what it finds.

"1999 Dodge 2500 positive ground"
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Old 12-17-2014, 06:04 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blkmagikca View Post
I was told that my 1999 Dodge 2500 with 24-valve Cummins diesel has a positive ground system by the lead diesel mechanic at Southbank Dodge in Ottawa where I service my truck.
Look at the battery cables in your truck. One of them will be relatively short and will be bolted to the metal frame. That one is the ground, without a doubt.
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Old 12-17-2014, 08:02 AM   #31
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The link at https://www.google.com/search?q=1999...A&ved=0CD8QsAQ does NOT show a positive ground.

If the Dodge were positive ground it would be a reason not to buy that product. Every other US built or sold vehicle in the last 50 years has been negative ground. Just think of all of the confusion with road side service jump starting. Non-trained techs (and there is a lot of those) getting false readings with electrical tests. Or damaging test equipment.

There would be electrical compoents that were only available at a Dodge dealerships because fast moving parts houses would not make them due to the limited application.

I would fully expect a warning sticker under the under the hood that is very visable stating the vehicle has positive ground that is counter to the industry standard.

If bets were possible I would give odds on if any domestic built Dodge in the last 50 years had a designed positive gound electrical system.

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Old 12-19-2014, 06:45 AM   #32
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The link at https://www.google.com/search?q=1999...A&ved=0CD8QsAQ does NOT show a positive ground.

If the Dodge were positive ground it would be a reason not to buy that product. Every other US built or sold vehicle in the last 50 years has been negative ground. Just think of all of the confusion with road side service jump starting. Non-trained techs (and there is a lot of those) getting false readings with electrical tests. Or damaging test equipment.

There would be electrical compoents that were only available at a Dodge dealerships because fast moving parts houses would not make them due to the limited application.

I would fully expect a warning sticker under the under the hood that is very visable stating the vehicle has positive ground that is counter to the industry standard.

If bets were possible I would give odds on if any domestic built Dodge in the last 50 years had a designed positive gound electrical system.

>>>>>>>>>Action
Action, you lose the bet.

I own a 1999 Dodge diesel. I have seen that to wire on extra fog lights where the lights had come with only the one lead (with the shell to be ground) it had to be mounted between two pieces of rubber to insulate the shell. Later on I switched to LED marker lights and they have the two leads (red and black), so they could be bolted to the Iron Bull bumpers that I have. If you don't own a 1999 Dodge Diesel, then don't make assumptions about them. Instead, visit a Dodge dealership and speak with their diesel mechanic.
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Old 12-19-2014, 07:55 AM   #33
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Action, you lose the bet.

I own a 1999 Dodge diesel. I have seen that to wire on extra fog lights where the lights had come with only the one lead (with the shell to be ground) it had to be mounted between two pieces of rubber to insulate the shell. Later on I switched to LED marker lights and they have the two leads (red and black), so they could be bolted to the Iron Bull bumpers that I have. If you don't own a 1999 Dodge Diesel, then don't make assumptions about them. Instead, visit a Dodge dealership and speak with their diesel mechanic.
Based on everything I can find on the web, your mechanics are wrong. For example, check out this page, which shows the battery cables. The positive terminals connect together then to something else, while the negatives are short to connect to the frame and engine. (Clearly, I have a few minutes to spare this morning.)

I can't believe there would be a positive ground vehicle built in the US for the '99 model year. It would mean many electrical parts under the hood would have to be specially made and designed for Dodge; the Takata air bag recall shows that generic parts are used for things we don't usually see. As others have said, the risks to tow truck operators and such would be enormous (though no one mentioned the fun of an exploding battery or two). The web search link provided shows no indication of positive ground (other than this thread - the third result right now!); searching for negative ground actually does turn up some relevant results. None of the forum threads I looked at mentioned a positive ground setup, which would be pretty important to tell someone who is working on their truck.

My father had a '99 Ram 2500 and never mentioned it having positive ground. I'm sure he would have figured it out the hard way when he installed the CB radio.

Also, in your story about the original fog lights, they wouldn't work at all the way you described the installation. If it was electrically isolated from the bumper and only had one wire, no current would flow at all. Moreover, assuming you did have a positive ground (and the electrical isolation you described didn't work), the single wire was hooked to negative, while incandescent bulbs would work with the current flowing either way, I'm not sure if halogens would. The reason the LEDs have two wires is because most, if not all, cars come with plastic bumpers now, so there's no ground available (positive or negative) without specifically running a wire.

I'm open to the possibility I'm wrong, but this is just too wild to believe without seeing a wiring diagram or a picture of a positive battery terminal connected to ground, or something like that.
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Old 12-19-2014, 08:06 AM   #34
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I believe cummins made some positive ground engines for commercial or industrial use into the late nineties. Ambulances? Jim
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Old 12-19-2014, 08:11 AM   #35
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Google cummins positive ground. Jim
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Old 12-19-2014, 09:31 AM   #36
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Google cummins positive ground. Jim
This is the internet, and we can link directly to sites that actually provide information... I assume this is what you're looking at? It's dated 1968, and it appears to be for pumps in fire engines.
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Old 12-19-2014, 01:28 PM   #37
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This is of a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Turbo diesel. 1998 to 2002 are the same.



Vid really starts at 40 seconds. Everything in front of that is intro. At 4:05 to 4:07 the mechanic explains where the other end of red cable (positive) from the battery is attached.
At 6:40 the mechanic explains not to touch the removed red (positive) cable end to the body (ground) because .... well the body of the truck is not grounded positively.

The rest of the vid is how to built the positive cable that connects both batteries.

Now back to the op from the UK on his issue.

>>>>>>>>>>>>Action
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Old 12-19-2014, 06:34 PM   #38
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Action: you're in Phoenix and I'm now in Casa Grande (1 hour south of you). I'd be willing to drive to Phoenix (I need to go there anyhow for some shopping) and show you my truck - then, since you lose, you can buy me lunch!
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Old 12-19-2014, 08:18 PM   #39
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Works for me. It's been awhile since I have had a good lunch in Tempe.

Claim Jumper 1530 West Baseline Road Tempe, AZ Just East of I-17 and on the North side of Baseline. Claim Jumper Restaurants

Negative ground your plastic pays
Positive ground my plastic pays
Just for clarity the vehicle in question has to have a stock starting system.

I will bring a mirror, a flash light and a camera. Results will be posted.

After the first of the year as the Claim Jumper is near the mall and that place is a mess for the holidays.

Or save yourself the lunch and follow the black cable off of either battery to the engine block.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action
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Old 12-19-2014, 09:04 PM   #40
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This is actually amusing to read. Poster A says, he has a positive ground. All other posters say "oh no you don't because it just can't be." Post A says "Oh yes I do".

First of all what difference does it make to everyone else what ground he has?
Secondly the only way to resolve it, if anyone other than Post A cares, is for poster A to post a photo of his battery connections.

Personally I lean toward Poster A being misinformed. However since its not my truck (which by the way has a negative ground), I don't really give a rat's back side. I don't even know why I spent the time posting this, except that TV tonight sucks, as it usually seems to, and I'm bored. Isn't it pathetic that I'm so bored that I stooped to this?

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