While most jumper or booster cables have red and black leads, you may occasionally come across a set of yellow and black jumper cables.
Given that you’ve probably heard that connecting jumper cables the wrong way (reverse polarity) can damage the car, it is of absolute importance that you connect them the right way to avoid damage to your car or battery.
Sticking to the convention helps prevent avoidable mistakes when connecting jumpers!
Read on to find out which one is the positive and negative and the correct order of connecting and disconnecting a set o of yellow and black jumper cables.
Which Jumper lead is Positive and Negative?
In a set of yellow and black jumper cables, the yellow jumper lead is the positive lead and should be connected to the positive battery post.
The black lead is negative and should be connected to the negative battery post on the car with the good battery and the ground terminal on the car with the drained battery.
How to Connect Yellow and Black Jumper Cables
Order of Connecting Jumper cables
- For the car with a good battery, first, connect the yellow (positive) lead of the jumper cable to the positive battery terminal (marked with a + sign).
- Connect the second yellow lead of the jumper cable to the positive battery post of the dead battery (marked with a + sign)
- Next, connect the black jumper lead to the negative post (marked – sign) of the good battery.
- Finally, connect the second black lead of the jumper cable to the exposed, unpainted bare metal bolt – the ground connection (inside the hood) of the car with the dead battery.
Allow the dead battery to charge for about 5-10 minutes and then attempt to start the car with the dead battery.
The car engine may not start on that first attempt. Allow for another 5-10 minutes and try to start again. It should start normally on the second attempt.
Let the car engine of the car with the dead battery run for about minutes to charge some more and then disconnect the jumper cables in this order.
Order of Disconnecting Jumper cables
- First, disconnect the black jumper lead from the bare metal ground connection of the car with the dead battery.
- Next, disconnect the black lead from the negative post (marked – sign) of the good battery.
- Then disconnect the yellow jumper cable from the positive battery post of the dead battery (marked with a + sign)
- Lastly, disconnect the yellow jumper cable from the positive battery terminal (marked with a + sign) of the good battery.
- Drive the car which had a drained battery for about 15-30 min to top up its charge.
Related Questions
Which Cable to Connect First and Last?
I always connect the jumper leads to the positive battery terminals first. For yellow and black jumper cables, it is the yellow cable connected first to the positive battery post of the car with a good battery and then to the positive battery post of the drained battery.
Which Jumper Lead to Disconnect Last?
I always disconnect the jumper leads to the negative battery terminal or ground first. For yellow and black jumper cables, it will be the black cable disconnected first from the ground bolt of the car that has been jump-started and then lastly from the negative battery post of the drained battery.
Which is Positive and Negative for all Yellow Jumper Leads?
If you’ve got a set of all yellow jumper or booster cables, check the color of the clamps to determine which one is positive and which one is negative.
The positive jumper clamp is color red and the negative clamp is black.
Closing Thoughts
If you’ve got a set of yellow and black jumper cables, conventionally the yellow lead is the positive and the black lead is negative. If the jumper cables are all yellow, use the color of the clamps as a guide then. The red clamp will be your positive and the black lead negative.
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