Wiring up my heated gloves

eidolon · 18 Jan 2014 at 19:59

So I fitted my Gerbing heated gloves socket today. Unfortunately space was tight where the wiring runs through the frame so I had to cut the wires at the fuse holder (my plan was to feed the wires through and just solder it back on)

Problem is that both wires are black which I discovered after I'd ran the wires back to the battery and I don't know which is supposed to be positive and which is negative. Is there any easy way to test it?

This is the Gerbing socket.

ElliorR · 18 Jan 2014 at 20:25

Do you have a multimeter? If so try this...

The correct way to check the polarity of the wires is to use a multimeter set to dc volts. Measure the voltage across the two wires using the red and black meter probes. If the reading is a positive voltage then the wire connected to the red meter probe will be the positive otherwise it will be the other way round.

ShakenNstirred · 18 Jan 2014 at 23:21

usually when both are black one has a small white stripe to tell you the +

eidolon · 19 Jan 2014 at 20:09

Unfortunately both wires are solid black, nothing at all to tell them apart.
I'm borrowing a multimeter tomorrow so I'll give that a go ElliorR.

What would happen if I get it the wrong way round?

unKle · 20 Jan 2014 at 01:48

The usual pin arrangement on accessory plugs are.. Positive on the centre pin and Negative/Earth on the surround.

So to easily identify which is the positive cable using the multimeter, select continuity, touch probes together to make sure it beeps or comes up with zeros on display.

Put one probe on centre pin the the other on the end of one of the wires, which ever one beeps/zero reading is the positive cable.

As for what would happen if wired incorrectly, not 100% on electrics, maybe someone else with more knowledge in that field could answer. But being current draw, I can't imagine it matters which way it's connected, as all you're doing is creating a large amperage loop direct from the + - of the battery, so if you swapped them round you're still creating the same loop.

Dogbreath · 20 Jan 2014 at 07:56

eidolon said:
Unfortunately both wires are solid black, nothing at all to tell them apart.
I'm borrowing a multimeter tomorrow so I'll give that a go ElliorR.

What would happen if I get it the wrong way round?

Is there a fuse on one of the wires? If so that will be the positive.

As to what will happen with reversed polarity, that depends entirely on the design of the gloves and the protection they include. Worst case you smoke the controller in the gloves, best case they either just don't work or maybe even work perfectly ok if they are polarity agnostic.

Yaayuh! · 20 Jan 2014 at 08:11

Given the fact it's just an element heated by electric current, i wouldn't of thought it would matter which way round you put them. Can't be sure though, as dogbreath said above, depends on the design.

Dogbreath · 20 Jan 2014 at 08:36

Rossi~ said:
Given the fact it's just an element heated by electric current, i wouldn't of thought it would matter which way round you put them. Can't be sure though, as dogbreath said above, depends on the design.

I assuming there will be a controller to adjust the heat output, I can't see an uncontrolled heater working too well under a wide range of conditions.

eidolon · 21 Jan 2014 at 13:42

unKle said:
The usual pin arrangement on accessory plugs are.. Positive on the centre pin and Negative/Earth on the surround.

Followed this instruction and it all works fine now.