Be extremely careful when working with elements of electrical circuits. They are easily damaged by mishandling. The alternator is driven by a belt which can cause serious injury if your clothes, hands or hair get caught under it while the engine is running. The alternator and starter are connected directly to the battery and, if mishandled, overloaded or shorted to ground, can cause an electrical arc or even a fire.
Do not leave the ignition on for a long time when the engine is not running. Do not disconnect wires from the battery while the engine is running.
When starting the engine from an external battery, do not reverse the polarity of the connection.
Always disconnect the negative battery terminal first and connect last. Otherwise, if the positive terminal is loosened, the key may accidentally touch the housing part and cause a short circuit.
Before starting any work described in this chapter, we recommend that you brush up on the "Safety first!" at the beginning of this one about the Guide.