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I have a Smartech battery charger charging my car battery for the last two years since I haven't been driving the car. I just realized I have been charging it wrong.

The manual said for a negative grounded car, I have to connect the positive cable clamp to positive post of battery and negative cable clamp to the vehicle chassis.

However, I connected the negative cable clamp to the negative post of the battery.

That's my bad of not reading the manual first, but did that already damage the battery or the even the charger? The car still starts and the charger never gave me any warnings. I'm hoping no damage is done.

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It won't hurt the battery by connecting to the post instead of the frame (except possible mechanical damage to the soft metal of the post from the clamp).

The reason is to prevent electrical arcs near the battery, which can ignite explosive gases that may be venting from the battery.

So you make the positive connection first, which can't arc as there isn't a complete circuit. Then it might spark when you complete the circuit with the other clamp, but it isn't right by the battery. You then remove the clamps in the opposite sequence, for the same reason.

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