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#1
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Battery Connected Backwards
Hi All,
I installed a new battery in my '88 Wrangler but connected the wires backwards. Needless to say there were sparks, hissing and smoke coming from either the bottom of the battery or below the battery. The car starts and runs but the radio does not work and the volt meter shows just less than the first mark (I assume is 10V). Can the Jeep run on the battery if the alternator is dead and how long will a new battery last like this (I still need to drive home -15 miles). Can anyone advise what damage has been done and what needs to be changed? And yes I know it could have been much worse and was a dangerous mistake to make...stuff happens. Thanks in advance for any advice. Steve |
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#2
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Battery Connected Backwards
You have blown the fuse link for the alternator by the sounds of it.
These are located on the relay just below and to the right of the battery on the firewall. Follow the positive cable to the relay post. The fuse links are bolted to this same post. You can buy new fuse link wire at some auto shops or even the dealership to replace it. They sell it by the foot. It is fairly expensive. You will need a 'red' one or a 14 ga. one. The fuse link wire is about 8" long with a loop on one end and a fat black tube crimp connector where it connects to the harness wire. The blown one will be a 14 gauge one protecting the 10 ga. alternator cable. You need to match the length and use crimp connectors. You cannot solder fuse link wire without harming it. Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) wrote: > > Hi All, > > I installed a new battery in my '88 Wrangler but connected the wires > backwards. Needless to say there were sparks, hissing and smoke coming > from either the bottom of the battery or below the battery. The car > starts and runs but the radio does not work and the volt meter shows > just less than the first mark (I assume is 10V). Can the Jeep run on > the battery if the alternator is dead and how long will a new battery > last like this (I still need to drive home -15 miles). Can anyone > advise what damage has been done and what needs to be changed? And yes > I know it could have been much worse and was a dangerous mistake to > make...stuff happens. > > Thanks in advance for any advice. > Steve |
#3
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Battery Connected Backwards
Do you think he's fried his radio? The good news, is that you can buy a
really decent radio now for $150 or so, compared to what was available in 1988. Earle "Mike Romain" > wrote in message ... > You have blown the fuse link for the alternator by the sounds of it. > These are located on the relay just below and to the right of the > battery on the firewall. Follow the positive cable to the relay post. > The fuse links are bolted to this same post. > > You can buy new fuse link wire at some auto shops or even the dealership > to replace it. They sell it by the foot. It is fairly expensive. You > will need a 'red' one or a 14 ga. one. > > The fuse link wire is about 8" long with a loop on one end and a fat > black tube crimp connector where it connects to the harness wire. The > blown one will be a 14 gauge one protecting the 10 ga. alternator > cable. You need to match the length and use crimp connectors. You > cannot solder fuse link wire without harming it. > > Mike > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's > Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! > Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590 > (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) > > wrote: > > > > Hi All, > > > > I installed a new battery in my '88 Wrangler but connected the wires > > backwards. Needless to say there were sparks, hissing and smoke coming > > from either the bottom of the battery or below the battery. The car > > starts and runs but the radio does not work and the volt meter shows > > just less than the first mark (I assume is 10V). Can the Jeep run on > > the battery if the alternator is dead and how long will a new battery > > last like this (I still need to drive home -15 miles). Can anyone > > advise what damage has been done and what needs to be changed? And yes > > I know it could have been much worse and was a dangerous mistake to > > make...stuff happens. > > > > Thanks in advance for any advice. > > Steve *** Free account sponsored by SecureIX.com *** *** Encrypt your Internet usage with a free VPN account from http://www.SecureIX.com *** |
#4
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Battery Connected Backwards
Hi Steve,
There's no way you can reverse polarity even for an instants without popping the alternator diodes. God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O http://www.billhughes.com/ wrote: > > Hi All, > > I installed a new battery in my '88 Wrangler but connected the wires > backwards. Needless to say there were sparks, hissing and smoke coming > from either the bottom of the battery or below the battery. The car > starts and runs but the radio does not work and the volt meter shows > just less than the first mark (I assume is 10V). Can the Jeep run on > the battery if the alternator is dead and how long will a new battery > last like this (I still need to drive home -15 miles). Can anyone > advise what damage has been done and what needs to be changed? And yes > I know it could have been much worse and was a dangerous mistake to > make...stuff happens. > > Thanks in advance for any advice. > Steve |
#5
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Battery Connected Backwards
L.W. ("ßill") Hughes III did pass the time by typing:
> Hi Steve, > There's no way you can reverse polarity even for an instants > without popping the alternator diodes. You know Bill, I wonder why in the long history of automobubbles they never made different sized terminals to prevent this sort of mistake. Guess it's just a no-profit motive thing. -- DougW |
#7
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Battery Connected Backwards
DougW wrote:
> > L.W. ("ßill") Hughes III did pass the time by typing: > > Hi Steve, > > There's no way you can reverse polarity even for an instants > > without popping the alternator diodes. > > You know Bill, I wonder why in the long history of automobubbles > they never made different sized terminals to prevent this sort of > mistake. Guess it's just a no-profit motive thing. > > -- > DougW Umm..... They ARE different sizes on those top post batteries Doug. Folks figure out it's the wrong way before they can get it tightened down usually but it's the last touch that blows things. The positive post is bigger so if you are hooking one up correctly, negative last, then you can tighten the positive clamp down on the negative post, waaay down mind you to grab on the negative. They should have done it the other way around because the negative clamp won't fit easy on the positive post, it has to stretch open way too much. The aftermarket ones fit both usually though.... Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) |
#8
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Battery Connected Backwards
On the "much" older Chryslers I played with, the fuse link when
blown disconnected the ignition, too. God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O http://www.billhughes.com/ Mike Romain wrote: > > With the GM 'one wire' type in his YJ, he might have gotten lucky and > the fuse link might have done it's job... It happens. > > Mike > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's > Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! > Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590 > (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) |
#9
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Battery Connected Backwards
Mike Romain did pass the time by typing:
> DougW wrote: >> >> L.W. ("ßill") Hughes III did pass the time by typing: >>> Hi Steve, >>> There's no way you can reverse polarity even for an instants >>> without popping the alternator diodes. >> >> You know Bill, I wonder why in the long history of automobubbles >> they never made different sized terminals to prevent this sort of >> mistake. Guess it's just a no-profit motive thing. >> >> -- >> DougW > > Umm..... They ARE different sizes on those top post batteries Doug. > Folks figure out it's the wrong way before they can get it tightened > down usually but it's the last touch that blows things. doh. I should have said different types or keyed like one side one top or some such. The battery I had in mind was a forklift one where they have a polarized connector you can't get on the wrong way. They could also make them wrench proof. .. you know that part where your snugging down the positive and bang the wrench up against the alternator/etc. -- DougW |
#10
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Battery Connected Backwards
He has a mess of them, the alternator has it's own on these.
Mike "L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote: > > On the "much" older Chryslers I played with, the fuse link when > blown disconnected the ignition, too. > God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O > http://www.billhughes.com/ > > Mike Romain wrote: > > > > With the GM 'one wire' type in his YJ, he might have gotten lucky and > > the fuse link might have done it's job... It happens. > > > > Mike > > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 > > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's > > Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! > > Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590 > > (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) |
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