connected battery backwards and smoke

actionjackson · 03-09-06, 01:49 PM

So I'm an idiot!

I was replacing my old optima red top with a new one and accidentally put the positive to the negative, etc for a second or two and I immediately noticed smoke! I immediately pulled the cables from the battery and went running for an extinguisher...

It didn't start a fire but I didn't have enough time to really tell where the smoke was coming from...i "know" it was on the DS engine area. Anyhow I checked the wires in the area and did see 2 wires slightly melted/touching each other....I pulled them apart and taped them...I connected the battery (correctly

) and now all I get when I go to start it is cranking. No start.

So what did I fry this time? What is the most obvious thing to check next.

Thanks!

cruiserdan · 03-09-06, 01:54 PM

It sounds like the fusible link did it's job and saved your arse.

Tools R Us · 03-09-06, 01:55 PM

Check the fusible links at the battery.

trucruiser · 03-09-06, 02:15 PM

Hopefully you didnt toast your starter.

CJF · 03-09-06, 02:51 PM

...or your ECU...

concretejungle · 03-09-06, 03:09 PM

I would check on the fusable link also.

actionjackson · 03-09-06, 05:58 PM

It does appear to have been the fusable wire that caused the breif smoking. I've ordered the new wire links from toyota however I'm also going to see if I can go down and get some of this fusable wire and do a temp fix.

Thanks guys!

IdahoDoug · 03-09-06, 06:01 PM

Guess that's the last time we'll hear bitching about the fusible links Toyota's fond of here, eh?? Heh. Hope all is well.

DougM

cruiserdan · 03-09-06, 06:05 PM

90982-08264

Cruiserdrew · 03-09-06, 06:47 PM

Don't tell Dan but I hot wired my fusable link after a mishap with a drill. I just used regular wire-dangerous as heck to the wiring, but it got me through the 2 weeks it took a new fusable link set from New Mexico. I actually got 3 sets-they are suprisingly cheap. One spare set lives in the truck and another in my parts stash.

concretejungle · 03-09-06, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdahoDoug

Guess that's the last time we'll hear bitching about the fusible links Toyota's fond of here, eh?? Heh. Hope all is well.

DougM

Too bad my hella lights didnt have one when i accidentally connected them to the battery while i had a loose wire dangling on the truck. Let's just say smoke was billowing out and i thought i had lost her

IdahoDoug · 03-11-06, 12:09 AM

I've only seen one electrical mishap and unfortunately it was out on the trail in Moab. I'm electrically impaired to a degree so I go conservative with projects involving Mr. Volts and Mr. Amp and that mishap only made me more conservative. The poor guy's truck shorted something while I was spotting him and smoke puffed out of the wheel well. Before I could stop him, he opened the hood. I got there and slammed it as the flames started. The smoke stopped and guys were running to get fire extinguishers. He reopened the hood and we could hear buzzing and still smell hot wires as things seemed to be fusing to each other and suddenly another big short occurred that started the smoke up again. A fire extinquisher put that to a stop, but we could still hear things crackling and then somewhere else smoke started up. It was really pitiful watching this guy, and watching the truck self destructing while he frantically tried to disconnect the battery. We had enough extinguishers on hand (thank you tech inspection and trail ride rules on this outing, BTW - never bitch about extinguisher requirements again) to keep it from actually catching on fire but it lasted a couple minutes and was eerie to see new shorts starting up. He was quite an electrician and got the truck up and running on only basic systems (fuel pump, ignition circuits) to limp home.

Wiring is nothing to fool with and once you've seen something like this the smell of cooking wire and the fear will never leave you.

DougM

concretejungle · 03-11-06, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdahoDoug

Wiring is nothing to fool with and once you've seen something like this the smell of cooking wire and the fear will never leave you.

DougM

No kidding. The only reason my truck did not burn to the ground that day was because the wire turned red and melted in half before it could catch something on fire. If it would have held together a minute longer, i'm sure the 80 would have been up in smoke

Tuner · 03-11-06, 08:05 AM

I'm not sure how they get the smoke in those fusible links to begin with but once you let it out, things don't work the same. I replaced mine with a regular fuse....heresy or ok?

Cruiserdrew · 03-11-06, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuner

I'm not sure how they get the smoke in those fusible links to begin with but once you let it out, things don't work the same. I replaced mine with a regular fuse....heresy or ok?

No expert, but...

The advantage of a fusible link is that it is a "slow blow" fuse. It will take quite a bit of abuse and running near its rated capacity before it goes. A fuse on the other hand will blow immediately when the current exceeds the rating. From a safety aspect, you're just fine, assuming you knew the rating of the fusible link and used the right fuse.

However, a set of fusible links is dead cheap. Everyone should have an extra set in their truck. Then you KNOW you have exactly the rating of fuse that Mr. T's conservative engineers intended.

As you found, that smoke is impossible to collect, let alone stuff it back in that little casing.

dfmorse · 03-11-06, 08:26 AM

Tuner; nothing wrong with regular slowblow fuses; however, one must keep in mind the "MAIN" fuse link is wired direct to the alternator as per this:

http://homepage.mac.com/dfmorse/BattProj2/page9.html

If u have a regular fuse for a "fuselink" and it blows for any reason, there will be no load for the alternator and the alternator voltage will jump to maybe 20 volts and possibly damage the alternator/regulator electronics (diodes). The normal charge current on engine startup can easily jump to 60 or 70 amps, slowly decreasing to around 10 or so as the battery recharges. That is one reason for just a small piece of wire to act as a fuse; its cheapo and rarely needs to messed with.

Would be nice to see how u hooked up your fuse arrangement.

...

Beowulf · 03-11-06, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruiserdrew

However, a set of fusible links is dead cheap. Everyone should have an extra set in their truck.

Agreed. I got a set about a year ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfmorse

If u have a regular fuse for a "fuselink" and it blows for any reason, there will be no load for the alternator and the alternator voltage will jump to maybe 20 volts and possibly damage the alternator/regulator electronics (diodes).

Are you saying that when the main fusible link blows then there is still a load for the alternator so that it won't get damaged?

-B-

dfmorse · 03-11-06, 08:50 AM

Beowulf;

No. If the main fuse link blows, there is little to zero load (the battery is the main load) on the alternator, which can cause a voltage spike that will (may) pop the alternator diodes.

...

Tuner · 03-11-06, 09:52 AM

When I was screwing around initially installing stereo, lights, Escort and all the other stuff you want right now on a new ride, I accidentally cut the link and just replaced it with a heavier piece of cable....then asked here for advice....which was order s new set. The local Toyota place will never see me again and I've been too lazy to order a set from CDan, thus the fuse idea. It initially popped a 20 amp fuse so being charitable and cautious, I stuck a 40 in there and it's worked fine for five months.

I'll order a couple of link sets the next time I call CDan and post some photos later for the experts to make fun of

...seems to be the only way I learn stuff....

Mickldo · 03-11-06, 06:25 PM

That electricity is nasty stuff if something goes wrong. Once I had just finished replacing a gearbox on an old POS series III ex-army Land Rover and was taking it on a test drive when I smelt that unmistakable burning electrics smell and the motor lost power. I pulled over, lifted the seat cushions and hatches to access the battery and gearbox. I immediately saw the problem the +lead had fallen down onto the exhaust pipe(non standard motor & g/box). The vehicle was a hire 4x4 for Fraser Is. so was covered in oil underneath to prevent rust. The flames started to take hold and I jumped out to try and find something to put the flames out but I couldn't find anything so I hopped back in and grabbed the +lead and yanked it free to stop the shorting. I burnt my hand but without the current going through the lead and the exhaust cooling down the flames luckily went out.
BTW, the reason the +lead touched the exhaust was that the gearbox breather tube I had ziptied the lead to was perished and broke allowing the lead to touch the non-standard exhaust location.