Oh NO! Reversed polarity on battery? What to do? (1 Viewer)

[Pskhaat]

Well, I've been working LONG LONG hours and I must simply be very tired. My main starting battery in my dual battery system needed replacing. Long story short I ended up reversing the polarity on the battery!

Bad news is that everything is dead. Hooking just the main battery back up (correctly), I can't get interior lights to come on, obviously not started and she's dead. I've checked all links, fuses, relays, etc.

So what did I fry? What can I check? What are my next steps?

 

[e9999]

have no idea about the tech side.
However, this strikes me as the right time to take a long walk, or better go on a long overdue vacation, and try to forget about the little incident...

 

[Gumby]

Hopefully you just fried the fuseable links. That's what they are there for. They are located right next to the positive battery terminal.

Check the fuses in the distribution center under the hood. You might have toastd a couple of those.

Check the fuses under the dash. Less likely, but some of those might have gone as well.

Once the power is restored, it should start. It will run weird for a little bit because you disconnected power to the ECM, but it will relearn and smooth out.

Good luck.

 

[flintknapper]

Hopefully you just fried the fuseable links. That's what they are there for. They are located right next to the positive battery terminal.

Check the fuses in the distribution center under the hood. You might have toastd a couple of those.

Check the fuses under the dash. Less likely, but some of those might have gone as well.

Once the power is restored, it should start. It will run weird for a little bit because you disconnected power to the ECM, but it will relearn and smooth out.

Good luck.

That was my first thought as well (fuseable links). Shouldn't be any damage beyond that I'm aware of.

 

[Pskhaat]

Well, I've checked all fuses in the distribution center and in the dash. There appears to be basically two fusable links on the positive lead. I can't tell what that large black one does? It just looks like literally a ``boltable link'' but at glance doesn't seem to be anything fusable about it?

As for the fuseable links, I've never had one actually go come to think about it, but I'll go check continuity now...

 

[CharlieS]

I thought fusible links essentially melted? Don't you just need to replace them if they are shot?

Charlie

 

[Gumby]

They do melt, but you can't always see it. I usually just pull on them. If the wire inside is shot the insulation will stretch.

 

[sjcruiser]

Haven't looked but I think the main fusible link is located in the fuse-box nearest to the battery, not under the dash or the kick panel.