Fried My Car. Yet Another Senior Moment

Beezer

Beezer

Well-known Member
So my car needed a boost and I put the cable wires backwards on the negative and positive terminals and fried the car. It's at the garage...I'm awaiting a hefty bill unless I just need all of the fuses replaced.

I've boosted scores of cars in my life. Can't believe I actually did that. Man, I'm getting old.
 

A new Battery, maybe a fuse. That what I would think. If you didn't have the key turned on the systems should be ok.
With my F150's Ford flipped the batteries terminal 11 & 16's + locations. it's like a plan. But the 16 battery is awesomely good.

I use the DeWalt 12Volt battery booster jumpers. Keep em hooked up on the Lawn Tractors.
Lawn Tractor batteries are crappers. Have one in Turbos for emergencies and to
operate the 9000 lb. winch. Leave the trucks Electrical systems be.
 
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I've done that a time or two but never had any serious damage. I always put the alligator clips on the terminals very gingerly so I can pull back quickly if they start to spark. There is actually a procedure you are supposed to follow that involves puting the ground wire somehwere on the farme of the car instead of the terminal and the hot wire on the positive terminal of the battery and you are supposed to do it in a certain order. But I only have occasion to do it about every 5 years so I can never remember it.
 
I can understand how you could do that. Most very used batteries are not pristine, they have gunk all over them. And the - and + signs are under that gunk.
You didn't mention how old your car is. Today, cars are crammed full of electronic stuff. Let's us know when you get the bill ( after you pass out 🙂 ).
 
Trade said:
I've done that a time or two but never had any serious damage. I always put the alligator clips on the terminals very gingerly so I can pull back quickly if they start to spark. There is actually a procedure you are supposed to follow that involves puting the ground wire somehwere on the farme of the car instead of the terminal and the hot wire on the positive terminal of the battery and you are supposed to do it in a certain order. But I only have occasion to do it about every 5 years so I can never remember it.
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Positive first, then, a quick light touch of the negative clamp somewhere on a metal part of the car. If no serious spark, you're good to go. Be advised, there will be a faint spark when first attaching the negative clamp. :)
 
I can't remember a car in over 25 years that had "gunked up" terminals. Maybe somebody had put some low-ball replacement battery into a used car? As far as I can recall the positive terminal also has a red snap-cap intended to insulate the terminal against accidental contacts during routine maintenance under the hood.

You couldn't pay me to bother with those Li-Po based jump-start packs. They don't work or hold a charge at low temperatures and a few seasons will destroy them. Far better to invest in a far lighter and weather-hardy supercapacitor bank. Those can slurp the battery dregs and release them in a starting burst, or can be charged from AC power or another car's 12 volt lighter socket. Mine is 9 seasons old now and still works fine.

But I'm sure they're ok if you live in Puerto Rico.
 
To the OP.
On a side note, the newer the car, the better the odds that you've damaged sensitive electronic equipment. It takes nothing to fry a computer board.
Fingers crossed it wasn't on long enough to hurt.
 
Actually newer cars are more likely to have beefy reverse-current blocking diodes and surge-bypass MOVs on electronics power connections.
 
Beezer said: "So my car needed a boost and I put the cable wires backwards on the negative and positive terminals and fried the car. It's at the garage...I'm awaiting a hefty bill unless I just need all of the fuses replaced.

I've boosted scores of cars in my life. Can't believe I actually did that. Man, I'm getting old."


Jessica scrub up 005.JPG
What is this cable wires backwards? Boosting scores of cars? What is this Gobble-de-Gook?
What you do is take the starting handle like this one.
starting handle.png
Insert into the bracket on the bumper just above the licence plate number. Then insert it into the second hole, the one at the bottom of the chrome radiator. Switch the ignition on, turn the handle and the engine will start. My Mg has never had a fry up, mind you I nearly fried my hand once when I accidentally touch the outlet manifold. The profanities uttered I wouldn't dare repeat here.
 

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