hooked up battery backwards!

[EricB]

hey my sister's boyfriend was jumping my old 66 ford, i wasn't paying attention i was letting him do it. but he got the terminals crossed. now i have a really odd electrial problem, you can bump start it and the alternator will charge the battery. but once it's shut off you get nothing. there is a clicking type sound comming from the voltage regulator and the alternator light stays on. i'm a real goof when it comes to vehicle electrical systems so i'm stumped. oh the battery also gets drained too, like when you shut it down. it seems like something is staying on and just draining the juice. to me it seemed like maybe it's not getting a good ground or something. i meen it apears to be, and why would reversing the terminals cause a bad ground? i dunno, so what possibly could happen if you hooked the terminals up backwards? what would die first?

oh i also put another known good solenoid on it also, if that helps.

[FastHonda400ex]

One time I had to get a jump start from a guy to start my truck and he hooked up his end of the cables backwards from what I had them on my battery. It jump started my truck, but it blew out my alternator too. It sounds like your alternator or voltage regulator got fried! When you get that fixed, then try to find the electrical drain by unplugging one thing at a time while having a multimeter hooked to your battery with the key in the "off" position. Have the multimeter set for mA's and check things like your stereo, CB, amp, key switch, etc.

Hopefully the alternator or voltage regulator doesn't cost you too much? Better yet, make your sister's boyfriend pitch in half the cost since he screwed up!

[motochris]

Check some of your fuseable links(wires) that are around the starter solenoid... These wires can burn appart inside there casing... This is a safety item just like a fuse in your fuse box...

You may have also hurt the Starter Solenoid... You must have something burned up if it wont turn over by the key and crank... As for you batt not staying charged you have something that is grounding out(melted bare wire touching steel??) You could have hurt the batt to by jumping it wrong... But before you go out and buy everthing to rebuild your truck, try to get it to start first and then check to see what is hurt in the charging system, voltage reg, alt,ect...

If you can bump start the truck to run then take a volt meter and put it on 20volt put the leads to the battery and see if its charging... The reading should be around the 13.30 and up area with the motor running... Good luck.......:D

[Pappy]

the battery was probly so dead it didnt hurt anything. the battery will need to be fully charged and then tested. the sound you hear from the solinoid is due to the lack of amperage from the battery.

[EricB]

wow thanks for the input guys, most the time people just don't reply.


ok here is what i've done so far, new starter solenoid, new voltage regulator, putting in a new ignition switch we know the old one is hosed. the alternator is good because it will charge the battery. tried another battery that is known good too. i'll have to check all the fuseable links, i didn't really notice any but i'll double check.

ok so after we put all this new stuff on aside from the ignition switch. but when you jump it you can get the starter to turn the motor over but it gets stuck on. i'm pretty sure it's not a bad solenoid at this point. i think it's the switch, hopefully now all we gotta do is find a diagram.

[NTPRacing#19]

you may believe it or not but if you TOTALLY drain a battery till there is absolutly NO CHARGE and i mean DONE you can actually charge a battery backwards if you get the terminals backwards.

The truck WILL run off of the alternator thats what runs everythign electrical in your car anyway. so when that alternator is spinning and triin to charge that "reversed" battery it gonna happen, so when you shut your truck off and try to start it , the baterry is dead and wont start.

if dont beilve me fine, i know its a proven fact so... believe what you want

[EricB]

ok i made a new ground wire also, the main one from the firewall to the intake. it's a big wire from an amp or something so i know thats sufficent. but now it won't even bump start so i think the ignition switch is hookered up wrong or something.

[Pappy]

ntp is 100% correct....ive seen it...ive done it:p

[NTPRacing#19]

thanks pappy for backin me up, i thought there was gonna be a big dispute about what i said

[Pappy]

i see it all the time.

we had one a few weeks back that came from the factory that way:huh cost us over $800 in repairs:mad: if its man made...it can be screwed up:p

[NTPRacing#19]

hey pappy do you race NEATV-MX?

[tants]

Originally posted by Pappy
the battery was probly so dead it didnt hurt anything. the battery will need to be fully charged and then tested. the sound you hear from the solinoid is due to the lack of amperage from the battery.


kenny the batterie expert!

[Pappy]

yep....expert...i even graduated from battery school:p got me a thing on the wall:D lmao!!!

[Pappy]

Originally posted by NTPRacing#19
hey pappy do you race NEATV-MX?

i race my kids for use of the bathroom....

i race my wife to the best side of the bed.....

but i dont race NEATV-MX:D

i hear its a great series tho.:p

[EricB]

NPT i didn't rule out what you said or anything but i think this might be the problem. ok so when the battery has a charge it does in deed spark when you connect the terminals the right way. just like if you were to cross the cables. i found a good diagram of the wiring on the switch so i'm like 90% sure thats right.

but when we try to jump it the starter is just stuck on, i meen that could be the bushings just melted together or something, or it could just be throwing power to it. so maybe the starter is what got fried? it's kinda a pain to get out because it's in the driveway in the rain. but if you guys think it's bad i'll try it. but before i go through that i want to try another battery. or is there a way to get the battery back to normal? but i wouldn't be surprised if that batery is ruined for good either...


let me say this again, i hate wiring. an thanks again.

[Pappy]

eric...it sounds like the bendix is gone in the starter. and yes...the battery will spark sometimes even if the terminals are connected correctly. always attach the positive first...then the negative( vicaversa when removing) this will cut way down on the sparks....a good thing when working with a product that emits hydrogen gas;)

[honda350r]

You said the alternator still charged but the amp light was on when you turned the key off... I would bet you have blown a diode inside the alternator... You will have to replace that as a whole unit..Should only cost about 30.00

the alternator will not handle reverse polarity,one of two things will happen...(One) the fusible link will burn in half.....(Two )the diodes will blow!

The fusible link is located at the starter relay on the fender,check all the wires going to the post on the relay that has the positive battery cable going to it .... Pull on them and make sure they don't pull in half!


Good luck

Jim

[EricB]

yeah hehe thats what i thought pappy, i never really knew about the gas untill i was looking at the battery today.


yeah someone said something about fuseable links, but my brother said that there weren't any. even though i could have sworn i was messing with one when i was looking at the heater.

[FastHonda400ex]

Eric,
I may be wrong, but you have a '66 Ford PU, and I don't remember seeing any fusible links on a '66? If your alternator light is on, then most likely the diode is blown like Jim said. Definitely sounds like your starter is toast! When I worked on several cars at a shop as a car tech I had to disconnect a battery on a car that the starter kept cranking after the car was started. Change the starter and the alternator and you should be up and runnin' again.

Later,
Doug

[EricB]

damn heh, i thought forsure it was a short somewhere. ok well maybe i can get the starter and the alternator off and have them tested at shucks or somehwere. fek already had to drain 50 bux into electrial stuff lastnight hopefully the starter and alternator aren't going to be to much if they're both toast.

[honda350r]

I don't think your starter will be bad,since the starter doesn't care about polarity!!


Jim