I did a Bad Bad Thing!!

879 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by GTRTurrrbo, Jun 15, 2002

GTRTurrrbo

Discussion Starter · Jun 14, 2002

Hello,
I recently purchased a 66 Mustang for my son. In process of replacing the carpets and installing rear speakers, I had disconnected what seemed to be the positive cable to the battery. Last night when I went to start the car after connecting the cable, nothing would happen. I assumed that the battery had died. I decided to use a booster cable and jump it. I don't know about your Mustangs but for some reason this car had red cable for negative and black for positive.. It was dark and I couldn't read the battery and I had always assumed that Red cable is for Positive. Any ways, as soon as I connected the jumper cable it started to spark and huge ball of smoke came up around the battery area.

After I figured out what had happened, I put the jumper cable correctly and car still will not start. The starter Just turns once and stops. The battery does not hold any charge at all. I had it connected for over 15 minutes and as soon as I disconnect the side from the good battery, everything goes off.

My questions is, what could I have destroyed? Alternator, Starter, or Ignition stuff?

Could I have killed the battery?

Save

1 - 8 of 8 Posts

Midlife

· #2 · Jun 14, 2002

Yes.

Start by getting a new battery, and hooking things up, but only after inspecting your wiring for burned and exposed insulation. If the wiring is OK, hook things up, and try radio or horn. If that works, try starting the car.

Likely you've ruined the Voltage Regulator, and possibly the alternator as well.

Save

kketell

· #3 · Jun 14, 2002

My cousin jumped my car for my wife once when I was out of town. He hooked it up backwards for only a second or two. That's all it took to blow every single fuse in the car.

Replace that battery of yours. Replace those bogus cables. Check your wiring for burns. Check all of your fuses.

After you have done all of the above put the new battery in and connect it properly and give it a try.

Save

whisperer

· #4 · Jun 15, 2002

Consider yourself lucky. I blew a battery up directly in my face one time, I'm talking a real explosion here. It seems a charging battery is a great way to make Hydrogen and Oxygen. H2 and O2 and a spark from the cables lit the mix and it blew the top of the battery off, blew all the acid out, and every bit of it all missed me completely, even though I was leaning over the fender and looking directly down at the battery. I found parts of the battery top clear across the yard.
To this day I can't figgure out how it missed me, maybe someone I couldn't see reached out and put their hand in the way?

Save

GTRTurrrbo

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 15, 2002

Thanks for the advise.
I bought a new battery and new Voltage Regulator. I hooked everything up... I turned on the head light and it came on. I turned it off and turned the key. It went Click and nothing happened. Now the head lights don't come on either... Nothing works. >:-(
When I open the door, I looked at the interior light and they are barely Amber color. Something is draining the heck of the power. What do you thing it might be?

Starter? or Starter relay?

Thabks in advance.

Save

289stang

· #6 · Jun 15, 2002

You may now have a poor ground connection. Additionally, you may still need to check / change you starter silenoid and/or the starter.

Save

2bav8

· #7 · Jun 15, 2002

Is that rubber burning or is it the doofus award?

Save

GTRTurrrbo

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 15, 2002

A little of both. I assumed that red wire is always a positve and Black is negative. I guess I was wrong and a 76 station mechanic have put the wrong color cables on.

Save

1 - 8 of 8 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month