wired battery in reverse, whats the damage?

[wozdawg]

g'day guys, I'm a bit of a car newb and today I went in and bought a battery from a guy down the road and he gave me the wrong one..

anyway I took off the (blue -, red +) caps off the new battery then installed it into my car the same way as my old one.. but being stupid I just wired it away and got some nice sparks coming off it as well as some smoke coming out of the engine.. then I realized upon shining a torch into the car that I had wired it the wrong way (the +, - were black on black so it was very hard to see after taking off the caps).. I should have known as the positive connector went on very loose, but as I said I'm a newbie..

Anyway I wired up my old battery as it was not completely shot and usually worked, this caused a little bit of smoke to come out of the engine and the battery dead sign was up on the dash, along with no odometer, radio or lights..

few questions:

- will they replace the battery, I was given the wrong one, but obviously I wired it up like an idiot (in theory I could just walk back there with the caps back on and act like it was the wrong one and nothing else happened and they should replace it)

- is the new battery dead now too?

- I have next to nothing in cash, could I grab a few fuses from the wreckers and try to fix it myself or is this a complicated job?

- I've heard mixed reports of various sources, some that I've probably done a lot of damage others say the fuses should have protected most things..

looks like ive learnt a painful and expensive lesson..

[Tw11ga]

Yeah mate you'll probably have to replace nearly every fuse

[pablo]

It pained me to read what you have said!..but, the new battery would be O.K., take it back for the correct one, (you didn't try to start the motor, did you?)
Since you do not have a workshop manual, I would go over all the fuses, under the bonnet and under the dash, and replace any open circuit ones.................. keep your fingers crossed!
Good luck!

[wozdawg]

It pained me to read what you have said!..but, the new battery would be O.K., take it back for the correct one, (you didn't try to start the motor, did you?)
Since you do not have a workshop manual, I would go over all the fuses, under the bonnet and under the dash, and replace any open circuit ones.................. keep your fingers crossed!
Good luck!

thanks for the advice mate, so what do you reckon I just draw up a picture of all the replaceable fuses then hit up the wreckers and get as many as possible? is there anyway to tell if the fuses are blown? last time I went to the wreckers there was only about 5 VTs in total, may be a bit of a challenge..

also I didnt try to start the car with the battery in reverse as i just got sparks/smoke as soon as they touched.. however i tried to start it with my old battery, but no good, I just has the battery sign.. tomorrow when I get the new battery, should I try and start my car or replace as many fuses as possible first?

how much $ am i looking at for all these fuses..

[Exidor]

You have probably ruined the diode pack in your alternater.

[BOGANV8]

You could prob go to Repco or whatever and get a packed of different fuses and just replace what seems blown... Prob be about 10 bucks for a pack of 7.5amp, 10amp, 15amp, 25amp, 30amp.

[andyman]

as stated most likely you have stuffed the diode pack in the alternator hence the smoke comming out and the battery light on,

go over all the fuses in the car, if you pull them out you will see the thin piece of metal in tact which means its ok, or if the fuses are blown the little piece of wire inside will be broken,


go over the car, see what fuses you need if you need them, right down the amperages and size, or take a sample with you and how many you need, and buy some new ones,

fuses are only cheap so its more worthwhile getting new ones,


id be surprised if you havnt damaged a few components in the car though.....

[wozdawg]

thanks for the advice guys, how much is a new alternator diode, I guess the car wont start without one and will I need a professional to replace it?

also when I get the right battery tomorrow should I try and start my car or replace the fuses first?

[andyman]

thanks for the advice guys, how much is a new alternator diode, I guess the car wont start without one and will I need a professional to replace it?

also when I get the right battery tomorrow should I try and start my car or replace the fuses first?

once the new battery is in, it hasnt got a reason not to run unless some major fuses blew,

its possible though the alternator could discharge your new battery if you leave it in as the diodes could internally short out,

id seek advice from your local auto electrician

[delcowizzid]

sounds expensive to me be prepared to be buying lots of new things things like bcm and ecu wont have liked it

[wozdawg]

ahh thanks, this is my final question - what would you guys do if you were me, keeping in mind your pockets arent deep and you have limited car knowledge

option 1: go into the car shop tomorrow and tell them the truth, you got given the wrong battery however you put it in anyway and tragedy struck.. this could have two scenarios:

a) they help me out a bit and give me the right battery and advice on replacing fuses/diode etc.. (theyre only a couple of doors down so it could be VERY useful)

b) they dont give me a refund for the battery and i lose more money and have no working feasible battery..


option 2: go in and act like the battery was the wrong one and just get it replaced with the right one, no questions asked..

[vs5ltre]

i would go option no 2 they wont test the battery everybody wins except mabye the battery company but meh

[<RaBBiT>]

get battery replaced don't tell them wat happened. also find a auto electrician and ask if he can go over ur car or just tell him wat u have done and ask for advise do this before intasling new battery

[<RaBBiT>]

and gd luk

[pablo]

Sounds like you want to see them again, so come clean and tell them what happened, tell them you
initially touched the wrong terminals with the cables because the terminals were the wrong configeration (wrong battery supplied) and ask for their help. If they are worth dealing with, they should give you a hand. Either way, they would be obliged to replace the battery they wrongly supplied.

[wozdawg]

i may fess up and hopefully they'll replace the battery, the guy has to have a bit of guilt for giving me the wrong one.. and according to most people this battery should still be fine, they'll most likely be putting it in a car they service and the person wont notice the difference..

if I do have to get a new alternator, is this a good deal?

VT VX VY GEN 3 LS1 ALTERNATOR

[accentstencil]

That is a 5.7 V8 alternator and I don't think it will suit the V6.

[D-Man]

and no it isnt a good deal..

maybe - Holden VX Commodore V6 Alternator, VS VT VX - eBay, Other Car Parts, Accessories, Car Parts, Accessories, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 22-Nov-09 20:30:56 AEDST)

i take it the belt and fan are okay and its just the altenator that is the issue.

if so this would be right for you - however ask the bloke what the go is i THINK he wants you to send him your old alternator but im not sure......

[sly_gen3]

i have done the same thing in my vt before, smoke came off the alternator and so on.. got the correct battery installed it correctly and have not had any issues since. fired first go.

[Calaber]

thanks for the advice guys, how much is a new alternator diode, I guess the car wont start without one and will I need a professional to replace it?

also when I get the right battery tomorrow should I try and start my car or replace the fuses first?

Mate

I'm not having a go at you, but if you don't know the answer to something as basic as that, you should leave your car alone and have someone who knows what they are doing take over.

Until any blown fuses are replaced, the circuits they protect won't work. Full stop. Depending on the severity of the damage, that could include the engine management system, starting system, charging system and possibly others as well. Reversing the polarity through the entire electrical system of a modern car can be a very expensive mistake. Sorry.

[OBCT]

My misses done the same thing to one of our vt's, we needed a new altinator.

[VZLAD]

vx alternator, Cars, Bikes, Boats, Holden items at low prices on eBay.com.au

[coolvxss]

prob depends how long you left it the wrong way and stuff. but the battery should be fine. They can take a lot of abuse. I remember in our auto class we use to throw spanners and bits of metal on batteries for giggles, and they still worked.