Author Topic: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In  (Read 4792 times)

zeusmc

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Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« on: September 07, 2020, 03:07:27 PM »
I took the battery out of the car, to the right of battery tray is a red cable, on the other side is a black one. I thought red = positive and black = negative. I put the battery back in and bit of sparking on black cable on battery terminal. As soon as sparked, took cable off. I then noticed on the black cable, on its metal clamp was a + sign. So I momentarily connected the battery up the wrong way. The car is dead, no ignition lights, nothing. I think I must have blown a fuse, as car was working fine. To remove fuses, see attached. Am I OK to remove F1 main supply fuse and  F3 main fuse ignition? I have a Ohms/ Volts meter, tester.So I should be able to check for current flow, would I attach the meters probes, to the fuse screw tabs to test the fuse?
Thanks. 

culzean

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2020, 03:17:49 PM »
I took the battery out of the car, to the right of battery tray is a red cable, on the other side is a black one. I thought red = positive and black = negative. I put the battery back in and bit of sparking on black cable on battery terminal. As soon as sparked, took cable off. I then noticed on the black cable, on its metal clamp was a + sign. So I momentarily connected the battery up the wrong way. The car is dead, no ignition lights, nothing. I think I must have blown a fuse, as car was working fine. To remove fuses, see attached. Am I OK to remove F1 main supply fuse and  F3 main fuse ignition? I have a Ohms/ Volts meter, tester.So I should be able to check for current flow, would I attach the meters probes, to the fuse screw tabs to test the fuse?
Thanks.

The battery clamps that fit over post are different sizes for + and -  also the positive cable clamp has a red plastic insulating cover over it.  I can only guess that a previous owner changed the cables as both cables normally black, with just the different sizes of terminal clamp and normally a very short earth cable that will not normally reach he battery terminal if battery fitted the wrong way, the negative terminal goes to bodywork on every car built in last 40 years.

You may be lucky and have blown the main F1 fuse, I would look at that first, but if not it could get messy.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2020, 03:41:42 PM by culzean »
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zeusmc

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2020, 04:04:21 PM »
" blown the fuse within the positive battery terminal clamp assembly under the red cover "
I don't have any of that see photo.

culzean

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2020, 04:52:48 PM »
" blown the fuse within the positive battery terminal clamp assembly under the red cover "
I don't have any of that see photo.

Sorry,  it looked a lot like a fuse,  it has a zig-zag metal element inside but I noticed it has a couple of small wires crimped and soldered to it,  I think it may be part of the electric load detector,  the main 80 amp fuse if F1 in the under-bonnet fuse box.   When I saw the large cable going off to starter motor solenoid and a smaller one coming out from under red terminal cover heading off in direction for main fusebox I assumed there was a fuse under there, but it looks like part of the ELD.
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zeusmc

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2020, 05:02:28 PM »
"  I noticed it has a couple of small wires crimped and soldered to it,  "No, these are a freezer bag cable tie, the clamp wouldn't tighten down fully on the post, so I filled the gap, so is a nice tight fit now.

I'll unscrew and use my ohms/volts tester on the main F1 fuse, Tuesday.
Thanks.

culzean

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2020, 05:33:51 PM »
"  I noticed it has a couple of small wires crimped and soldered to it,  "No, these are a freezer bag cable tie, the clamp wouldn't tighten down fully on the post, so I filled the gap, so is a nice tight fit now.

I'll unscrew and use my ohms/volts tester on the main F1 fuse, Tuesday.
Thanks.

The positive and negative terminal post clamps are different sizes to make it obvious which one is positive and which negative,  the positive is larger diameter than the negative by a noticeable amount,  and while the positive clamp may fit over the negative post it will not clamp properly, and the negative clamp will not fit over the positive battery post without being bent to make it bigger.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

culzean

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2020, 05:38:48 PM »
I have a MK2 Jazz now and the positive battery clamp is different to the MK1 -  the MK2 has the ELD included in the positive battery clamp,  on the MK1 the electronic load detector ( ELD ) is in the main fuse box.   Battery connections are normally designed so that positive is nearest engine to keep the cables as short as possible.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Jocko

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2020, 05:49:26 PM »
The battery is in back to front.


madasafish

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2020, 10:22:01 AM »
Nice clean engine. Is is ever used? :P :P :P

Jocko

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2020, 11:35:39 AM »
That is just a stock photo to show the correct way the battery goes in. It could have been brand new or it may be a show car.
zeusmc has put his battery in back to front, hence the issues he is having.

culzean

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2020, 11:48:00 AM »
That is just a stock photo to show the correct way the battery goes in. It could have been brand new or it may be a show car.
zeusmc has put his battery in back to front, hence the issues he is having.

Basically it is the wrong terminal arrangement for the car, his photo shows smaller negative terminal on RH front and larger positive terminal on the LH front,  but on the proper Jazz battery the negative post is at RH rear, .   I think the red cable going down to bolt on battery tray is not original, as IIRC the original cable goes to a bolt on the wing or front cross member, and original cable is black.

OP has fitted a Varta A15 which has opposite terminal layout to normal Jazz battery The Varta A14 has the same terminal layout as the Yuasa YBX5054 silver

https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/yuasa/ybx5054/
« Last Edit: September 08, 2020, 03:26:35 PM by culzean »
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Jocko

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2020, 11:59:54 AM »

zeusmc

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2020, 04:27:19 PM »
I have a MK2 Jazz now and the positive battery clamp is different to the MK1 -  the MK2 has the ELD included in the positive battery clamp,  on the MK1 the electronic load detector ( ELD ) is in the main fuse box.   Battery connections are normally designed so that positive is nearest engine to keep the cables as short as possible.
I used the Volts/Ohm tester on the F1 mains supply fuse and the F3 main ignition fuse. I put the test probes on the brass lugs that are screwed down holding the fuse in popsition, couldn't get the screws undone. Both fuses passed current.

zeusmc

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2020, 04:33:08 PM »
Also see my other post on the car not starting.  Won't Start After Lockdown Easing
I didn't proceed with this as have had problems and threats from the people next door, am reluctant to go out to car when they are hanging around.

culzean

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Re: Car Dead After Putting New Battery In
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2020, 07:06:20 PM »
https://community.cartalk.com/t/consequences-of-hooking-a-car-battery-backwards/45560/6

According to this link the alternator will be fried, and if you turned ignition switch that would allow reverse voltage onto a lot more equipment so compounding the problem....

I hope the main fuse blew, but even then it is pretty certain the alternator is history, and maybe ECU


Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

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