Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

[TulsaTime]

Ok, This is totally emabarassing, I crossed the battery terminals and sparks flew everywhere! It didn't dawn on me that crossing the battery terminals was the problem when the sparks flew, so I tried it again and got it not to spark. What an idiot, After about 2 seconds or less, I see white smoke coming from the alternator thinking ahhhh this isn't right so I immediately unhooked the battery. After my heart quit beating a million times a minute, I checked the alternator wiring and they were a little warm but not fused together. I have not tried to start it yet (with the battery installed correctly) but want advice on what I might have jacked up. I know I get to wear the Dunce Hat for a while and deservingly so.

Boat: '06 185LX Stingray 3.0 GLP-D / SX (only 20 hours on hour meter)

 

[crazyinkc]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

The best thing to do at this point is to try and start the motor and see what works and what doesn't. You may have lost your fish finder if you have one and the alt. is going to need a rebuild. I don't know if you have points or electronic ignition but if it electronic, you may have lost the box too. Check you fuses and see if anything was blown like the radio. Report back on what you find and you are not the first to do this. My son did the same thing on our first boat right after I installed the brand new fishfinder.

 

[ralphl]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

you would think by now they would change neg to a square post and pos to round ,,so simple and avoids the ID..10.. T.. error

 

[Boatist]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

I agree the alternator you could have lost the diodes, voltage regulator and Diode Triode.
Any radio turned on can blow if you do not have a diode to blow the fuse if wires reversed.

Good Luck

 

[Mark42]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

Sorry to read about your predicament. After getting things sorted out, grab a can of red spray paint and paint the + terminal and + cable red.

I never crossed the cables, but read about plenty of folks who did it here. What a mess. So now my battery looks like this, and I won't easily mix up the cables.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

My neighbor hooked his battery up backwards and all it did was blow a fuse under the engine cowling. I replaced the fuse with the spare and all was fine.

Your's may be different.

 

[royal0014]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

You let the magic smoke out of the altenator

 

[bajabuddy]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

Just try and start it and see what happens. If you got it unhooked fast enough you my be fine. Never hurts to just try right? If nothing happens then check your fuses and go from there.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

I did the same thing just last week and all it did was blow that 20Amp fuse under the cowl. We were in a hurry to get to the lake, and every time I get in a big rush I tend to make mistakes or forget stuff! Thank the lord for fuses!

 

[spudshaft]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

I did that on a previous boat on a Sunday morning. Had the boat and truck completely loaded, family in swim suits, and I hooked the battery up (backward) just before pulling out of the driveway. It tripped the fuse under the cowling too, but I didn't know there was one there at the time. I had to tell the family to go change, we weren't going. Not a good day, but funny to think about now.

 

[convergent]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

I am assuming that many of these incidents also come from removing the battery or disconnecting it to charge the battery. Best money I ever spent was an in boat charger... plug it into the extension cord in my garage when I get home... batteries always charged and ready to go and rarely even think about the batteries. You can get a good one for about $100 for a two battery setup, or I think I paid about $140 for the last one on my 3 battery setup now. I also like the painting idea too.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

On the bright side (not sparks bright) if it was an outboard it would cost you a whole bunch of dollars more. Like the $250 ignition boxes.

 

[Carolinawater]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

My neighbor hooked his battery up backwards and all it did was blow a fuse under the engine cowling. I replaced the fuse with the spare and all was fine.

Your's may be different.

It was getting dark and I was in a hurry.I did the same bone headed thing. Fortunately all I had to do was replace the fuse. Stuff happens.

 

[BoatNoobie]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

I did this recently myself on my outboard. But nothing happened....

I hook up the outboard and all my accessories backwards. I put my key in to turn the engine and I get to the "on" position and I noticed my voltage gauge wasnt up all the way. It moved slightly. I didnt "start" the motor though.

It almost looks like I have a low to near dead battery. So I turn on my console fish finder and it's not turning on. So I and look at the battery and notice I have everything on backwards. :redface:

Switch all the wires and everything worked just fine.

 

[TimBobCom]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

I did this last year myself, I got to the lake with a couple "bouncing bikinis" wanting to go for a boat ride and my battery was dead. I am pretty sure I was just distracted by the bikinis when I was swapping the battery.

On my engine (Mercruiser 5.0 MPI) there was a 90 amp fuse located directly on the positive lead of the starter that was blown. Other than a couple other little micro fuses (radio for instance) that was all the damage I did. After tracing electrical connections for 3 days I finally found that fuse, $35 later and I was back in the water. Hopefully yours will be as simple to fix.

 

[TulsaTime]

Re: Crossed Battery Terminals - BoneHeaded!!

Thanks Everyone for making this Bone Head feel better. Your stories, advice and techniques about this simple procedure are both very informative and humerous!

Ok, we took the boat out this past Sunday and the only thing that was buggered was the radio. I simply replaced a blown fuse and the tunes were once again blasting past the capacity of that little Kenwood 4x52. What, huh ??

I can now remove my dunce hat!

Thanks again everyone!!