Battery Connected Backwards

You have blown the fuse link for the alternator by the sounds of it. These are located on the relay just below and to the right of the battery on the firewall. Follow the positive cable to the relay post. The fuse links are bolted to this same post.

You can buy new fuse link wire at some auto shops or even the dealership to replace it. They sell it by the foot. It is fairly expensive. You will need a 'red' one or a 14 ga. one.

The fuse link wire is about 8" long with a loop on one end and a fat black tube crimp connector where it connects to the harness wire. The blown one will be a 14 gauge one protecting the 10 ga. alternator cable. You need to match the length and use crimp connectors. You cannot solder fuse link wire without harming it.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

Steven,

Yes, you can run on battery power alone until the battery gives out. The length of time depends on the amount of juice you draw off the battery and its reserve capacity.

Do not turn on any unnecessary electrical device such as the stereo, heater, or headlights. At best you may have a couple hours.

To replace the alternator with a rebuilt/new one will run $100/$200.

The problem may be........ what else was damaged?

The battery itself may be damaged as the alternator tried to charge it the wrong way, fusible links may have burnt, fuses/circuit breakers fried, and if your Wrangler has a computer it may be hurting also.

One good sign is that it starts and runs....

Once you get home put it on a charger and try out all the electrical stuff, lights, turn signals, etc. Be sure to have it charging...... modern batteries do not take kindly to being fully discharged and prefer long and slow charges.

good luck...

Do you think he's fried his radio? The good news, is that you can buy a really decent radio now for $150 or so, compared to what was available in

1988.

Earle

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L.W. ("ßill") Hughes III did pass the time by typing:

You know Bill, I wonder why in the long history of automobubbles they never made different sized terminals to prevent this sort of mistake. Guess it's just a no-profit motive thing.

With the GM 'one wire' type in his YJ, he might have gotten lucky and the fuse link might have done it's job... It happens.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

Umm..... They ARE different sizes on those top post batteries Doug. Folks figure out it's the wrong way before they can get it tightened down usually but it's the last touch that blows things.

The positive post is bigger so if you are hooking one up correctly, negative last, then you can tighten the positive clamp down on the negative post, waaay down mind you to grab on the negative. They should have done it the other way around because the negative clamp won't fit easy on the positive post, it has to stretch open way too much.

The aftermarket ones fit both usually though....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

doh. :)

I should have said different types or keyed like one side one top or some such. The battery I had in mind was a forklift one where they have a polarized connector you can't get on the wrong way.

They could also make them wrench proof. .. you know that part where your snugging down the positive and bang the wrench up against the alternator/etc. :)

He has a mess of them, the alternator has it's own on these.

Mike

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote:

Yes but then the $tealership wouldn't get the big bucks to replace the fuse links and con the marks into the 'fact' their alternator is blown too....

He is lucky the ignition wasn't on. The ignition module will normally cook before that link goes.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

They probably will. Vehicles will soon be made to run at 48 Volts or so. It's better for the computers, but will probably let a lot of smoke out if you are not careful.

As they say, nothing is foolproof - fools are just too damned ingenius! I once had a flight line mechanic who shaved down the (big) rubber connector from an MA3 APU so he could get the plug i to start the a/c. Problem was, he insisted on plugging it in backwards - on a system that provided 800 amps @ 24 volts to the starter and internal nicad batteries. That reverse connection flipped the APU upside down on the ramp.

Problem with the automotive systems is that the c> Mike Roma> >>

Arggh! Make that the square of the CURRENT. Time for a vacation.

Power is voltage TIMES current, or current squared TIMES resistance.