Battery Connected Backwards

I think your basic understanding of smoke systems is remarkable. However I find a flaw with your theory. The battery is a reusable storage device for smoke. therefore, one would assume that some sort of one way valve (we can call it a diode) should be needed to prevent pressure flooding back into the system while at rest. Unlike the A/C system, the smoke system is collecting darkness at the headlights and converting it to smoke. This causes the system to fill up. The battery can contain much higher pressures and volumes than the wires. If this pressure exceeds the capacity of the wire, it will cause a rupture as you described. The rupture can be controlled by a sacrificial device known as a fuse. But this still doesn't eliminate the problem. Perhaps a two way valve (zener diode) is used to allow a small amount of pressure to return to the system, and partially equalize. I find this theory unlikely though, due to the increase in the force required to start the pump (which is now under pressure) working again...

Coasty

Maybe not on side-terminal batteries, but all the ones I have here have big post/little post arrangements. If I replace a battery with the proper size, the cables cannot reach the wrong terminals anyway.

Why so? Higher voltage allows you to run with lower amperage, and amperage is the smoke-maker.

DougW proclaimed:

I've seen different sized terminals, but now that you mention it, not for a long time.

Stupendous Man proclaimed:

The lower the voltage a computer runs at, the longer it is likely to keep running. Too much heat at higher voltage levels. Higher the speed the computer runs, worse it gets. The thought of 48 volts is to reduce the weight of the wiring, since you can stuff the same wattage thru smaller wires by using more voltage. The electronics would do like old telco gear and use local voltage regulators to get 5 or 3.3 volts.

I find that a pair of heavy duty duck billed snap ring pliers, or two large screwdrivers, can be used to correct the problem, where the small clamp terminal won't fit over the big battery post. Then if you turn the battery

Earle

None of the processing stuff runs at 12.

L.W.(ßill) Hughes III proclaimed:

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the help. I did make it home with no problems and found that the 14 gauge fuse link was blown and the radio fuse was also gone. I got 10ft of the stuff from my local parts store for $2.49! All works well now and the Jeep is ready for its 190,000th mile next week :). Guess I did get lucky with the alternator!

For the curious, the posts on the battery are different sizes. I put after market brass clamps on some time back and connected the positive post first. It was too small but I figured the new battery had bigger posts and pried open the clamp a bit. When I tried to put the negative clamp on - touching off the fireworks show, it dawned on me that the posts were different sizes for a reason!

Thanks again, Steve