Hit battery with wrench while connected

mustangramair

Member

Feb 24, 2004

326

0

17

Iowa

Jun 6, 2005

#1

• Jun 6, 2005

• #1

Hey guys, i was working on my 89 GT today and i forgot to disconnect the battery. Well a wrench hit the postive battery terminal and something else because it sparked and smoked. Now my car doesn't have any power going to the anything. The fuel pump doesn't turn on, no dome lights, no headlights, nothing. Did i just screw my whole electrical system? Is there some main fuse i might have blown? Is there any fuse box besides the one below the steering column? Man i feel like the biggest idiot alive!

 

J

JJPA

New Member

May 3, 2005

59

0

0

Lancaster,PA

Jun 6, 2005

#2

• Jun 6, 2005

• #2

i dont think that you could have screwed your whole electrical system. Sounds like a main fuse to me but unfortanelty im new the mustang so i couldnt tell you where to look.

 

mustangramair

Member

Feb 24, 2004

326

0

17

Iowa

Jun 6, 2005

#3

• Jun 6, 2005

• #3

JJPA said:

i dont think that you could have screwed your whole electrical system. Sounds like a main fuse to me but unfortanelty im new the mustang so i couldnt tell you where to look.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the confidence booster, I hope it is something simple.

 

K

KnowPlay

Banned

Jun 4, 2005

13

0

0

Swamp in Louisiana

Jun 6, 2005

#4

• Jun 6, 2005

• #4

Try a new battery. More than likely you caused an internal short of the battery which drains it dry. I would try removing and reinstalling the cable ends before replacing the battery.

 

kornchild4life

New Member

Mar 30, 2005

46

0

0

islip, ny

Jun 6, 2005

#5

• Jun 6, 2005

• #5

check the fuseable link off the starter sinro, or the sinro itself(spell check sry i cant spell at times). and check the fuses.. see how that goes hope it helps

 

mustangramair

Member

Feb 24, 2004

326

0

17

Iowa

Jun 6, 2005

#6

• Jun 6, 2005

• #6

Thanks guy, the fuses looked good. My brother also told me to change the battery so i will do that tomorrow. The only thing with the battery is that we checked it with a voltage meter and it seemed to be putting out power. I will also check the fuseable link. Thanks for all the quick responces.

 

Jekyl

New Member

Mar 31, 2005

93

0

0

Calgary AB

Jun 6, 2005

#7

• Jun 6, 2005

• #7

wow that sucks man. Yeah sounds like you killed your battery. Hopefully you bought one with a warranty . Just tell them that it died and your car wont start and they will replace it under warranty no questions asked.

 

J

James Kirk

New Member

Jun 3, 2005

44

0

0

Jun 6, 2005

#8

• Jun 6, 2005

• #8

Try taking the battery out and having it load tested. You cannot check the power of a battery with a multi-meter. All you can do is check the voltage. Parts stores will check this for free. I have never heard of killing a battery that quick though. Only way I can imagine killing a battery with a wrench is to lay it across the terminals for a few minutes. Unless your battery was already near the end of its life span.

 

5spd GT

"the 5.0 owns all"

Founding Member

Aug 7, 2002

9,516

6

99

Arkansas

Jun 6, 2005

#9

• Jun 6, 2005

• #9

Wow I'm going to have to be careful. I have hit the battery (both ends) and all is did is make me jump each time and make a nice fireworks show

Sorry for the misfortune...

You'll get it

 

89MustangGX

I have nothing productive to add!

Jul 3, 2001

10,262

1

0

Mill Creek, WA

Jun 7, 2005

#10

• Jun 7, 2005

• #10

That's why the fusible links are there -- probably saved your entire system. Good luck!

 

C

Camman

Founding Member

Jan 5, 2000

1,055

0

37

Las Vegas, NV

Jun 7, 2005

#11

• Jun 7, 2005

• #11

Ive shorted my battery many times with the end of a wrench, and the only damage was to the wrench and my ego. My buddy once burned a hole straight through his thumb hooking up a battery with the starter wire jammed between the header and motor. But his battery was fine. I would think maybe your positive wire burnt up, or maybe your terminals just came loose. What does the volt meter read? if it is over 12.6 odds are the battery is good, and anything above 10 should give you at least a dim dome light. I know a voltage check doesnt allow for a load check, but it should tell you weather or not the battery is to dead to even turn on the dome light.

Anyway, there is a single 2 gauge wire that runs from the positive battery terminal to the 'bat' terminal on the solenoid. Check for voltage where it hits the solenoid.

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

34

129

Jun 7, 2005

#12

• Jun 7, 2005

• #12

the puter is supposed to be able to take a double-voltage reverse-polarity hook-up, and still work.

 

tunedin302

I AM the law!!!

Jul 29, 2004

1,251

2

36

Pennsylvania

Jun 7, 2005

#13

• Jun 7, 2005

• #13

KnowPlay said:

Try a new battery. More than likely you caused an internal short of the battery which drains it dry. I would try removing and reinstalling the cable ends before replacing the battery.

Click to expand...

 

Zero_chance

Founding Member

May 29, 2001

1,244

7

59

Maricopa, AZ

Jun 7, 2005

#14

• Jun 7, 2005

• #14

I would more than likely think its a fusible link. Try voltage dropping acroos them with your DVOM before you replace the battery. Like already stated if its at least showing 12 volts then you should get something turning on even briefly. Ive seen wires melt before though so thats another posssibility. How long were the two touching or did it get fused there?

 

MrKwik

Founding Member

Jan 29, 2000

1,008

0

0

Kansas City, Kansas

Jun 7, 2005

#15

• Jun 7, 2005

• #15

89MustangGX said:

That's why the fusible links are there -- probably saved your entire system. Good luck!

Click to expand...

Agreed, probably just a fuse link. How long was it shorted for? Did you just hit it or like lay a wrench on it?

 

tunedin302

I AM the law!!!

Jul 29, 2004

1,251

2

36

Pennsylvania

Jun 7, 2005

#16

• Jun 7, 2005

• #16

Zero_chance said:

I would more than likely think its a fusible link. Try voltage dropping acroos them with your DVOM before you replace the battery. Like already stated if its at least showing 12 volts then you should get something turning on even briefly. Ive seen wires melt before though so thats another posssibility. How long were the two touching or did it get fused there?

Click to expand...

I'm trying to understand how it could be a fusible link. It sounds like he grounded the positive terminal on the battery with a wrench. Therefore the circuit was the wrench (no fuse) straight to ground. I could see if he grounded the line with the fusible link somewhere down the line after the fusible link then it was cause a surge in the fusible link and likely blow. Also, the fusbile link is a slow burn as compared to a fast acting fuse. Essentially, how can the fusible link blow if it isn't part of the circuit that he created with the wrench?

 

StockLX

Founding Member

Mar 27, 2001

1,065

0

36

Halifax NS, Canada

Jun 7, 2005

#17

• Jun 7, 2005

• #17

when that happened to me, it blew the voltage regulator in my alternator.

 

wht93gtEd

Active Member

Nov 11, 2004

0

9

29

Jersey Shore, New Jersey

Jun 7, 2005

#18

• Jun 7, 2005

• #18

tunedin302 said:

I'm trying to understand how it could be a fusible link. It sounds like he grounded the positive terminal on the battery with a wrench. Therefore the circuit was the wrench (no fuse) straight to ground. I could see if he grounded the line with the fusible link somewhere down the line after the fusible link then it was cause a surge in the fusible link and likely blow. Also, the fusbile link is a slow burn as compared to a fast acting fuse. Essentially, how can the fusible link blow if it isn't part of the circuit that he created with the wrench?

Click to expand...

thats correct! no fuse...I went from positive terminal to negative terminal through the wrench.

that's why when you hook-up any acessories directly to the battery (i.e. stereo, electric fans, etc...) you put the fuse as close to the battery as possible. Because anything between the battery and the fuse is not protected.

Say you put the fuse for your stereo in the trunk, by the amp. If your power wire gets a cut somewhere around the firewall, then you have a major short & the fuse will never blow because the circuit is completed before the fuse.

 

mustangramair

Member

Feb 24, 2004

326

0

17

Iowa

Jun 7, 2005

#19

• Jun 7, 2005

• #19

Thanks for all the responces guys, all of you are alot of help! I just got home from work and i will be going out to the garage and looking at all the suggestions you made. Hopefully i will have a postive update later!

 

crazypete

All my crevices are greased.

Oct 22, 2004

930

4

18

Arlington, MA

Jun 7, 2005

#20

• Jun 7, 2005

• #20

I always thought batteries exploded or burst if you hook the terminals together (and run away). Do they not? I've never seen reason to experiment with this hypothesis but the insane current would heat that puppy up in a jiffy, I know that much.