i just f'ed something up...help

93GTosu · Sep 11, 2006

oh noes i messed up big time

Soooo i took my battery out to clear out all the bugs that had gathered there in the past few months or so (there was a dead praying mantis down there btw...those suckers look mean and i dont know how he got in there). Now i honestly can't believe i did this and it took me a second to figure out what happened...but i put the battery back in the opposite way somehow and connected the cables

As soon as i connected the cables a puff of smoke came from my coil cover...i pulled it off and there is a green wire down there that looks like it had broke apart but other than that i didnt see anything else. The car fired up fine but the battery light is on.

Does it sound like i did damage or is the battery just toast? what is that green wire going to? I realllllly hope i didnt mess up anything but i guess i haven't made a dumb mistake in awhile and one was bound to happen eventually.

thanks in adavance....

Saleen0679 · Sep 11, 2006

Sounds like you fried the fusible link that goes to the alternator regulator. You need to buy another 14 Gauge link and replace the blown piece.

BTW, the mantis is one of the coolest bugs around. They help me keep the spider population down. I get a few of those welcome 'guests' every once in a while.

93GTosu · Sep 11, 2006

so i just need to take out that green wire and replace it with a new "14 Gauge link?" I'll run up to autozone asap in the morning but i really have no idea what i need and sometimes the people there arent the most helpful.

this was such a bad night...

edit:
Ok so the wire is green where it blew apart but splits further down into a brownish wire and a black w/orange striped wire. Here's a pic, best i could do with a camera phone...sorry i made it so big. Now how do i replace this since it splits?

TC93 · Sep 11, 2006

Like mentioned, a fusible link blew. In the electrical section at the parts store there should be replacments link. Basically cut old out & splice the new one in.

Saleen0679 · Sep 11, 2006

When you splice in the new link make sure you solder the connections. Ideally you want to replace the whole link all the way through where it splits. Seal the splices with Liquid Electrical tape or heat shrink (something that won't come off).

Mr. Rustypwnz · Sep 11, 2006

HAHA!!! LOL I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago, blew 3 fuse links.

93GTosu · Sep 11, 2006

Saleen0679 said:
When you splice in the new link make sure you solder the connections. Ideally you want to replace the whole link all the way through where it splits. Seal the splices with Liquid Electrical tape or heat shrink (something that won't come off).

I went to AZ this morning and told the guy what happened. I got 14 gauge fuseable link wire and a pack of crimp connectors (what he reccomended). I just cut off the wire down to an unburnt piece and spliced in new wire. Do i realy need to solder them or is this fine for the time being till i can find a better fix? The car at least starts up now...but the battery light is on between my speedo and tach. Also my voltage is showing up somewhat low on the stock gauge (its now reading below middle). i called back to AZ and he said maybe i toasted my computer. What else could it be? I just need to get this fixed as its my DD.

thanks guys

93GTosu · Sep 11, 2006

slow95gt said:
HAHA!!! LOL I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago, blew 3 fuse links.

thanks at least im not the only person who's ever done this. Maybe i have another link im missing and thats why my battery light is on?? The car starts up fine and idles fine too.

afast93stang · Sep 11, 2006

:OT: Not to steal your thread or anything but I took this picture last year at my apartment. I was going downstaris to class and she was perched on the hand rail. And yes, im a photographer.

Oh, and hope you get the car fixed.

View attachment 441068

Rynb15 · Sep 11, 2006

i did the same thing. (sort of )And my batt light came on, and the voltage meter was reading low. Alternater was fried. If you dont drive the car alot it will just run off the batt. Eventually it will die. Take the alt to autozone and have them check it. But it sounds exactly what happened to me.

93GTosu · Sep 11, 2006

well i took the battery to autozone and it tested good. Can they test alternators too??? I will go first thing in the morning!

AWESOME PIC!!!!!!!!!! I was actually at my grandma's today mowing a few fields for her and i found out where my mantis came from!! Daaamn there must be hundreds out there! I saw a few that were 6-8" long but most were only a few inches.

93GTosu · Sep 11, 2006

ttt

does anyone think i messed my computer up? or would it just plain not start if i had fried that? cause the guy at autozone seemed fairly confident i had done damage to it. He is one of only 2 guys there i'll ask for advice. IF the alternator checks out "OK" where should i go from there? if its bad i think i should do a 3g upgrade no?

once again thanks for helping....i'm pretty clueless and you guys are my only source for help at the moment. If i don't get it running tomorrow i guess im borrowing my grandma's dualie

SMOKEDYA · Sep 11, 2006

93GTosu said:
ttt

does anyone think i messed my computer up? or would it just plain not start if i had fried that? cause the guy at autozone seemed fairly confident i had done damage to it. He is one of only 2 guys there i'll ask for advice. IF the alternator checks out "OK" where should i go from there? if its bad i think i should do a 3g upgrade no?

once again thanks for helping....i'm pretty clueless and you guys are my only source for help at the moment. If i don't get it running tomorrow i guess im borrowing my grandma's dualie

I think he is just trying to get you to buy a new ECM cause it's prob way more then an alt! I would take the alt off and have him bench test it, then take it to another place and see what they say to see if he's lying? BTW where in ohio are you? peace

john

93GTosu · Sep 11, 2006

im in medina/brunswick area! but i go to OSU, which is where im heading on friday! back to school!! wooo! thanks for the reply, where are you at??

nonglossjason · Sep 12, 2006

haha wow when i blew mine i felt like a dumbass, although the battery was in the trunk and it was dark at night. But yea i just blew the link, and now that i think of it i think the alt. is shot as well(car is sold now) but test the alternator i am pretty sure that is it!

Saleen0679 · Sep 12, 2006

You may have just damaged the regulator. Get the alt tested. The crimp connector will work for the short term, but moisture and oxidation/corrosion will eventually occur since the wiring is still exposed. If if were me, I would solder the connection and use adhesive lined heat shrink to cover the exposed wiring.

jrichker · Sep 12, 2006

To tell if the computer is damaged, dump the codes. Post the results in a separate post & I will try to help.

Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong… Codes can be present without setting the Check Engine Light.

Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.

See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html

IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.

Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.

Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.

For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at AutoZone or Walmart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3829 – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $35.

WalMart may have the above LCD display scanner for less than $35.

Aryan15 · Sep 12, 2006

You just fried the diodes in the alternator by reversing polarity. If you want to, you can pull the alternator apart check each diode with an ohmmeter and replace as necessary. A good diode should have zero resistance forward biased and infinite resistance the other way. A bad diode will show zero resistance both ways.

93GTosu · Sep 13, 2006

Aryan15 said:
You just fried the diodes in the alternator by reversing polarity. If you want to, you can pull the alternator apart check each diode with an ohmmeter and replace as necessary. A good diode should have zero resistance forward biased and infinite resistance the other way. A bad diode will show zero resistance both ways.

Well i needed the car asap cause it's my dd. I was using my sister's car to get around cause she left it with me while she was on vacation but she got back today. So i took the alternator to autozone and it failed. I just bought their replacement 75amp--is this ok? for some reason i thought it should be around 85?? Anyways got it home and on and it fixed the problem...BUT....

now i have no stereo. not that it bothers me all that much but its needed during long trips. Where should i look now?

I'll pull the codes tomorrow and start another post. I know there were some in there before all this.

superhuaman · Sep 13, 2006

stock alt's are 65 or 75...you should have done the 3g or one wire upgrade imho
since your alt and your wiring were both shot.

as for the stereo...check the fuse(s). if theyre good, then you probably ruined that, too.

its always good to pull codes, but if it runs, then your computer is probably fine

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