Need serious help

[blackiestang94]

I have a feeling that I have done the dumbest thing ever....

I have a 1994 Mustang GT. My car battery will not hold a charge. It dies after a few days until it eventually kills the battery completely. We have replaced the alternator several times and it still does this .... Also, while installing a new battery tonight so we could at least get it on for a while, we connected the battery cables backward and the alternator sparked a little and then smoked. Now it will start but will not stay on. When it dies the battery light comes on. Have we killed my alternator? Any advice on both issues would be very appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Daggar]

Yep... you've probably fried the voltage regulator. You can at least take a small amount of solace in the fact that the car starts at all. It's a good indicator that your computer has probably survived (although not a guarantee).

 

[NakedRaygun]

Did you even check fuses and circuits before replacing the alternator?

Hopefully the ECU lived.