Oops, tried to jump start car, now dead?

[pliablemoose]

I tried to jump start my car yesterday, the security guy reversed the polarity on the jumper cables, and now my poor car is dead when we put the cables on correctly.

No interior lights, nothing when external power is applied, is there a master fuse that's now toast or is the ECU toast now?

It's a 97' stock everything.

[sammm]

Check the fuses and relays under the hood (near the firewall on the passenger side).

[cone-cerned]

Been there, done that, only blew the "main" fuse. It was an OTM.

[channelmaniac]

There's a big assed 80A fuse on the NAs in the main box under the hood. There's a similar one on the NBs but not 100% sure if it's the same 80A size or a little bigger.

Replace that fuse and you should be good to go.

RJ

[bnordin]

If yours is like mine, the original main fuse can not be slipped out by pulling on it. You will need to unscrew the small bolt completely before it will come out. The replacement fuse that I purchased at the local auto parts store had a slot at the bottom so it could be replaced more easily. Not a big deal.

[pliablemoose]

Thanks all, I assumed it was the 80A fuse, tried to tug on it, but didn't grab it with a pair of pliers after I saw the bolt that looked like it held it in place.

I should be up and running after work tonight, thanks

[pliablemoose]

That was it, thanks.

Haven't fried a fuseable link since the early 80's when I put a stereo in my 71' Dodge 1 ton van :)

[channelmaniac]

Glad to be of help!

[CosmosMpower]

I think I just did the same thing today. The cables got a bit warm and I disconnected them quickly. Which terminal is positive on the NA, the one closer to the car (left) or the one further away towards the fender?

Also to replace the 80A fuse I read you have to remove the whole fuse box and unscrew it, is this true?

[cam76034]

Negative is the one closest to the fender. On any vehicle you need to see follow the negative cable to see where it is grounded. I had a tractor where somebody had used a positive (red) cable for the ground.

[channelmaniac]

That's because some of the tractors are positive ground.

[CosmosMpower]

The weird thing is I hooked everything up assuming the left terminal was + and the jumper cables smoked/got hot. Possible the cables are bad or am I missing something else here. I've jumped the car before with no issues so I'm not sure whats up.

[Titus]

The wife's Nash is positive ground. Stupid lucas.

[Titus]

The weird thing is I hooked everything up assuming the left terminal was + and the jumper cables smoked/got hot. Possible the cables are bad or am I missing something else here. I've jumped the car before with no issues so I'm not sure whats up.

What about the car on the other end of the jumpers? Could it have been reversed on that side?

[channelmaniac]

The weird thing is I hooked everything up assuming the left terminal was + and the jumper cables smoked/got hot. Possible the cables are bad or am I missing something else here. I've jumped the car before with no issues so I'm not sure whats up.

A shorted cell in the battery can cause that too, but they tend to crack/rupture.

[CosmosMpower]

Weird, I jumped it again with the S2000 and it worked instantly didn't do anything different than earlier today. Luckily the 80A fuse was not popped and the car is ready to go to it's new owners tomorrow.

[tailchaser]

I have resisted as long as possible, but I cannot any longer.

Re: the title of the thread...

Next time, remember not to attach the jumper cables to your nipples. It's not cool on TV, and you can die when you do it at home.

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread (drift).