Battery terminals on wrong way round - yes I'm special....

Hi guys,

After slaving away over the Zed for the past couple of months on and off, I finally decided to get it finished and back on the road.

I booked it in for its new front bar to be fitted and sprayed and set myself this weekend to finish it off...

Currently looks like this:



Anyway,

I went and got a new battery as the current one had definitely past its prime (sitting at ~10v)

Put it in as normal, heard a pop and a fizzle and then realised that this battery had its terminals round the other way and I had hooked it up back to front!

After much swearing (I was just about to take it for it's 'victory lap') I set about working it out.

My lights will turn on, but I get no accessories, no fuel pump prime or ignition.

-I have checked all my fuses (big fusable link in engine fine, drivers footwell fine).
-I tried a different battery and still nothing
-I have attempted to locate the starter relay to check that - fail.( My starter relay is not located in the driver's fender for whatever reason...) Anyone have an idea on where it would be if not in the fender?

Closest case I can find searching is this: http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272959&highlight=starter+relay

Which now makes me think I fried my alternator...

Does this sound correct?

If I cant figure it out, it will be off to the mechanics via a friendly tow man, as I do need to get it back on the road so it can be sprayed...

Thanks guys,

Dan.

 

At best, ECU probably fried

 

Sucks big time. Good luck mate.

 

You're the second person I know that does not have the starter relay where it is supposed to be, very weird. Sorry I can't halp with your issue but it does sound very strange that the alternator would be the problem since the accessories and iginition get it's supply via a spliced line in the main +ve lead that goes off to the small fuse box next to the brake booster. Are you sure you have checked all fuses including the large and small fuse boxes in engine bay and also drivers kick panel? There are some relays behind the fuses in the drivers kick panel too.

How long did you have the battery polarity reversed for? If you have even the basics of electrical knowledge like me , get yourself a multimeter and start following the circuit with the aid of the FSM wiring diagram.

 

Not that i'm a knowledgeable guru, but I'm with rob. Logically wouldn't this kind of situation be what the big fuse called battery (in the small fuse box at the back of the engine) is for? Why else would you have a battery fuse?

 

Yep,

First thing I checked. All are fine.

Interestingly, the 'Battery' Link has already been replaced with a short length of wire (previous owner). This would mean it couldn't 'blow', so I was off to the next point of failure, the starter relay.

If my starter relay or actual starter is the culprit, would this still result in no accessories? ie no clock or internal lights at all.

Did anyone who couldn't locate their starter relay in the fender ever mention where it turned up?

Guess I will follow the points of failure round the car with my multimeter and see where I get to, if I could just find the pesky starter relay!

The polarity on the terminals was only switched long enough for me to hear some strange sounds (of shorting I presume) and realise... Maybe 30 seconds.

It is reassuring if you guys don't think it would be the alternator, makes sense what you were saying 90TTZ, the power wire does run pretty much straight to it...

Cheers guys,

Dan.

 

Would the lights still turn on with that blown?

 

ENG CONT (EFI) fusible link is a blue wire, not a normal-looking fuse.

 

Which then begs the question if it turns out DanZed's fuses are all ok:

When would the ENG CONT / BAT fuses blow?

 

I will dig deeper in the morning (while I should be at work...) with my multimeter and check all my fuses/fuseable links again.

Also, I just found a thread by Beaver stating that the alternative location for the Starter relay is near the fuseable links in the rear of the engine bay, driver's side.... So I will check that out...

Failing all that, I'll call Lube Mobile or one of those mobile guys and see if they can sort it out I guess.

Report back tomorrow.

Cheers for your help guys,

Dan.

 

I would imagine you could have done a lot of damage. I think the alternator would be fine the car will start without it.

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but when some idiot replaces the Fusible Link with plain wire and you hook up a battery backwards...Your ECU is probably fried. I would remove the cover on the ECU and check the PCB(printed circuit board) for burns. Smell it for burnt components as well. Hope it is not that but you chould check it.



On the starter relay...Have you tried the other fender well? I mean it should be on your drivers side but it is on our drivers side here in the states.


It is in here a few pics down in the write-up.



AIV delete...


http://www.300zxclub.com/showthread.php?t=107054

 

Hi guys,

A bit of a quick update.

I spent this morning checking some more things including the ECU.

- Checked all the fuses in the driver's kick panel- all fine
- Checked all the fuseable links- definite burnt smell! Especially round the battery on, however all look fine apart from "Battery" one being a wire (unless that is how its meant to be....) - see below
- Checked ECU for damage - none evident - see below
- Checked all earths and all power cables - all fine
- 12.6v on the battery
- Still can't find starter relay, so can't really follow the continuity chain. Took off both fenders to hunt for it but no luck - Found strange grey 'relay' looking thing near Fuesable links, location Beaver indicated it may be (in a post I found searching) - see below.

Here's some pics to help tell the story:

Fuseable links:


"Battery"" link:


Location of "grey box", any ideas what it is?


Grey box:


Inside my ECU (no smell of burning or signs of damage. YAY!:


I have decided to call in a mobile mechanic to see if they can find the problem for me. Expected at 2pm tomorrow...

Was doing so well with this 'backyard mechanic' stuff... Was 10 minutes from driving it round, ready for its new front bar, then bam! Stupidity hits... Ahh well, write it off to a learning experience...

Cheers,

Dan.

 

Hey mate, just a tip, when your checking fuses, use a test light to check for power on each side of a fuse, dont worry about looking or smelling lol...good luck anyway

 

That fusible link is right. Just check for continuity on that link. Probably find it's blown as the wire melts on a short.

 

i did the same mistake in my old car. the alternator fuse done immediately. ( it was a 150+amp fuse) lucky me that was the only thing died...
good luck mate, hopefully nothing major

 

how did you go with the mechanic?

 

Have you put the multimeter

across both terminals of all the fusible links to check for continuity?

Start with the big blue one- remove and check with MM.

As others have said, a fusible link can visually look fine but be dead. Also that big blue one is the standard factory one.