Dumbest thing ever. I crossed jumper cables... uh oh!

I admit. That was plain stupid, but I accidentally crossed the jumper cables as I was aiding the dead battery in my old buick. Haha I cant believe I did this. Thats what I get for being in such a rush. I feel so embarrassed posting this on a public forum...
The cables on the buick's dead battery were accidentally crossed. The cable on my truck were correctly placed. The next thing I see is smoke coming from the battery terminals on the buick and I freaked out.I quickly jumped out to disconnect the cables from both cars. wow! <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<o></o>
I realized my dumb mistake and correctly connected the cables to their correct terminals. Fired up the car.<o></o>
<o></o>
My question is, What did I fry? other than the cheap thin jumper cables I used?<o></o>
All my lights work as they should. Is there anywhere I should be looking for fried wires? I really have no clue. I searched and didnt find anyone else committing this mistake... ugh!

Thanks in advance
<o></o>
<o></o>

 

We all have our moments.

It's all good. Did you fry anything?

 

You will be OK. If you do that in a new car, you get to buy a 3000.00 computer at least!

 

It's OK there big fella...lol
we wont tell anybody....p
I'd at least buy a new battery...cheap insurance in case that reverse polarity
mishap harmed it
Now chin up!!
Mark

 

Everybody has their moments, I just hope that it didn't mess anything up!

 

That is a dumb mistake, but if that's the dumbest thing you've ever done you are doing good!

 

Fusible links are the first thing to go.

But if you could start the car, and if the headlights are working, you are fine :TU: !

 

Your dealer will have to run a diagnostic on the OBDII system, and chances are your PCM and ECM may need to be replaced. Also your transmission controller may not communicate with the transmission serial bus.

Oops, wrong car . Check the water in your battery, then throw it on a trickle charge for a day or two. If the battery won't perform after that, you will probably need a new battery.

 

What year truck? That trick, which I'm sure most of us have done usually fries the alternator. On the late model stuff I'm not sureo No: Hope nothing too serious.

Bob H.

 

You should have a generator on the buick,they are very forgiving in a case like that.However you may have to re polarize it & may have damaged the voltage regulator.If it still charges fine,you got lucky:TU:

 

Been there done that, but it has been awile. Take some of your xtra Buick engine red spray paint and give a little splash of red on the positive post of your battery.

 

So i go to the drive-in a couple months back with the kids. I guess a couple dumas's left had bad connections, weak batteries, or ran their AC with the engine off. Whatever. two dumas's with dead batteries.

So I jump the first guy, with me putting on the cables. Works fine.

Next guy insists he knows what he's doing. The first guy says "you sure you have those right?" bad sign. I'm in my car giving it gas when the guy hooks up his car and I immediately see the jumpers at my battery terminals glowing reddish orange.

I sounded like a cartoon character -- "Take 'em off! take 'em off! take 'em off!"

Guy did just that, after which I put them on for the doofus. No harm, no foul -- his car started, mine was fine. Just lucky, I guess.

-- Steve

 

Had a numbskull valet park my '67 Riv once and he naturally left the headlights on and drained the battery. Went to jump it with his 300Z and of course he crossed the leads like the clueless dumbass he was. Fried my voltage regulator (solid state) and car got to go home on a Jerr-Dan flatbed but other than that was okay. Word to wise: never, but never have someone else hook up the cables. Especially a twenty-nothing, attitude-sporting, dumbass no-time-on-earth ricer-driving schmuck in a monkey suit.

 

Thanks guys! Phew! I think I dodged a bullet this time, or at least hope I did. All electrical seems to be working as it should. I havent replaced the battery in the buick yet, but I plan to in the next day or two. In the mean time, Im still not sure if there was any damage to the regulator or generator. The needle on the car's amp gauge indicates that its charging, but the battery still seems a weak. It takes a bit for the starter to start cranking. I'll be able to see how things run with a new battery hooked up.
I need a beer...

 

When I went to get my car from storage a few weeks ago, it wouldn't start due to low battery charge. So I bring my truck in, and get the cables out. The older gentleman who met me there went to connect the cables to the battery terminals on the car. ou: Uh, NO, you connect the truck's positive terminal to cars positive terminal, and truck negative to ground on the car. Never connect directly from battery to battery, or you could cause a battery explosion. I quickly corrected this, and seconds later, the car fired right up.

 

I was thinking of the alternator on the truck.o No:

Bob H.

 

Just recently saw some young ricer type make something catch fire-bad! As I was leaving the lady inside was running out ,fire extinguisher in hand. Looked really bad.

 

Oops, I missed this question. Sorry. My truck is an '02 Toyota. I tested the alternator the next day and its ok... dodged another one there. Feeling kinda lucky, I think Im gonna go buy some Lotto tickets.

 

You are lucky because when you think about it, it was hooked up wrong on his car, but his battery is also in parallel with yours. :error:

 

We all have those moments...especially when in a rush...at least it sounds like everything is still working.