I changed my car battery recently after it died while I had the doors open. But I accidentally hooked up the positive to the negative and the negative to the positive. I checked the fuses, and the only one I found blown was the starter fuse.
I’m not very experienced with cars, but I want to troubleshoot a bit before giving in and letting a mechanic charge me a lot.
Does anyone have suggestions for what I can try next? (Aside from connecting the battery correctly)
If you connected the battery wrong, it might be time to call it quits.
Zinn said:
If you connected the battery wrong, it might be time to call it quits.
I get that, but I’d like some suggestions. It was a silly mistake, and I’m hoping to fix it.
Zinn said:
If you connected the battery wrong, it might be time to call it quits.
I get that, but I’d like some suggestions. It was a silly mistake, and I’m hoping to fix it.
Did you replace the blown fuse? What’s working after you replaced it?
@Zinn
Yes, I replaced the fuse. Now the car will turn to position 2, but I can’t get the engine to crank. The starter is just clicking. The horn, radio, doors, and windows aren’t working. I have a video showing the issue, but I’m not sure how to post it.
Try jump-starting it with another car. If it keeps clicking, tap the starter with a hammer on the middle part, but avoid any plastic areas. Go through all the fuses and check if they’re fine. Now’s a good time to grab a multimeter.
@Zinn
Here’s a link to a video: https://youtu.be/NNJHHlcLqVM?si=35p4-TEbZf8b-Tbg
Mori said:
@Zinn
Here’s a link to a video: https://youtu.be/NNJHHlcLqVM?si=35p4-TEbZf8b-Tbg
From what I’m hearing, that repetitive clicking doesn’t sound like the starter. It might be coming from a relay or two. I just watched the video. There’s also a fuse box near your dead pedal, so check that too.
@Zinn
Thanks! I’m planning to replace all the fuses today. I don’t have a multimeter to test them.
Have you checked the main fuse? That’s the one that usually goes out when something like this happens.
Hey, everyone makes mistakes when fixing cars. I’ve had my share of screw-ups too, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Here are my thoughts: try unplugging the battery cables (both positive and negative) and leave them off for about 20 minutes. It’s like rebooting your router at home. You might get lucky and it could work. Also, about that fuse, did you change the right one and make sure it’s the correct type? I’m also wondering if you triggered the ignition kill alarm; sometimes, that little flashing red light can mean trouble. Hopefully, unplugging the battery resets it. Make sure your key fob battery is good too; it could be something simple.
@Jai
Thinking it over, I wonder if the battery got damaged from the mistake. It’s possible that doing that could’ve harmed the battery rather than just blowing a fuse. You might have fried the battery, and that could be your problem.