Arced the battery?

[dseries16]

If you have arced the battery or alternator or anything else on your car please post up with what you popped (fuse, relay, coil, computer, diodes)

it could help people that have done the same thing to track down and look at different possibilities.

I recently did just this by forgetting to undo the negative battery cable and i tried to replace the alternator.

My car wont start and I think the culprit is the ICM (ignition control module) didnt pop any fuses or relays will let you guys know my findings tomorrow.

Topic

[3SheetsDiesel]

It’s tough to say exactly what got damaged when the arc happened. I saw once, on a Pontiac Something-or-Other, where the customer tried to isntall his battery himself, hooked the negative up first, then when the positive side arced, he fried his PCM. Hopefully this isn’t what happened here.

[dseries16]

This is what I am looking for thank you I want real world experiences and what was needed to fix them

Looking for:
Year
Make
Model
Mistake made (electrical mistakes that is) such as what I did or what the previous poster described
Action needed to fix mistake e.g replaced igntion fuse or PCM.

Imo it is nice to have a checklist of things to check off and that is what I would like to do with this thread.

[3SheetsDiesel]

Something you may want to check as well is the main fuse. I don’t know what the proper name of it is, but in my Subaru it’s an 80 amp maxi-fuse that’s held in place by a pair of nuts. I forget if the nuts are 8mm or 10mm, but either way, it’s not important right now. I blow that fuse every time I try and jumpstart a car that had a loose battery cable, which will cause my car to die completely. I carry spares of that fuse in the center console, and they cost a few buck a piece. I’m not certain where that fuse would be located on your car, but it may be something worth looking for. Mine didn’t look blown when I first looked at it, I actualy had to pull it out and shine a flashlight on it, but then again, my eyes aren’t so great anymore, at least not when I have to deal with little things like fuses.

[dseries16]

89 Honda civic dc hatch with a 93 civic ex engine

Arced the alternator while replacing it causing a cranking/no spark condition

Had to replace the wire running from pin A21 of the ecu to the yellow/green wire at the distributor plug. Still running rough but now have spark

[twiggy]

When you say “arc” the battery, what do you mean? Reverse polarity?

[dseries16]

I grounded the positive alternator side with an extension to the intake manifold.

[Author]

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