While in a hurry last night buttoning up the car wasn't paying attention and reversed the (-) and (+) cables on my batt. Saw smoke and a little flame unhooked it. Now I have no power at all. Smoke and flame came from around fan area pass side. Please keep jokes to a minimum the windows are down and I do not live in a safe area to leave a car alone with the windows down all day while I'm at work. If I can at least get an idea of how to get windows back up that would be a great help. I would at least be able to lock it.
Need Help Did Something Stupid
- Thread starter 95azSHO
- Start date
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Racer X
SHO Pilot, Retired
Check all your fuses and replace the ones that are blown, that should at least get the windows up.
Not to be a killjoy, but the last time I saw someone hook up the battery backwards in a SHO, it turned their project car into a parts car.
Not to be a killjoy, but the last time I saw someone hook up the battery backwards in a SHO, it turned their project car into a parts car.
Bruce M
SHOBAM
Look for fuseable link
check the Alt too. That has 12v going right to it. I'll bet you blew out the diodes in it, that could have been the smoke. Autozone tests them for nothing. The somke might have been that heavy "hot" wire melting, you may have a host of problems. disconnect the Bat and measure from plus to ground with an ohm meter. Start by following the 12V cable back to the starter then along to the alt. You might have dodged A bullet
check the Alt too. That has 12v going right to it. I'll bet you blew out the diodes in it, that could have been the smoke. Autozone tests them for nothing. The somke might have been that heavy "hot" wire melting, you may have a host of problems. disconnect the Bat and measure from plus to ground with an ohm meter. Start by following the 12V cable back to the starter then along to the alt. You might have dodged A bullet
Eric VerValin
PiMPSKiLLET
Well.. I can also maybe add... it might have blown some inline fuses, which are a pain to find sometimes! I had an issue with my truck where something shorted and took me forever to find it, reason being, it wasn't there in the schematics, or wire diagrams I had, but it sure was there once I cut open the bundle under the hood.
You said you have 0 power tho now right? I wonder if possibly you shorted out your battery. Its early here yet, and I'm not quite awake, but when I think of something to add.. I'll let ya know. Good luck.
Also if your battery checks out ok, and all else fails, I would imagine you could run a really long wire from the battery's + terminal, to the fuse that powers up the window motors, and that should at least get you power there. All ya gotta do is pull the fuse out and touch that wire to one of the terminals inside there, and it should work for ya. I have a 'kinda permanat' fix for my brake light circuit in my truck, and have no idea why they dont work. I think I have a short in the fuse distribution block itself. I've stumped 5 forums with it, but the wire trick worked just fine.
You said you have 0 power tho now right? I wonder if possibly you shorted out your battery. Its early here yet, and I'm not quite awake, but when I think of something to add.. I'll let ya know. Good luck.
Also if your battery checks out ok, and all else fails, I would imagine you could run a really long wire from the battery's + terminal, to the fuse that powers up the window motors, and that should at least get you power there. All ya gotta do is pull the fuse out and touch that wire to one of the terminals inside there, and it should work for ya. I have a 'kinda permanat' fix for my brake light circuit in my truck, and have no idea why they dont work. I think I have a short in the fuse distribution block itself. I've stumped 5 forums with it, but the wire trick worked just fine.
Eric VerValin
PiMPSKiLLET
Didn't think about the rectifer circuit in the alternator.. Were you standing by the battery when you seen smoke, or did you get to the inside of the car, and try to start it, and seen smoke after you turned the key?
Were you standing by the battery when you seen smoke, or did you get to the inside of the car, and try to start it, and seen smoke after you turned the key?Off Road SHO
Moderator
You probably have melted the fusible links. They are designed to melt and give off a lot of smoke as they heat up prior to them opening up. They are always located near the battery.
Tom
Tom
pimp
New Member
There are relays in the area underneath passinger dash side in a 1st gen.especialy for the windows.i think there is one also if you flip the glove box out downwrd.i dont know if this helps but a jump from there if all else fails?with all of those other ideas too.
Thanks alot for the ideas so far. I live just across the street from a 24hr Checker and a half mile from a 24hr Autozone. I'm thinking the fuseable links and mabe the ALT got fried. I was at the front hooking up the batt when it happened. Go down from the ALT and slightly to the drivers side that is where I believe where the bulk of the damage is at. Funny thing now thou I now have a major oil leak.
Bruce M
SHOBAM
RE: Smoke
I hit the hot on the starter with the heat sheild off the front exaust trying to save time one day. That wire went to the alt. Just some sparks and smoke and i quickly saw what i was doping. Even so the alt went from putting out 12.9 -13.2 to nothing. a good alt should deliver about 14.2. Take a meter and start at the hot at the bat, not connected of course and start ringing back to all the fuses, alt and starter. the only good news that i can gice you is, i have had my bat bounce up and hit the hood and wipe out everything because i didn't have it strapped down, got that car back to normal. Had my son hook up jumper wrong and croak everything, again got that car back.
Keep at it
I hit the hot on the starter with the heat sheild off the front exaust trying to save time one day. That wire went to the alt. Just some sparks and smoke and i quickly saw what i was doping. Even so the alt went from putting out 12.9 -13.2 to nothing. a good alt should deliver about 14.2. Take a meter and start at the hot at the bat, not connected of course and start ringing back to all the fuses, alt and starter. the only good news that i can gice you is, i have had my bat bounce up and hit the hood and wipe out everything because i didn't have it strapped down, got that car back to normal. Had my son hook up jumper wrong and croak everything, again got that car back.
Keep at it
In AZ it gets damb hot. So when you start working on your car at 3am and about 90-95 degrees outside and there is a demand for parts. You supply that demand and make money. Hence 24hr Autozone and 24 hr Checkers. These stores have saved me in the past.
93rev2sev
SHO Member
There are 24hr stores here in Michigan too...saved my but numerous times.
shoteen95
isn't a teen :D
93rev2sev said:
**** yea. Can't remember how many times I stopped in the 24hour Murray's on Van Born a few summers back when I was doing a bunch of work on my car.
GeorgiaSHO
New Member
I suggest following a wiring diagram to the exact loaction of the fusable link. I had the exact same thing happen to me, with my old 91 honda accord, and finally i found my link on my firewall. But any Haynes manual, should have a diagram telling you where the link is, or i would think so anyway. I personally have no idea where its at on the taurus. BTW, after i found my link, no one in town had one, so i ended up running a small wire, from one side to the other, till i finally pulled one off of another car, in the junk yard. Good luck, and i hope for your sake, thats all the problem is.
Ps: I had to alternator problems out of my accord, until about 2 years later.
Ps: I had to alternator problems out of my accord, until about 2 years later.
Speedy_91_SHO
New Member
I didnt read the whole post but.....If you havent gotten the windows up yet try going through and supplying direct power to the switch for that window or just the motor itself....If anyone sees a problem with this method speak up.
Thanks everyone. Got home Friday checked the fuses as sugested found a 15 amp blown under the dash. I changed it cleaned up the batt terms then put the cables on. Waited a bit for any smoke there was none, had inteior lights so I turned the key. Nothing yet got both windows half way up then saw the ALT smoking. Finished up the windows and disconected the batt. Got both the batt and ALT tested, ALT was fried. Spent a good part of Sat changing out the ALT and putting in new BATT cables.
sho'd
Git R' Done
glad to hear you got it back up and running, your probably like whew, that was close. we all have our "blond moments" lol, Mike.
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