QuestionRecently I ran my battery down trying to start it. Using jumper cables and another car, I hooked the cables up wrong and fried them. Now, even with a new battery I can't get it to turn over. What did I screw up by reversing the jumper cables? Ny car is negative earth if that helps any.
AnswerHi Ed. There are several things that could have gone wrong. For example:
The batteries would not like having hundreds of amps run through them. You may have fried one or both of them, or the cables between them or the earth (ground) cable.
The batteries are permanently connected to the alternator, so you could have blown the diodes inside the alternator.
The main wiring is only rated at 40 amps, so you may have blown one of the main wires in the loom. They are all coloured Brown, so they are quite easy to trace.
I am an experienced auto electrician, so I could sort this problem myself, but this is not really a DIY job. You need help on site from an expert or you could end up spending your money on things that don't need replacing.
