Ok, so I had my battery out and I was putting in a new one (different make) and I just put it in the same way the old one was in and hooked it up but the terminals were reversed! So there was a big spark show and there was smoke with that aweful electrical smell coming from my engine. I disconnected the battery and damn near shot myself in the face when I saw I mixed up the terminals. I hooked them back up the right way and the car started and drove fine, but now there is a really strange sound coming from under the hood. I'm pretty sure the alternator is seized, right? So should I go ahead and buy a new alternator and install it? I'm pretty sure that's the only thing that would have been affected by the reversal of the terminals since everything else in the car works fine, right? God I hate myself.
I did something really stupid ... now I need advice.
- Thread starter Pink_Floyd
- Start date
Your alternator may be shorted out, but I doubt it is seized. Seized would mean that the belt pully is not turning, usually caused by worn bearings, not something caused by an electrical short. Do you have an "amp" or "volt" gauge? If so what is it reading when the car is running? If you do not open the hood and start the car. Is the noise coming from the alt? A good way to locate noise is to use a metal object, like the blade of a large screw driver and place it on the suspect part, then put the handle part near your ear, can you hear the noise? A lot of shops will test your alt for free.
Pink_Floyd.....that seems a bit drastic.....we ALL make stupid mistakes once in a while. Now you know to ensure that the terminals arn't reversed for the next time you need to change Batteries. I know that I will personally ensure that if I need to change mine that it is right...so your mistake is not in vain...it helps others out.![[:p]](/images/smilies/tongue.png "Stick Out Tongue [:p]")
I only have a Bentley manual for an old E28 5 series in front of me (1982-1988 5 Series car), but from what I see in the wiring, check the following (assuming your 325 is similar:
Anything "hot" wired from the battery could be affected, such as light switches (light bulbs themselves are not polarity sensitive). So your headlight control can be affected.
The power window relay is (maybe) hot wired but the control side of the relay is not, so you might be OK (in other words if it works, it must be OK).
In the older 5 Series the power to the engine oil fault indicator memory is hot wired. If the same, it's fried.
The starter solenoid is hot wired too, starter would not be affected but the solenoid itself may or may not???? Hey if it works, leave it.
I'll keep looking.
Anything "hot" wired from the battery could be affected, such as light switches (light bulbs themselves are not polarity sensitive). So your headlight control can be affected.
The power window relay is (maybe) hot wired but the control side of the relay is not, so you might be OK (in other words if it works, it must be OK).
In the older 5 Series the power to the engine oil fault indicator memory is hot wired. If the same, it's fried.
The starter solenoid is hot wired too, starter would not be affected but the solenoid itself may or may not???? Hey if it works, leave it.
I'll keep looking.