Buy an old truck, check those batt cables

[CharlieTR]

A leason learned...

I bought an old '90 F150 last summer.
It's my main vehicle (other than company truck).
The battery cables appeared to be hastily made up and looked awful at the batt terminals.
The truck failed to turn over, no battery.
Got out the portable battery jumper thing and connected it.
The battery unit I connected for 1 second let out a loud beep tone.
I looked closer and saw the battery wires were changed to red on neg and black on Positive. Connected it up properly then tried to start.
Start turned over, no spark. I am not sure but I think I blow the iginition module. The igintion module was bad but I am not sure if it got damaged by the reversed jumper cables or not.

 

[EddieWalker]

My dump truck had two red cables on it when I bought it. The guy said the battery was bad and needed jumping to get it going every time. That, plus a list of other things factored into the purchase price. When I got it home, I pulled off that cable and realized it was also way too thin. A few bucks for a new cable and that "bad" battery is now a really good one!!!

Eddie

 

[AndyM]

Anytime you buy an unknown used vehicle, always check the battery cables...
My father bought a Ford truck from the 1960's a few years back and put a different battery in it. He naturally assumed the red cable was positive and the black cable was negative when he hooked them up. It made a loud "boom" and destroyed the battery, but fortunately he and his pacemaker were ok.

Always trace the cables back when you are dealing with an unknown vehicle!

 

[goaliedad]

Many, many moons ago....my parents left the headlights on due to foggy weather- my cousin jumped the vehicle, but crossed the polarity- we were about an hour and half from home- we figured out the alternator was toast on the way home. The car died- late at night, in the most undesireable part of a large city on the way home. Dad walked to a near by bar- which was closed. While he was gone a State Tropper stopped and told us to get on the floor of the car, out of site while he went to find my dad. Two lessons learned- make sure to double check polarity, and don't take short cuts thru bad neighborhoods!

 

[DieselPower]

It is very possible that your ignition module was damaged by the reverse booster pack hook up. Most solid state electronics don't hold up to reverse polarity very well.

Battery cables are one of the first thing's I check when a customer wants me to check out a used vehicle for them. If the cables are the wrong color I use a red paint marker to clearly mark the top of the battery by the positive post with a big +. I also install anti corrosive felt pads under the battery terminals that are red and green. Red ones for the + and green ones for the - post.

 

[bamatoolmaker]

Just the other day my daughter left her lights on all day at school.I did not give it any thought about getting someone there to jump her off and save me
a trip over there.The boys from her Ag class hooked them up backwards.Blowed main fuse, fried the ECM,alternator & the coil pack.It cost about $600.00 to get it going again.

 

[randy41]

well since the topic is batteries...my son has an early 90's crown vic...may be even late 80's that he got dumped on him by my mother in law and her husband.
anyway...a free car is hard to beat....so he has to disconnect the negative terminal on the battery when he parks it or the battery drains down...any thoughts on how to find what's draining it?

 

[Casco1]

well since the topic is batteries...my son has an early 90's crown vic...may be even late 80's that he got dumped on him by my mother in law and her husband.
anyway...a free car is hard to beat....so he has to disconnect the negative terminal on the battery when he parks it or the battery drains down...any thoughts on how to find what's draining it?

disconnect the negative cable and wire a 12 volt light ( taillight, dome light, any auto bulb) between the cable and the battery if you have a drain the bulb will light. Now go to fusebox and pull fuses one at a time when bulb goes out that is the circuit to check. I'm sure there are newer and more sophisticated ways to find the problem but this is how we did it in the old days.

 

[randy41]

that sounds like it would work and its easy enough to do.
thanks!

 

[OKnewguy]

Great tip with the light trick! I'll have to try and file that away.
Thanks, Dave