Made a dumb mistake. Help!

Up North Guy · Apr 9, 2011

Hi All
Have you ever heard the saying "The hurrier you go the behinder you get". Well it happened to me today. Ran up north for the day (3 hour trip each way) to open up my trailer for the year. Had lots to do including putting the battery back in my CT230 so I could plow the snow on the driveway (3/4 of a mile long). Well I put the battery in backwards and connected the cables to the wrong posts. There was a little spark when I attached the cables. They were on for about a minute until I figured it out. I turned the battery around and hooked it up. When I turned the key I got nothing, and I mean nothing. I checked the main fuse panel and none were blown. I called a local tractor service store and that guy said to check the starter fuse. I pulled that out and it seems fine (tester showed continuity although there was a small spot of discoloration on it). Called back to ask what next but they had closed. Closed the shed and started other projects. Now I'm home. I will be going back up again in three weeks to take a friend turkey hunting. What is the best way to proceed to figure this out. Is there a main fuse that blew? Did a relay melt? Did I cook the battery? (I will bring a battery booster to check that). What else could I check? Thank you for your time and any helpful suggestions you have (besides don't do that again).
Up North Guy

SSdoxie · Apr 9, 2011

If your battery still has 12 volts and there is nothing with key on, you probably fired the control unit with reverse polarity. Here is the Bobcat part # 7000274.

Up North Guy · Apr 9, 2011

Thanks for the quick reply. Is this where I should start if the battery is good? Any idea on the price of the part?

rrrkkk · Apr 9, 2011

take a simple 12v light tester start backwards from the starter solenoid when you find powere you will find the wire burn into somwhere probably wont be able to see it it will probably be under the insulation

bluechip · Apr 10, 2011

The main fuse is near the starter, usually yellow fuse in black in line holder. may take a look, but it is 50 or 60 amp I believe, so if it popped, it may be after something else went. good luck.

wallace · Apr 10, 2011

As bluechip stated it will more than likely be the yellow fuse by the starter.
It is called a slow blow fuse. I is usually wrapped in black tape and it is taped to the wire harness running beside the starter. it will have a clear plastic window on it.
You can buy them at a autoparts store like napa.

Up North Guy · Apr 10, 2011

Thanks for the replies. I think you guys and the service tech may have been right about the main fuse. In my original post I called it a starter fuse but I meant to say the fuse by the starter. As I said earlier there was some discoloration on it. Well I did bring it home because I was going to replace it anyways even though my tester showed continuity. After reading your replies I took another look at this yellow 60a fuse and shook it a bit. Where the discoloration is it is now separated. Hopefully that is the problem and it blew before any other damage occurred. I will replace it when I go up in a few weeks. I will let you guys know how it went. Thanks again!
Up North Guy

grsthegreat · Apr 10, 2011

errr. im confused. there should have been a LOUD searing spark when you hook it up backwards. Are you sure the battery has a charge???

The control board should have been protected from damage by the fuses. Recheck continuity on the main 60 amp fuse. One thing i have found out in the past. DONT use your thumb to press the test probe down onto the fuse leg. if you do this on both sides, your body gives the tester a false positive reading. I thought i had a good fuse, but when i placed the fuse on a table and PUSHED the probes onto the terminals, it was dead. my dang thumbs caused me about an hour wasted time looking else-wheres

OOPS: just re-read the post before this one. i see you did find the bad main fuse. that should od it.