Waiting for the bad news on a car

[av8rdave]

My own stupidity. Wife called from work...her car wouldn't start. The battery is less than a year old, so I'm already suspicious. I drive over there and jump it, and she drives it home. I have her try to start it again. Nothing. So I pull out the jumper cables again so I can get it to the repair shop before they close. It's getting dark, I'm in a hurry, and I'm already pi$$ed about probably having to buy a new alternator. What did I do? You guessed it. In the dim light, I managed to cross wire the terminals.

Needless to day, no starting the car or doing anything else with it, other than towing it this morning.

It's a fuel injected car ('02 Eclipse), so I'm guessing the damage is extensive and expensive.

Guess the only thing to do is wait for the call from the mechanic and see if it's even worth the cost of fixing it.

Here's hoping that was a once in a lifetime mistake!

Anyone else ever experience this (that will admit to it)?

[flvegan]

1. Hoping it's not as extensive as you're anticipating.

I knew someone that did that once. Fried the battery, their coil pack (bit older car) and a bunch of fuses. Otherwise, car was okay.

[av8rdave]

2. Thanks....

As it turned out, it was no big deal. Thankfully, the main cable to the negative terminal on the battery was corroded and damaged, which probably saved the rest of of the system. The worst part of the bill was getting it towed there.

The probably hundreds of times I've jumped cars and occasionally motorcycles....guess I have to screw it up once.

[flvegan]

3. If statistically you have to screw up, better it's like this.

I also know a Bimmer owner that tried jumping his Z4 at the battery terminals. Fried the whole computer system. They have special terminals under the hood for jumpstarting. Can't do it at the battery.

[av8rdave]

4. I read that somewhere recently...

That's what I was concerned about with this car. Although it's an older car, it's fuel injected, and I had visions of having fried the module that controls the injection mapping. I can't imagine there being anything inexpensive about that.

[Blue_Tires]

6. wow...holy damn

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. Safety in "jump-starting" - it's amazingly simple.

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The problem nowadays with boosting is the electronics sensitivity to polarity and voltage.

Two things

MOST IMPORTANT - Do NOT have the "boosting" car running while trying to start the dead car, or connected when running to the "dead" car with it's ignition on.

DOUBLE CHECK the polarity Positive - Negative connections at the batteries

DON'T have the boosting car running while trying to start the dead one

It was fine in the old days before all this electronic stuff - don't try it now

ALWAYS HAVE THE BOOSTING CAR SHUT OFF

for BOTH vehicles sake

one computer does NOT compensate for one tow call . .