Please Help-Electrical Problem

Hi, im hoping someone with Jeep experience can help me out here. I have a 95 GC V8.

ok first of all i did the dumbest ive ever done here...i started my jeep with the battery installed backwards. i know, im an idiot...wasnt paying attention.

anyway when i did that i blew the fuses on my stereo and amp as well as fried the alternator. I took the alternator to be bench tested and it came up bad (buddy at the counter was like "holy shit" when he saw the readings) so i replaced the alternator and everything was ok for about 10 min and then I noticed the engine temp guage was dead and the check engine light came on. so i was on my way to replace the fuse on the back of my deck...did that and started driving again. now no more engine light but the ABS light is on...then suddenly the stereo and all the guages just started going berzerk and then they all finally died (speedo, tach, battery, temp-all dead) I get home and again the alternator is VERY hot and i took it to be tested and its exactly the same as the first one...fried.

One thing to note is that when it fried the second time i checked the maxi-fuses behind the battery and both alternator power fuses were blown. now if these fuses were blown when i installed the replacement alt. would that have caused it to fry this alternator again???

any suggestions or help would be GREATLY appreciated. im a broke-ass student and i cant afford to have a mechanic spend hours trying to troubleshoot. Thanks alot

Its quite a possibility that you have reversed the poles in the battery! Throw the battery out and replace it! Before connecting the new one, replace every fuse even if its good, just to know where you stand, and replace any cooked wires that you can find. You may have two fuse boxes, 1 under hood and one under dash, if you have check and replace all. If that dosnt work you may need to go to an auto electrician. Best of luck!

That sounds good, and be more careful with hooking up your batteries!!! :banghead:

lol ya hear you silver...thats exactly how i feel

i had the battery tested right away when i bought the new alt. TOK. fuses have all been checked as well and i looked for burnt wires but didnt see any. im taking it in to cdn tire tomorrow and they're gonna have a look.

could those maxi-fuses have caused this you think?

anyway thanks for the replies guys

Ask Dale, he is the Oracle of the Jeep.

a broke-ass student and i cant afford to have a mechanic spend hours trying to troubleshoot.


I know what u mean. well I don't think the bad relays could have fried the Altenator, but I duon't really know. I would have the ECM checked as well. u may done some harm to the board.

ooo yea about the experience thing ("Hi, im hoping someone with Jeep experience can help me out here"), I don't think too many people have crossed the battery cables.....lol just fuckn w/ you.

I would suggest testing all the underhood relays as well, I suspect most of them weren't meant to take this.