Hooked up battery backwards

[Laura Hartmann]

I have a '92 Civic and I hooked up my battery backwards and tried to start the car. I blew the battery fuse. After I replaced the fuse, the car ran for a day, but has not started since. The Alternator and Starter are both fine. All my fuses are good. Why won't my car start?

[tomogchi]

Wow, That Sucks. I believe its like 80 amps to woof a battery fuse.
You prolly have a mass load of melted wires. OR a burned out starter, or anything else that is electrical........
Bill

[fiberglasscivic]

Post more symptoms please. Does the car attempt to crank or no, do your light and gauges come on ect.

[Laura Hartmann]

No, car doesn't crank, lights do come on when they want to and sometimes the're dim. The car did start a couple of times between replacing the battery fuse and now, it started right up, got me to work and back, but when I turned the wipers on, they wouldn't go back off until I pulled the fuse. Then when I replaced the fuse, they worked fine. But since then I haven't been able to get it started. The power windows and door locks work, all lights work, all my relays are good, starter and alternator were tested and they are okay, brand new battery, none of the fuses are blown, I've checked everything other than the computer chips and actual wires. Everthing get power when I turn the key on, but it only clicks once and then does nothing.

[fiberglasscivic]

When you say, clicks once, are you talking about the sound your alternator makes when the battery is low or are you talking about it trys to turn over once and then stops? Either way, it sounds like you need to replace your ecu. When you hooked up backwards it may have cleared or fried the maps for your fuel and such and that would cause it not to work. Do you hear the fuel pump prime when you put the key to run? Also, you need to look for burned or shorted wires around the fuse blocks and ecu. Does the battery have a full charge on it since it died on you? Have you checked fuel pressure yet? Sorry it took so long to reply.

[Laura Hartmann]

Originally Posted by fiberglasscivic

When you say, clicks once, are you talking about the sound your alternator makes when the battery is low or are you talking about it trys to turn over once and then stops? Either way, it sounds like you need to replace your ecu. When you hooked up backwards it may have cleared or fried the maps for your fuel and such and that would cause it not to work. Do you hear the fuel pump prime when you put the key to run? Also, you need to look for burned or shorted wires around the fuse blocks and ecu. Does the battery have a full charge on it since it died on you? Have you checked fuel pressure yet? Sorry it took so long to reply.

Yeah, I bought a brand new battery, and nothing. The alternator is whats clicking and I have not checked the ecu or fuel pressure. (I never thought of checking that stuff) But the fuel pump does come on when I turn the key on. Thank you for your help, I was beginning to give up, This all started back in November! And as for your taking so long to reply, no worries, as a single mother of 2 and 3 yr old girls I don't get to go on the net that often anyways! In fact this is the first time I've been on since I last replied! I'll check that stuff out and get back to you. I was thinking to that it might be the cylinoid in my distrubutor too, maybe? Hell, I don't have a clue!

[fiberglasscivic]

Not having a clue is the reason for being on this site. I highly doubt it's your dizzy (distributor). I don't know of any solenoids in the dizzy but there's an easy way to check it. Remove one of the spark plugs from the hole and hold the tip of it to a bolt or piece of metal on the engine while someone trys to start the car. If your dizzy is working correctly, then you should see a spark show up between the end of the plug wire and the metal. It should spark repeatedly, if it stays constant or if there is no spark then there is a problem with the dizzy or with the plug wires. It's highly unlikely that you'll find a problem there. I'm almost willing to bet it's your ecu though. It's just like your home computer. Its really easy to fry something if you hook it up backwards.

[Tofuboy]

are you talking about the sound your alternator makes when the battery is low

The alternator is whats clicking

I believe you are talking about the starter, not the alternator, but if you are not please elaborate.

Laura Hartmann: Please tell me when you crank the engine (turn the key to start) and hold the key in that position, do you hear multiple clicks or just one click? and when you let go the key, do you hear another click?

[fiberglasscivic]

Thank you very much for catching that. Yes I meant the starter. If the alternator was clicking then it would definatly be a problem then wouldn't it.