Connected Battery backwards! Why didn't I fry the car?
07-27-2004, 05:57 PM
#1
'96 Accord EX
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Connected Battery backwards! Why didn't I fry the car?
Hey all. I decided it might be a good idea to swap out my battery since it's pretty old and some of the electrical functions on my Accord seemed a little sluggish. I had one lying around the house from a previous car and installed it. What I failed to realize is that, while the battery looked the same, the polarity of the terminals was opposite to the battery I was using. I hooked up the ground terminal to what I thought was the ground terminal, and then when I touched the positive lead to the other terminal there was a large spark, a bit of smoke, and a very surprised look on my face. 
Once I looked down and realized my error I immediately began to imagine all the damage that I had done to the electrical systems in my car. At least: a few blown fuses. At most: I don't want to know! However, the car started fine, and since then I have noticed absolutely no problems with the rest of the car since re-installing the old battery. My question for you guys is: Why didn't I do terrible things to my car? Why didn't I even blow a fuse? For those of you who know the electrical system of this car well (96 Accord EX by the way), what kind of safety system is at work here? Thanks a lot.
Once I looked down and realized my error I immediately began to imagine all the damage that I had done to the electrical systems in my car. At least: a few blown fuses. At most: I don't want to know! However, the car started fine, and since then I have noticed absolutely no problems with the rest of the car since re-installing the old battery. My question for you guys is: Why didn't I do terrible things to my car? Why didn't I even blow a fuse? For those of you who know the electrical system of this car well (96 Accord EX by the way), what kind of safety system is at work here? Thanks a lot.
07-27-2004, 06:55 PM
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i did the same thing with my 00 ex, but i left it on there for a lil longer...nothing bad happens, just a blown battery fuse and radio fuse, and a whole lotta worrying...everything was dead in my car because of the fuse, i thought i had really ****ed something up but it was all good
07-27-2004, 08:50 PM
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Besides fuses, modern circuits are generally designed with a failsafe to detect reverse current (read: diodes, reverse current detectors, etc). You flipping the polarity generally won't do damage to a modern circuit (read: car). However I sure as hell wouldn't recommend it. I've fried more than a few chips reversing my currents on homemade circuits. Though even with basic components (read: integrated circuits), there are failsafes in place.
--Diamond
--Diamond
07-28-2004, 06:18 AM
#6
Originally Posted by Generation5spd
... there was a large spark, a bit of smoke, and a very surprised look on my face.
Originally Posted by Generation5spd
... Why didn't I do terrible things to my car? Why didn't I even blow a fuse?