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Connected Battery Backwards....

M

MXRethoret

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Diego
Wats up guys? I just made the rookie mistake of connecting the battery of my jeep to the wrong terminals. Needless to say, smoke started billowing from some wiring. The lights still work and the power windows are operational, but the starter is making no indication of wanting to start. What kind of damage did I do and how can I fix it? It's an '88 cherokee. Thanks in advance!

-Rich
 
You prolly fried the ECU among other things.
 
Dude, first your transfer case implodes and now this? Someone in SoCal is bound to have some spare parts.
 
ur tellin me johnny. my luck with cars hasn't been the best lately. although this was just plain stupidity :doh: i plan on doing a transfer case swap from my dads '88 to my '96 but i'm a little strapped for time and need to get a daily driver runnin asap.

no starter relay.. and i'm really hoping i didn't fry the computer.

how can i tell if it's the alternator diodes or not?
 
Most likely the ECU. You can probably score one for around $30 here at NAXJA. If it is a manual tranny, I have a good pcb somewhere. I moved twice last year. You would have to open your ecu case and swap it.

Check with your chapter, someone should be able to help you out.
 
I'm and idiot

despite the XJ honking at me, screaming that I had the battery hooked up backwards, I tried to start it

I was thinking..humm, the horn must be stuck, it's been sitting for a few months....

turn the battery around, start it, and the alternator is smooking like cheech & chong and something sounds really wrong...

So what alternator are you guys using these days?

humm, my sig is gone...It's a 2000, 4.0, auto 4x4 with some mods
 
Search for "durango alternator" and possibly a few other things I forget. You can pick up a 136 amp alternator that'll fit pretty easily. Personally I'd junkyard an alternator, I'd rather buy a few for 25 bucks each than one for $130.

Just hope you didn't blow anything else up, my dad blew up his alternator, ECU, fuel pump, and a few other doodads when he just jumped his minivan backwards, nevermind actually installing the battery wrong way around.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1016936
 
Last edited:
well, I'll start with by replacing the alternator and pray the ECU is OK.

Isn't the ECU the "computer"? If it is fried, can I just drop in a new one?

thanks! I searced for "ECU" and "computer" but didn't find much anything good
 
Yep, it's the computer/brain/whatever else people call it. On yours it's located on the inside of the driver side fender right next to the air filter box. Drop in a new one with the same part number (and/or same engine, transmission, and model year) and it will be fine AS LONG AS the vehicle it came from did not have the Sentry Key Immobilizer option installed.
 
keep0njeepin0n said:
There are so many different terms/acronyms for this...but I'm pretty sure Chrysler refers to theirs as PCM--Powertrain Control Module
Click to expand...
Depends. Generally an ECU is engine-only (combine with TCU for full powertrain control) while a PCM controls both the engine and transmission from a single unit.
 
changed the alternator and it started right up. ECU seems fine.

Radio and AC don't work. Going to start changing fuses.

I can't believe that thing started back up like it did.

Long live the XJ
 
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