Think I shorted battery. What to do? bit urgent.

seeing_ie · 03-05-2011 6:36am #1

Morning,

I took the battery from a 2006 1.4 Civic to start my car this morning and in my haste connected the cables to the wrong terminals.

Think I shorted the battery.

When I put the battery back in the Civic it was dead as a dodo.

Checked it with a battery meter and nothing in it.

I got a jump start and drove the Civic for 30 mins to charge the battery.

Stopped the engine and it wouldn't restart, central locking not working, no display on the dash.

Have I shorted the battery for good?

If the battery is dead/damaged, can I damage the Civic at all by putting it back into the Civic and driving it to try and charge it (after a jump start)?

Is it possible to charge the battery at all - I'm thinking of going to a motor factors later and getting a cheap charger.

The ABS and VSA warning lights are also coming on when the car is running. According to the manual they should stop blinking when the engine is stopped and restarted.

Civic owner is looking to get on the road asap!

PrzemoF · 03-05-2011 7:50am

I'm missing something here. Did you start your car?

Wetbench4 · 03-05-2011 7:57am

Did you do any damage to your own car when you shorted the battery? My missus did this to her opel and the stereo hasn't worked since, and the stereo fuse wasn't blown but i'm sure something is blown somewhere.
Are you sure you didn't mix the batteries up?

Swampy · 03-05-2011 8:00am

Have you considered buying a new battery?

Gary ITR · 03-05-2011 8:06am

So the battery wasn't in the Civic the wrong way? Sounds like you've shorted the battery and ruined it. New battery dude, charging it will be a waste of time

PrzemoF · 03-05-2011 8:26am

I think the battery was dead when seeing_ie took it from that 2006 civic. Then he connected the cables in his car, realised that he connected it in the wrong way, panicked, put it back to the civic and assumed that he fried the battery.

Shorting the battery is not that easy and it means _a lot_ of heat and I'm quite sure you can't do it by mixing cables. You can fry the radio (precisely polarity protection diode), but not the battery.

Any bets? :cool:

seeing_ie · 03-05-2011 8:28am

PrzemoF wrote: »

I'm missing something here. Did you start your car?

No, it was my car that got the Civic battery, and my car that it was shorted in.
I then put the Civic battery back in the Civic but it was dead.
I got a jump lead start from a passer-by to start the civic.
Drove the Civic for 30mins to charge the Batt.
Stopped the engine.
Wouldn't restart.

Wetbench4 wrote: »

Did you do any damage to your own car when you shorted the battery?

Probably. Haven't had time to look. More worried about the Civic:eek:

Onkle wrote: »

So the battery wasn't in the Civic the wrong way? Sounds like you've shorted the battery and ruined it. New battery dude, charging it will be a waste of time

No. I'm sure the civic battery was never in the civic the wrong way.
It was only in my car the wrong way.
I think you're right man, ruined the Civic battery.

Could I have damaged the Civic alternator at all by driving it for 30mins trying to charge it?

Thanks lads.

Wetbench4 · 03-05-2011 8:32am

The civic will be fine with a new battery. I never heard of someone blowing a battery like that, i'd be worried about your own car.

Also my old car used to have a loose connection on the battery pole. Sometimes when i'd turn the car off after a drive, i wouldn't be able to start it again, and nothing worked like what your describing. So i would leave a light on and go fiddle and twist the connection on the battery and watch to see if the light comes on. Also make sure there is no residue on the battery poles

seeing_ie · 03-05-2011 8:36am

PrzemoF wrote: »

I think the battery was dead when seeing_ie took it from that 2006 civic. Then he connected the cables in his car, realised that he connected it in the wrong way, panicked, put it back to the civic and assumed that he fried the battery.

Shorting the battery is not that easy and it means _a lot_ of heat and I'm quite sure you can't do it by mixing cables. You can fry the radio (precisely polarity protection diode), but not the battery.

Any bets? :cool:

conspiracee:)

the Civic is my dad's bloody car. mine is a 96 1.4 golf.

the Civic battery was fully charged and perfect before I got at it.

It isn't now.

jesus.

e2a: yes, bit snippy at the moment

seeing_ie · 03-05-2011 8:42am

Wetbench4 wrote: »

The civic will be fine with a new battery. I never heard of someone blowing a battery like that, i'd be worried about your own car.

Also my old car used to have a loose connection on the battery pole. Sometimes when i'd turn the car off after a drive, i wouldn't be able to start it again, and nothing worked like what your describing. So i would leave a light on and go fiddle and twist the connection on the battery and watch to see if the light comes on. Also make sure there is no residue on the battery poles

My own car is off the road the last couple of months so I'm less worried about it.
I'm sure I've damaged something on the electrical system on it though.

I was considering getting a battery charger from Lidl (they're 17euro on special this week) and trying to charge the civic battery before buying a new one.

Appreciate the replies lads.

PrzemoF · 03-05-2011 9:16am

seeing_ie wrote: »

conspiracee:)

the Civic is my dad's bloody car. mine is a 96 1.4 golf.

the Civic battery was fully charged and perfect before I got at it.

It isn't now.

jesus.

e2a: yes, bit snippy at the moment

I refuse your reality... ;-)

It's a sealed battery or you can check electrolyte level/density?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/New-CAR-BATTERY-HYDROMETER-ELECTROLYTE-DENSITY-TESTER-/220762620560?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item33667a4290

If I'm right you'll need a new battery, if you're right you'll need a new battery. It's just a matter of proving that it wasn't your fault.:)

Charging it won't help - 30 min drive would give if enough charge to start engine if the battery was OK (but it wasn't :eek:)

L-M · 03-05-2011 9:26am

seeing_ie wrote: »

My own car is off the road the last couple of months so I'm less worried about it.
I'm sure I've damaged something on the electrical system on it though.

I was considering getting a battery charger from Lidl (they're 17euro on special this week) and trying to charge the civic battery before buying a new one.

Appreciate the replies lads.

Just buy a new (or used from a scappy) battery and put it in and be done with it. Once a battery is dead it'll always be dead it my eyes.

kona · 03-05-2011 9:30am

Get a multimeter, turn the engine on, put it across the battery poles, If its reading over 12V then the alternator is charging the battery and nothing is going in, new battery.
If you shorted the battery you would know straight away as you would have gotten a big bang

How the hell did you connect them up wrong anyways, the - is usually smaller than the +, and even then, the wires dont usually reach the poles if its the wrong way around.

Either way, Id guess your battery is dead, bring it to a motorfactors some have a tester which will say if its dead, if its dead no amount of charging will help.

unkel · 03-05-2011 10:10am

kona wrote: »

Get a multimeter, turn the engine on, put it across the battery poles, If its reading over 12V then the alternator is charging the battery.

At 12V with a running engine the alternator is not working

I don't think I've ever seen under 14V with a working alternator...

kona · 03-05-2011 10:42am

unkel wrote: »

At 12V with a running engine the alternator is not working

I don't think I've ever seen under 14V with a working alternator...

I said over 12V;) plus a Battery tends to put out 11.5V at the terminals when its not charged. Personally 14 is the maximum ive seen(but my alternator is ****ty lucas and I do think its on its way), although it depends on at what RPM the alternator makes peak power, its usually around 2 or 3 K rpm (Crank).

unkel · 03-05-2011 11:20am

kona wrote: »

Personally 14 is the maximum ive seen

The 25 year old alternator in my car indicated 14.1V the last time I checked and that was with a completely dead battery

seeing_ie · 03-05-2011 11:32am

just coming back to this after getting a loan of a car for the aul' lad.

I'll let ye know what happens - got a quote of 40euro for a new Hella battery.

stay tuned:D

kona · 03-05-2011 11:59am

unkel wrote: »

The 25 year old alternator in my car indicated 14.1V the last time I checked and that was with a completely dead battery

Mine just turned 20 this year

haha, maybe its a age thing , it does need to be replaced tho, the voltmeter was doing yoyos for abit.

PrzemoF · 03-05-2011 12:51pm

seeing_ie wrote: »

just coming back to this after getting a loan of a car for the aul' lad.

I'll let ye know what happens - got a quote of 40euro for a new Hella battery.

stay tuned:D

Buy one for your golf as well

seeing_ie · 03-05-2011 4:03pm

PrzemoF wrote: »

Buy one for your golf as well

Why I oughta.......<shakes fist>:D

Got a proper battery meter and the civic battery was reading approx 5v, although there was no sign of life on the dash and central locking didn't work.
Dropped it into a garage who are gonna try to charge it.

next riveting update at 7pm.

seeing_ie · 05-05-2011 12:53am

In case anyone is looking for some closure, the battery wouldn't take a charge at all so I picked up a new one.

Thanks for the replies folks.

PrzemoF · 05-05-2011 7:43am

Thanks for info. So the mystery what has happened to the battery remains unsolved...

Think I shorted battery. What to do? bit urgent.

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