2000 Eggplant Purple SL2...


My daughter left the lights on, and drained the battery. Completely dead.


So I go to hook up the jumpers, and about the time I realized the red and green felt pads were backwards on my car... there was a puff of blue smoke that came out the back of the passenger side engine compartment.


It smelled like burning plastic, soI figured I fried a wire somewhere, and the plastic sheath burned...


I reversed the polarity of the jumpers after less than 5 seconds (there was no spark as the receiving battery was dead) and tried starting the pig...of course it was raining, 45 degrees, and miserable.


Wouldn't start. Turned over repeatedy, but wouldn't start.


Has anyone experienced this before?


No fuses burned (checked all the fuses next to the battery) - but radio doesn't work.


Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.


Spencer


Edited by: magilla

 

Start by charging the battery...........be sure to check the fuses under the hood and under the dash.

 

1) Pray you did not toast the PCM.
2) Probably smoked the alternator (circuitry inside)--the diodes in the rectifier circuit are not likely not designed (read: not robust enough) to deal with the polarity reversal....

3) Start with the basics:
a) verify you have spark
b) verify you have fuel

Derf

 

I fixed it!!


The fusible link got hot and cooked the sheath surrounding it, but did not disintegrate.


Lost the PCM (B) 10A and the Radio (Bat) 10A circuit breakers in the passenger side circuit panel.


OnceI replaced the PCM(B) circuit breaker,she started right up.


Yippee!!!! Thanks for all the help!


I went to Saturn and bought a new fusible link - $10.63 - so aside from that and a little wounded pride, the car is as good as new. Phew - a LOT better than a cooked PCM!!!


Ran the car for 20 minutes, and the alternator charged the battery fine.


The stealership told me that all cars are supposed to have some kind of protection for just such an occurrence. In this case, it was the fusible link and the PCM (B) circuit breaker.


I got lucky enough to disconnect the jumpers before the fusible link burned all the way through.


Again, thanks for all the help!!


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