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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

Switching battery terminals

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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 04:17 PM
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Switching battery terminals

So I accidentally switched the negative and positive battery terminals.. how bad does that mess stuff up? I want to know if i just need to get a new battery or if I should just get rid of the truck...
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 04:19 PM
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It usually just blows one of the main fusible links. Hook everything up correctly, and then see what you have. If it's totally dead, then look out at the starter solenoid for a small wire with a fusible link that may be blown out.
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 04:25 PM
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it's hooked up correctly now...just no juice from the battery at all...i saw it smoked from what i'm guessing is the starter solenoid located next to the battery....check that?
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 04:26 PM
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you may be luck if it was a quick touch .Happens all time when jumping a car (not me )a end will touch another or contact metal . The battery can be fine . Does truck start ??
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 04:31 PM
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no the little thing next to the battery that's mounted to the side of the engine bay i'm guessing the starter solenoid started smoking...and now it gets no juice whatsoever
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 04:38 PM
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Like I said in my first post above, there is a fusible link over there at the starter solenoid that usually blows out. That it where the smoke comes from. Look at the large terminal on the solenoid that connects to the battery +. Hooked to the same large terminal should be a smaller wire, with a rubber looking thing in the wire. This rubber thing is the fusible link.

Take the battery cables back off, take the large bat + cable off the starter solenoid, take the smaller wire off and check the fusible link.
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 05:19 PM
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okay i see the weird rubber thing that says fusible link i'll try what you said Franklin
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 05:41 PM
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k i got the + batt cable large one off there and i have the wire that says Fusible Link 6 ga. how do i check it?
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 06:24 PM
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everything looks good how i check the fusible link now?
 
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Old Nov 4, 2007 | 07:54 PM
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Pull on it and see if it stretches. If it does, it's burnt. If it doesn't, then follow this wire down the harness and you should come across a splice with more fusible links.

These wires are the ones that feed the whole truck's elec system. If the whole truck's dead, then the problem is going to be in one of these wires.
 
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Old Nov 20, 2007 | 10:01 AM
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Okay...so could you break it down step by step for me? Like what I need to buy to fix it cause I HAVE to get it fixed otherwise it's going to get towed
 
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Old Dec 2, 2007 | 02:49 PM
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Well boys..after all that pain and agony about getting her fixed I recapped everything and thought to myself it was only the solenoid that smoked. So needless to say a trip to the parts store and $10 later I fixed the truck the battery was even still good. I just know now to be extra careful putting the batt in
 
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Old Dec 2, 2007 | 11:03 PM
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Originally Posted by 86f250460
Well boys..after all that pain and agony about getting her fixed I recapped everything and thought to myself it was only the solenoid that smoked. So needless to say a trip to the parts store and $10 later I fixed the truck the battery was even still good. I just know now to be extra careful putting the batt in
So i'm lost, you replaced the solenoid (starter relay switch) and that fixed the no power in the truck issue?
 
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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 04:15 PM
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That solenoid has nothing to do with power in the truck, other than supplying power to the STARTER itself. There's no other use for it. Who knows what you did?
 
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Old Dec 4, 2007 | 10:46 AM
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magic? I dont know...i don't know jack about electricity. Maybe it was the wire with the fusible link in it that I put back together? I just hooked those wires together and crimped it good and maybe that's what gave me power again...don't know
 
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