As I'm a below average mechanic, please excuse my ignorance. Just bought a '73 Bronco a couple days ago (it started fine). It had no battery when it was delivered to me so I had to buy one.

I didn't confirm the positive-negative terminal posts (dumb) and put them on backwards. After correcting my mistake, the engine will no longer turn over. No click, no nothing. How should I start my troubleshooting? Solenoid, starter, battery? The local garage will probably laugh all the way to the bank if I have to tow it in and it turns out to be a fuse or something.

Still Learnin'
Joe

 

Hey Joe, welcome to FTE!

Don't be down on yourself, bud. Anyone could have made that mistake.
Try this:

1- remove both battery cables. take a knife and scrape the inside of the cable ends until you have fresh metal (uncorroded) showing. Then take a stiff bristle brush and clean up the terminals on the battery. Now re-connect (correctly) and try that.

Usually when it wont do anything, it's a bad connection.

2- if that doesn't work, check the voltage coming from the battery. It should be a little over 12 volts (not sure exactly). If it's less than 12 volts, it needs a charge or maybe a new one.

3- check to make sure your cable ends didn't fry at the hook-ups. (solenoid, ground wire, etc.) and they're making a good, clean connection.

Hooking them up backwards shouldn't have "hurt" anything I wouldn't think, but I'm no mechanic myself. Just years of "getting by"

Let us know how it goes!

Again, welcome to FTE!

Chuck

 

Hooking a battery up backwards will blow (short) the
alternator diodes. Also check for blown fuses / fusible
links....good luck!!!

 

Everything is working fine now.

 

Hey Joe,
Welcome to the EB Forum.
We all started somewhere. I know I've done stuff like that.
Just call it learning from experience.

Jason