Battery connections reversed

[florida gator]

OK, be easy with me. I did one of the stupidist things ever. Even with my limited amount of mechanical knowledge, I do know how I SHOULD HAVE hooked up the battery. I got in a hurry, dropped the battery in backwards and connected the wires. When I flipped the switch past the both position I heard a "electrical" type noise and then everything was completely dead. Tried both batteries, different electrical functions and nothing. This seems like there should be a simple fix but, I cann't figure it out. Any suggestions?

[MOP]

Hard to say what might have gotten screwed up, it depends on what was turned on completing its circuit. Only switched on and hot connected items will be effected by the reverse polarity. Check your fuses, Many times the diodes in the alternator will blow. Any pieces of electronics, radios, gauges that may have been on most likely will be damaged to some extent or another. Sorry to hear your plight!

[penbroke]

Look for a fusable link in the battery cables, a bad cable or a problem (or fuse) in the switch.

When the switch was in the "both" position the two batteries were tied plus to minus and minus to plus. This would likely burn out something close to and between the two batteries in a hurry. It may have killed one (or both) of the batteries as well but may not have hurt anything else.

Good luck!

Frank
Single battery, fully charged.

[MOP]

Another thought, just maybe you got lucky and burned the common post or the switch finger in the battery switch. Hook up one battery direct to see what works, I still think you may have killed the diodes in the alternators but again maybe what ever blew did it quick enough to let most other things survive!

PS you are lucky many times a shorted battery will explode, been there done that!