# Batter Hooked Up Backwards



## AKF150LARIAT4X4 (Sep 14, 2005)

First off I'm not as moronic as the topic states. LOL I have two batteries in parralel and the one farthest from the camper leads was hooked up backwards. When I hooked it up the battery disconnect in it was open. When I closed the connection sparks flew and I tried to reopen the connection but it had already welded itself together. After 3-4 seconds the sparks stopped and I quickly unscrewed the wing nuts and disconnected the terminals. I went inside the camper and checked the fuse panel and no LEDs were on. Lights worked, water pump worked, so my question is did I fry anything? If not why did it stop sparking. I also put it on a charger a couple days later(yesterday) and it seems to
have charged fine. Any ideas? Thanks!


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

This time of year many people seem to do this.

You will have blown at least 2 40 amp fuses between the battery and the converter and most likely blew the in line fuse behind the radio.


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

The current flow (well over 100 amps, and possibly as high as 400 - 500 amps if it's an automotive-type battery) is what fused your disconnect. The battery was shorted to ground and may or may not have survived.

Check the water level, separate the batteries electrically (no cables between them) so you can charge them separately, and put one on your stand-alone charger. Let it run for 8 - 12 hours and the charge rate goes under 2 amps (assuming the charger has a meter).

Check the water level, and then wait about 4 hours or more for the "surface charge" to dissipate. Then check the charge level with your battery hydrometer ($8 bucks or so at Trak Auto, Auto Zone or equivalent). If it's fully charged, the battery survived.

Repeat for the other battery.

Then hook them back up and turn the disconnect "on."

Now you need to look at your 12volt stuff inside--fuses in the 12v converter all ok? Everything work?

In all likelihood, the error caused the one battery to be shorted to ground; thus the toasting of the disconnect. If that's it, your circuit boards inside are probably ok. If the battery survived, bow three times towards the battery manufacturer and you're done.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

CamperAndy said:


> This time of year many people seem to do this.
> 
> You will have blown at least 2 40 amp fuses between the battery and the converter and most likely blew the in line fuse behind the radio.


X2 - Don't feel bad - this is a common mistake!


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Well, this is a new variation on the theme. So am I to understand you hooked the batteries in a loop (1 forward and 1 backward)?

Liek the other's said, don't feel bad, it happens a LOT. That is what fuses are for....


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## AKF150LARIAT4X4 (Sep 14, 2005)

Well Nathan, the answer would have to be a head bowing YES!

Interestingly enough, I can't find a blown fuse anywhere.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Since it was not a reverse polarity but a dead short between two batteries you did not send any current into the converter. So no blown fuses. You may have toasted the batteries and that may be much worse. Wish you luck on their condition.


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## AKF150LARIAT4X4 (Sep 14, 2005)

So far all batteries are working well. I hooked up the suspected battery to a 1500watt/3000watt peak DC to AC inverter and it performed perfectly. Output was showing 12.4v. See the following link for my fix...
Battery Disconnect


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

Looks like a good fix. Thanks for the photos.

See you at the Midnight Sun Marathon on June 19! We and scores more are coming up with Team in Training, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's (LLS) fund raising system to raise funds for blood cancer research. In 20 years, LLS has trained over 400,000 non-athletes to do a half or full marathon, and raised over $1 Billion (!!). Quite impressive.

The Full Marathon course spends 10 miles, from mile 7 to 17, on the tank trails at Ft. Richardson. Not a lot of fun walking or running over rocks, dirt clumps, holes and boulders! I'm doing the Half, so I miss the tank trails, but get to walk 3 miles while parallel to the main runway at Anchorage Int'l airport!

Please keep the rain away..

regards,

Hautevue from Baltimore


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