Can't be brilliant all the time - occasionally would be nice!

[nick949]

This is the walk of shame. 
 
The other day I was replacing the battery on my Quota with one that looked virtually identical, given to me by my friend Norm. 
I pulled out the old battery - terminals in the same location, perfect fit - put in the new one and attached all the wires.

Turned on - wouldn't start. No fuel pump noise and just a whirring from the starter. Oh well, I'll ride the NF instead and deal with it later - perhaps just needs charging. 

Next thing, there's smoke pouring out of the steering head. I scuttle over to undo the battery terminals before I set the house on fire. 

Long and short of it: the battery terminals were reversed on the two batteries and I didn't look/notice. One rectifier/regulator toasted. $200 lighter in the pocket. Damn!

Nick

[oldbike54]

 Well damnit Nick 

 Dusty

[jas67]

Ouch!     I almost ran into this with some vintage Hondas that I'm playing with.
I've got a 12N12A-4B and a 12N12A-3A.   They're identical, except for the terminals are switched.

Thankfully, you were still present and noticed the smoke.

[charlie b]

Yep, I did that once on my old Honda.  I think it was rectifiers on that one that went too.

Almost did it on the T5.  I had hooked up the positive and was about to hook up the neg when I decided to double check.  Yep, wrong one.

[Wayne Orwig]

Bummer.
Hopefully the fuses saved the ECU.

[not-fishing]

The first thing I always look at in a battery terminal locations/configurations, pos and neg.

I'm a real coward when it comes to terminals.

And every time I jumper I say to myself "Parallel not Series" at least twice.

Mark

[trippah]

It does bring back memories of jumpstarting my friend's Sunbeam Alpine  with my  MGB with it's two 6 volt batteries in series, positive ground as the exclamation point.  Took three of us (me, my friend and the head mechanic at the MG Dealership in Boston) over an hour to guess what to hook up to what.

[acogoff]

     Usually when I try that foolishness there is a mini explosion at the  terminal when I  touch the last wire to the battery, clueing me in to my carelessness. Wonder why that did not happen?

[john fish]

It does bring back memories of jumpstarting my friend's Sunbeam Alpine  with my  MGB with it's two 6 volt batteries in series, positive ground as the exclamation point.  Took three of us (me, my friend and the head mechanic at the MG Dealership in Boston) over an hour to guess what to hook up to what.

I'm curious- how does that work?

[acogoff]

I'm curious- how does that work?

     I have an old Oliver tractor with the same set up. Two 6 Volt batts hooked up in series to = 12 volts and poss ground. When I have to jump it it takes a bit of thinking. Positive cable from the jumper vehicle to the frame of the tractor and the negative from the jumper to the negative battery terminal. Don't think you would want the two vehicles touching though!!!

[Tom H]

Ouch!!!

Tom

[dguzzi]

Something I always check as I have to remember Nortons are positive ground. Hopefully that's the only damage Nick.

[rboe]

Toasted the input power supply of my telescope mount last month doing something similar. Vixen and Celestron power plugs are polarity reversed. Who knew? Gah! So far (knock on wood) my repair was cheaper.

[Muzz]

I have a Motobatt glass mat battery which effectively has four terminals, and you position a brass lug to whichever position you need. Great idea as it means I can use it both on the Honda quad bike and the AG200 Honda, which have opposing leads.

It does mean that I am very deliberate when I change things over!

[cruzziguzzi]

I've run into reversed posts more in the last two years than the entirety of my life before that time.

I actually talk to myself like a weirdo when hooking up batteries now just to "say the words".

Got a "reversed" one just a couple weeks ago for the Calvin. It really only happens when I don't have the core in hand and fortunately, other than my positive ground Willys, I haven't taunted the electrons yet.


Todd.

[Waterbottle]

Geeze Nick, very lucky indeed. I try to teach my staff ......
When disconnecting - Earth off First
When reconnecting - Earth on last.
Reason- It's very possible to burn a hole in a frame tube if you touch a spanner to ground when undoing the positive first. 

I always assumed they would identify the Negative post ?

[lucydad]

Nick,

Well crap.

My latest wooden-block head stunt:  been waiting weeks for new land line phone to get hooked up.  Called provider several times, called number with cell phones:  nothing, ever.  Ms. LD just figured out we had the ringer turned off on the phone.  Oh boy.  Just one more moving chaos event.  Bought some new phones, now charging.  It has been endless.

Electrician was just here.  We figured out they wired some exterior light switches wrong--complicated story but some could not be turned off, and some were mystery switches.  He apologized, and told us the mystery switch was for roofline Christmas light plugs.  Really?

Poodles have sandy paws all the time due to river sand put into back yard holes.  Lovely sand monsters in and out.

You don't want to hear about the other stuff...

[fotoguzzi]

sorry about that... did any wires melt?

[nick949]

sorry about that... did any wires melt?

Fortunately no. Just a bit crisp around the unit. The new one comes with new wires and nothing downstream (ecu, fuel pump etc) are undamaged.

[TodkaVonic]

Since we're all trying to make you feel a little better for your mishap by sharing one of our own...

I broke down last summer on the Paul Smart.  The sun is shining. I'm going about 80. Everything is right and well in the world.

Then the engine just cuts off. I'm coasting with just the wind noise like a WWI biplane without an engine.

I stop, shrug, and start her back up. Starts strong. No odors. No fluids. Hmmmmmmmm. Another couple miles and the same thing happens.

I stop, shrug, think about how far I am from home, and she starts right up.

It happens again but this time she's not starting up. The engine's not turning over. It's not getting past the self-diagnostic stage of the start-up pathway where it confirms that all systems are go and starting up is acceptable. Not even a click. Just a few lights and nothing more.

I check the fuses: intact. I check the kickstand connection and relay: seems ok. I tug at various cords and cables and connections: everything looks solid.  I stare at the engine: still looks like an engine.  I twiddled my thumbs for a bit too.

Then I called for a tow.

The next day (the shop was just closing when they went to rescue me from the side of the road) I go to the shop and explain the entire event to the mechanic.

He tightened the battery nut and she started right up.

I was so, so, so embarressed and so utterly happy at the same time. Think pre-mature ejaculation with a supermodel. Ha! But we're not done, because, while the battery connection was a problem, that was not THE problem.

While I'm still at the shop, just getting ready to leave, I try to start her up again and...nothing. Just dash lights. Just like before.

Hmmmmmm. Now I have the mechanic's attention. We start popping out fuses. Lo and behold, the 5 amp fuse to the ECU was ever so slightly broken. Not blown, just broken. I didn't notice it during my roadside evaluation. And the rattling and poor connectivity of this 10 cent smallest-fuse-on-the-whole-bike was enough to stop in me in my tracks.

Lesson learned.

[TodkaVonic]

Fortunately no. Just a bit crisp around the unit. The new one comes with new wires and nothing downstream (ecu, fuel pump etc) are undamaged.

Great!

[jbell]

Damn that Norm!  Are we gonna get him?

[canuck750]

Your not alone in extracting smoke from electrical components.

I left the ignition switch at the ON position with the engine not running on my V7 Sport last year for a few minutes, that's all it took to fry the electronic ignition.

Could be worse, at least there was no fire.

[brenwin]

I did the same thing on my restored Eldo . I fried my new motogadget m unit after it was barely in the bike . It was around $350 CD . Talk about painful ! Had to wait a while to get the new one from Germany which was really frustrating . The things we do ! Take solace in the fact your not alone .

[Kiwi_Roy]

Just be grateful the ECU has a diode to prevent it frying if the battery is put in backwards. The diode is in series with the ECU relay coil.