Dumb Mistake
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 139
Likes: 1
From: Greenville South Carolina
Dumb Mistake
I was changing out the battery in my 1968 C3 when I accidentally crossed the wires - the ground was RED (I thought red was HOT) - anyway it was only connected that way for a few seconds, but smoke came out of the alternator! Did I burn up my alternator? Once I corrected the crossed wired she fired right up and I drove her for a few miles before putting her to bed and disconnecting the neg. Should I have someone check out the alternator??:r ofl:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 74
From: Palatine, Peoples Republic of Illinois
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18
NCM Sinkhole Donor
It's pretty easy to pull the alternator and have it checked. Just about any auto parts store will do it free.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,842
Likes: 285
From: Palmdale CA
Nobody is sin free! A few months back, removing a complex, clunky quick disconnect off the battery and a long thin wrench, had fallen in the comparment, unknownst to me working in the dark, in the back. Well it fell over and crossed the big power supply input to my brand new amp and totally smoked it in spectacular fashion. It stunk up the Shop, big time, with the smell of burnt to a crisp, circuit boards.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
If you were lucky, only some of the shellac on the alternator windings got 'toasted' but nothing got shorted internally. If it starts and charges OK, you may have lucked-out. That doesn't mean that NO damage was done...but maybe it wasn't enough to cause any part failures. If your car still has the original GM fusible links in place, then you should be 'safe' when the car is operating. If there is a significant electrical failure, either a fuse in the fuse block or a fusible-link should take the hit.
Be a little more cautious when working with electrical 'stuff'....and, happy motoring!
Be a little more cautious when working with electrical 'stuff'....and, happy motoring!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 119
From: Springfield Missouri
put the correct ground cable on the car and not have that mistake. You will have to start the car to see what will happen. You could turn on accessorys on the car, after connecting the battery, to see how well everything works. Played the lottery lately, were you lucky on it as well?
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,666
Likes: 289
From: Spring Park MN
As was said, the smoke was probably the shellac on the windings in the alternator. You may be OK, but you may have shortened it's life. Problem is, you won't know when it will fail now. Of course you never really do. You also put a lot of current through the diodes. They may give up the ghost early too. I'd keep a close eye on it. If your ignition switch was off, most of the rest of the electronics would have been spared the torture test!
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,284
Likes: 1,170
From: Hermosa
Electronic components only have so much smoke in them. Let it all out and it doesn't work any more. Sounds like you just let a little smoke out.
Next time you want to do some welding try a lincoln it works better.
Next time you want to do some welding try a lincoln it works better.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,373
Likes: 6
From: Baltimore MD
I rebuild alternators ,starters and if it smoked you most likely blew the diodes out,you will have to have it fixed or you will kill your battery ,diodes are like check valves to keep power from draining out of battery.you can blow diodes if you jump start a vehicle.It doesnt take much to blow a diode.
Last edited by Billysvette; Oct 20, 2013 at 08:00 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,284
Likes: 1,170
From: Hermosa
Diodes in your alternator;
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CEgQ9QEwBA
How to check some of those diodes;
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CEgQ9QEwBA
How to check some of those diodes;
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,412
Likes: 50
From: Laguna Niguel California
Regarding ELECTRICAL THEORY BY JOSEPH LUCAS
Positive ground depends on proper circuit functioning, which is the transmission of negative ions by retention of visible spectral manifestation know as "smoke".
Smoke is the thing that makes electrical circuits work. We know this to be true because every time one lets the smoke out of an electrical circuit, it stops working. This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing.
The function of the wiring harness is to conduct the smoke from one device to another. When the wiring springs a leak and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works afterward.
In conclusion, the basic concept of transmission of electrical energy in the form of smoke provides a logical explanation of the mysteries of electrical components especially British units manufactured by Joseph Lucas, Ltd.
Positive ground depends on proper circuit functioning, which is the transmission of negative ions by retention of visible spectral manifestation know as "smoke".
Smoke is the thing that makes electrical circuits work. We know this to be true because every time one lets the smoke out of an electrical circuit, it stops working. This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing.
The function of the wiring harness is to conduct the smoke from one device to another. When the wiring springs a leak and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works afterward.
In conclusion, the basic concept of transmission of electrical energy in the form of smoke provides a logical explanation of the mysteries of electrical components especially British units manufactured by Joseph Lucas, Ltd.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 289
From: Chardon Ohio
