damage to electrics

[krsrk]

Done a dumb thing last night and screwed up putting the battery back in, negative to positive etc. took less than a second to realise but now the alternator light is on and the radio isn't working. All the fuses are good, all the other electrics work as well. my question being, damage to the alternator how do i check? and what other damage could I have done?

 

[Seabronc]

The easiest way to check it is take it to someplace like Auto Zone and have it tested. It doesn't sound like you did much damage. What alternator is it, the stock one that comes with the 78/79,or a later version?

Good luck,

>-

 

[krsrk]

i think so bosh 7078

 

[BroncoJoe19]

Sorry that I can't help much, but I recall that in my '60's- 70's era car's alternators had a set of diodes in them. There is a way to test them with a volt/ohm meter, and the instructions were in my "motors" book. I don't have the book anymore, but I'd guess that a chilton's or haynes for that era would walk you through it if appropriate for your alternator.

 

[krsrk]

So i had the alternator tested at napa, it came up all right, bought a new voltage regulator for $13 (now i have something shiny under the hood) still the same problem, not getting a charge.

I check the fusible links, one feels like a piece of spaghetti, so i got a new piece of 16 gauge wire and swapped it out, problem solved. The fusible link did its job protecting the alternator etc from my stupidity. All i need to do now is get the right tools for the job and redo it so looks right and will last another 30 years.

 

[Johnny Reb]

So i had the alternator tested at napa, it came up all right, bought a new voltage regulator for $13 (now i have something shiny under the hood) still the same problem, not getting a charge. I check the fusible links, one feels like a piece of spaghetti, so i got a new piece of 16 gauge wire and swapped it out, problem solved. The fusible link did its job protecting the alternator etc from my stupidity. All i need to do now is get the right tools for the job and redo it so looks right and will last another 30 years.

i HAVE NOTICED ON HEAR ALOT. aBOUT PEOPLE CAN,T GET POWER TO A CERTAIN PLACE AND NEVER THOUT OF IT UNTIL i READ ABOUT YOUR TROUBLE WAS A fuselink. I found out about them along time ago on my 71 Dodge pick-up that had sat for awhile. They will go bad -while the vehicle has been setting. What I had done to check mine was with a thin wire and 2 pins(safety pins) . I pushed one in each end of the fuse about 1 inche and teied in the thin wire.When I found the one(going to my switch) How I repaired it was get a solder gun,shrink tape . . I pushed on the tape solder the fuse in and put the shrink tape over the bear wire part and heated the tape and it done a good job. Long story short-------I have noticed --WE FORGET ABOUT THE FUSEABLE LINKS ON HEAR AND TALK ABOUT BAD GROUND CONNECTIONS-------------IT SLIPS OUR MIND ABOUT FUSEABLE LINKS