Fried Electric System

Yah, but you never know. I've seen some strange things in my life that seemed to be unexplainable but once you finally find the problem you hit yourself in the head and call yourself a dumbass!

 

Well, with some advice from a friend, I jump started the car and it started up right away. It was immediately apparant that the battery was shot though. When I would switch on the AC or radio, the headlights would dim. Sure tell signs of a bad battery. The positive wire touching the frame must have burnt something in the battery b/c it has never had any hints of issues before this. when I got the truck jump started and running, the check transmission light is on now though. I am hoping once I get a new battery in here that maybe it was a fluke. If not, I got a new problem!?!

I'll be buying a new battery in the morning and will keep this updated with results. Thanks everyone for the support and help thus far.

 

UPDATE: Replaced the battery this morning and cranked right up. Just as an end note, the positive wire running from the battery to my amp fried my battery and luckily nothing else. This is one time I am thankful for all those fuses and relays and every other back up system in a vehicle's electric system.

Learn from my mistakes, unplug battery cables when doing anything with electricity or current in a truck.

 

Did the transmission light clear ?

 

The light cleared once I put the new battery in this morning. Everything is back up and running. . . . .crisis averted! I was really worried that I did more damage than I actually did. I can't believe how much batteries cost. I got the standard issue one, nothing fancy and it was $79.99. It must have been awhile since I bought one.

 

I'm glad you got it squared away without a major dent in the wallet. Batteries have gone up. I just had to replace the one in my wife's car. It would have been $94.00 but there was still sometime left on the warranty. I got out of Auto Zone just paying $38.00 .

 

Good thing to hear all came out OK for you...and yes, it could have been a LOT worse...

I was taking the instrument panel out of an older car, one with the ignition on the dash not steering column. I never thought much of it and didn't pull the battery cable...I unwittingly rested one side of the ignition terminals on the metal of the dash to unplug cables...it immediately welded itself in place and I looked up to smoke coming out from under the hood!

Quickly ran forward and pulled the battery cable. I had toasted the wire from battery to ignition...the fuse was on the circuit from ignition to solenoid! Lucky for me all I had to do is run another 14 ga wire from ignition to battery...the cherry red wire could have melted through the entire harness but it didn't get that far.