Installed battery cables backwords

Tiny
PANCHIKA1984
  • MEMBER
  • 1992 FORD RANGER
  • 200,000 MILES
If someone was too install the battery cables backwards wold the vehicle still be able to run for days sheet this is to happen? I have someone claiming I installed a battery for them and put the positive on the negative terminal and vise versa on 1-22-16 and weeks later claimed it fried their ecu. But when I installed it nothing happened, no sparks, car started fine, he left the parking lot just fine.
Wednesday, February 17th, 2016 AT 8:20 AM

4 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
You are correct. Someone is looking to blame anyone else for their problem. Connecting the cables backward would have instantly blown a lot of fuses. There is no way possible they could have driven the vehicle for a few feet, let alone days or weeks. Even if forced to engage, the starter motor would have run backward. Its over-running clutch wouldn't even have spun the engine.

If your customer doesn't believe you, have them post the problem here, and include all the details and chain of events.
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Wednesday, February 17th, 2016 AT 8:30 AM
Tiny
PANCHIKA1984
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I wasn't even aware that this even happened until claims center called my job and I just happened to be the manager there. When he heard my name he said I was mentioned in the claim. I have changed numerous of batteries and I'm not dumb enough to reverse the cables. I even looked back on that day and some other woman sold him the battery, now she may be dumb enough to do something like that, but still there is no way he would have been able to leave. Sounded a little fishy to me, so I asked my manager and he said that the guy came in last week maybe and told him that he didn't want to embarrass me and pointed at me saying I installed it, but I was never even told about the incident
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Wednesday, February 17th, 2016 AT 8:37 AM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
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  • 20,761 POSTS
Hi Doc, I think the first person that would have notified you would have been the fire department.
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Wednesday, February 17th, 2016 AT 8:51 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Good answer Wish I would have thought of it.
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Wednesday, February 17th, 2016 AT 10:12 AM

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