Help - installed a new battery the wrong way round!

[crowsoutside]

I haven't checked any of the fuses as shown in the video yet.

All the stuff inside the car is working. Lights, wipers, heating, AC, windows etc. all work ok.

If all that stuff is working does it mean the problem is with the fuses on the positive lead?

 

[Mottie]

On some cars, a hard reset is required. Try disconnecting both battery cables, hold them together for twenty seconds or so to completely discharge the circuits, wait ten minutes and reconnect the battery.

It worked for Camerart a while ago under similar circumstances. https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/freelander-battery-flat-now-no-ignition.616821/#post-5566962

This video says thirty minutes but normally twenty seconds is good enough. You can use one of your jump leads to connect the two terminals.

 

[robinbanks]

my 14reg audi had to have a this done, just incase it happens to be that

Mmm.. your 14 plate Audi likely just needed that done as a way of telling it it had a new battery so it could do some reset with its charge and condition monitoring for the stop start. Using an appropriate OBD tool to change one digit of the serial number would be enough; there isn't a communication between the battery and the car such that it will refuse to start if a battery with serial number X is fitted to a car whose ECU expects it to be Y

Now the car won't start or turn over, it just clicks when I turn the key

This is also symptomatic of a scenario where there is a poor connection at either the battery terminal, the ground point on the car bodywork that the negative lead connects to or the starter end of the high amperage cable feed from the battery. A poor connection may flow enough amps to run lights or wipers but not to deliver the several hundred amps the starter requires. The clicking you hear is likely the solenoid on the starter engaging the motor with the flywheel. As part of that operation the solenoid also connects the power terminals of the starter motor directly to the battery so it can draw the huge current it requires. It can also be indicative of starter motor failure

Diagnosing starter motor failure is typically done by clamping a jump lead on the positive terminal of the battery, and on the power terminal of the motor (it will have a large lead and nut/bolt affair) and then also feeding power to the smaller positive terminal on the solenoid attached to the starter motor. When power is applied to the solenoid the starter motor should attempt to turn the engine. If it doesn't I'd look to pull it off and test it properly, without the solenoid, to see if it turns. If it does it's likely the solenoid has a fault that is not supplying power. If it does not turn then the motor could have failed. If it does turn sometimes and not others, or turns if you give it a bang or a flick of the rotating shaft then it's failed partially and is coming to a stop at a point where it's dead (no internal electrical connection)

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

A poor connection may flow enough amps to run lights or wipers but not to deliver the several hundred amps the starter requires. The clicking you hear is likely the solenoid on the starter engaging the motor with the flywheel. As part of that operation the solenoid also connects the power terminals of the starter motor directly to the battery so it can draw the huge current it requires. It can also be indicative of starter motor failure

Headlights on, whilst trying to crank, might show that up as the headlights going dim.

 

[DiyNutJob]

No, it wasn't, but the car started with jump leads.

Since the 'incident', the car won't start with either battery, even with jump leads.

Your best hope is for the batteries to be bad. Otherwise, you are going to have a hole burnt in wallet. Ask someone who has a working car to give you a jump. That will confirm the state of your batteries.

 

[baldykev]

The main live battery lead has a fuse built into about 150 amps which can not be replaced part of the wiring .
To check this is ok follow the main live lead down to the starter and with your meter see if you have power to it where it connects to the starter
This will prove if fuse has blown or not.
The click you hear my be the starter relay

 

[BlueLoo]

Have you the old battery on, used jump leads and see if that works?

 

[crowsoutside]

Update:

Tested all the fuses and all are fine.

Looked at the fuses on the positive lead to the battery and the STR 250A has gone. See pic.

P.S. thanks for all the help and suggestions so far

 

[BlueLoo]

Great news!
Glad you found the culprit.

(Still wouldn't do any harm to charge up the new battery whilst you fix it )

 

[crowsoutside]

Erm, how would I go about fixing it?

The offending part seems to be "stuck" into the lead.

Sorry but I'm a complete dunce at anything practical.

 

[BlueLoo]

https://www.mazda3revolution.com/threads/2017-mazda-3-just-replaced-battery-car-wont-start.245838/

On second thoughts,
I think you need to get a mobile vehicle electrician to come and have a look.

In the thread above, the TCU was fried as well......

 

[BlueLoo]

Erm, how would I go about fixing it?

The offending part seems to be "stuck" into the lead.

Sorry but I'm a complete dunce at anything practical.

What made you change the battery then?

 

[crowsoutside]

What made you change the battery then?

The car wasn't starting. It would start with a jump but wouldn't start on its own even after driving it for a while with all the accessories off.

I watched a video on testing the alternator, followed the instructions and the alternator seemed to be working so I thought it must be the battery?

You mentioned a TCU, what is that?

 

[BlueLoo]

The car wasn't starting. It would start with a jump but wouldn't start on its own even after driving it for a while with all the accessories off.

I watched a video on testing the alternator, followed the instructions and the alternator seemed to be working so I thought it must be the battery?

You mentioned a TCU, what is that?

Traction controlled unit.

You may be fine. It's easy to find out if anything is wrong, you just plug in a fault code reader, but as you say, if you are hopeless (I doubt you are that bad lol) then even simple things can cause issues as you found out.

The 250A fuse is going to be a bit more challenging to change than the simple 5a types.

A mobile spark will charge by the hour. If you tell him the issue first, he'll get a fuse, fit and test and you likely be on your way.

That's what i would do anyway.

 

[crowsoutside]

Traction controlled unit.

You may be fine. It's easy to find out if anything is wrong, you just plug in a fault code reader, but as you say, if you are hopeless (I doubt you are that bad lol) then even simple things can cause issues as you found out.

The 250A fuse is going to be a bit more challenging to change than the simple 5a types.

A mobile spark will charge by the hour. If you tell him the issue first, he'll get a fuse, fit and test and you likely be on your way.

That's what i would do anyway.

EDIT: I've found where the port is, so I just need to get a compatible scanner, yes?

That will give me any fault codes and I can pass these on to the vehicle sparks, is that the idea?

Thanks for persevering