So I was installing a new charger on my tracker 190 today. When I was in hooking the positive terminal on my cranking battery I hit the negative terminal with my wrench. Sparks flew and my motor smoked some. I ran it on muff and everything seemed ok but is it possible I did any damage? Thanks guys
Check everything electrical to ensure it works...If something does not work check the breaker/fuse to the device. If everything is okay then you got lucky.
What worries me is "my motor smoked some" if your referring to the big motor then I would inspect the stator.
The smoke is what worried me too. I checked everything except the nav lights and everything kicked on. Boat started up fine. I'm hoping I got lucky but I'm still a little concerned.
To clarify you touched the wrench from the positive post to the negative post of your battery correct?
If so the short was at the battery and should not have caused a problem at your motor. I am unsure how this would have caused your motor to "smoke." Now if you hooked them up backwards that would be a very big problem.
Corrert. I turned the wrench and hit both terminals. I dropped the wrench, it was sparking like crazy and then I moved the wrench, that's when I noticed the smoke. I was worried I fried the alternator. Any way to check the alternator? Will the TAC volatage give me a good indicator If the alternator is ok?
There should have been no current flow through your motor. All current flow would be through your wrench. The battery was abused for sure but I cannot imagine any other harm being done.
Voltage to motor would be low to zero while it was shorted but would be no worse than having a dead battery attached.
I guess there is a chance the smoke could've been coming from battery compartment. It scared the crap out of me to be honest. I probably won't sleep tonight lol
Originally Posted by Transom
I agree with him. When those huge arcs start, you see smoke everywhere, even coming out of your ears. You're lucky the battery didn't explode.
When working with batteries always remove FINGER RINGS, WATCHES, ANYTHING METAL on you hands/arms and put a rag or piece of rubber over the POSITIVE post. Don't want to get into how I know these things right now.
Rocket
I did the same exact thing last year but my wedding ring was the contact from wrench to battery.
I think I made sounds not known to man. Burnt/melted a chunk of my ring - missing now and tattooed a scar around my finger with a huge blister.
One trick I learned when hooking up batteries,use a shorty ratchet with an insulated handle.
We had a Marine Tech one time do same thing, Was wearing a ring at the time and nearly lost his finger. He knew better and ended up requiring a lot of reconstructive surgery. Batteries can be bad business.
I bet that left a markI did the same exact thing last year but my wedding ring was the contact from wrench to battery.
I think I made sounds not known to man. Burnt/melted a chunk of my ring - missing now and tattooed a scar around my finger with a huge blister.
2007 Z21 / 250 VMAX HPDI
Had a hydraulic leak on my skid loader, oil all over. Went to take the battery out to change a hose and got the Pos. Got to use the fire extinguisher that day.Hydraulic fluid is flammable.
I took the boat to a small lake by the house. I backed it in and at ran it on the trailer. The TAC showed it right around 14 while idling. It would drop while I was playing with my tilt and trim. When I put it in gear and gave it a little gas (under 2000 rpms it would go up slightly) this is about as high as the voltage got.
Sounds very good to me. Optimum is 13.8 to 14.2. Expect a drop when you hit power poles or trim unit.
take your boat out on the water and put a load on it.this will tell you if anything was damaged.i don't want to scare you but we had a 175 efi engine(not carbed)that we had to boost the starting battery one morning.somehow the booster cables either touched each other or they were hooked up wrong,not really sure but I do know that sparks was flying big time.the engine never did run right after that.we finally had the efi ecu (big circuit electronic board)rebuilt.costs $800.00 but that did fix the problem.i think the sparks is what damaged the board.hope your engine is fine
"keep your blood thin,you will live longer"
Iv done it before. Your motor should be fine
Triton 19 XS Elite, 225 Mercury Pro XS, Minn Kota Ultrex 112, Hydrowave H2,10' Power Pole ONE PUMP Blades, Power Pole CHARGE, Lowrance HDS 12 and 16 at console, Lowrance HDS 9, Garmin LiveScope at bow, Mercmonitor, Rigid Industries Deck lights and other stuff to come that will make me go more broke
Lots of men have lost or badly burned thier ring finger becasue of a wrench and a wedding band on the hot post of a battery,I did the same exact thing last year but my wedding ring was the contact from wrench to battery.
I think I made sounds not known to man. Burnt/melted a chunk of my ring - missing now and tattooed a scar around my finger with a huge blister.
1996 Javelin 409T DC /225 Johnson Venom
Shorting the battery and reversing the polarity to the motor are two different things. I would expect no damage if the battery were shorted and major damage if hooked up backwards. I suppose shorting the battery with the engine running could damage the charging system or voltage regulator.
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