Q: Battery jump reverse connectors
I went out to my car today and tried to start it and realized I had a dead battery. I got a jump from a friend, but he made the mistake of putting the connectors on in the reverse direction, so now my radio won’t work. I thought if I swapped out my fuses it would help but they blew. It doesn’t look like any of my wires burned under my hood and my cigarette lighter is working OK. Do you know how I can get my radio to work again? I hope it isn't fried.
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Hey there, thanks for writing in about your 2013 Kia Fote Koup. Fuses are in place to protect wiring and components from failure. By connecting the cables in reverse direction you created a surge in amperage, and the flow of electrical current in the opposite direction could have harmed wiring to the radio as well as the battery. Consider yourself lucky that nothing else has been damaged. When a fuse opens, the circuit, or in this case, the radio is shorted. This may require replacement of the radio. If you would like to have this looked at, a certified technician from YourMechanic diagnose your electrical problem and advise you on repair.
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