Q: Reverse polarity jumped car, interior electronic don't work

asked by on March 26, 2017

I was jumping off my girlfriends car and I accidentally reversed the polarity on her end (the receiving end), when they were connected. The horns, windshield wipers, and gauges started going crazy. Afterwards, the car wouldn't start at all even with the connections correct. Took the battery to advanced auto parts and they recharged it. Took it back and the car now starts and runs. But, the interior radio, dome light, power windows, will not shift out of park, and air conditioner do not work. I changed the 80a fuse that was blown in the engine and it did not fix it. I checked all other fuses and they are all not blown. Someone mentioned it could be a relay but I don't think it would start if that were the case. Thank you for you help.

My car has 195000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Reverse polarity, at the battery, in a 12 volt electrical system on a car can cause a variety of effects including damaging the alternator, diodes and the numerous microprocessors on a vehicle such as those in the powertrain control module (PCM). As far as other fuses, they are numerous not to mention fusible links, circuit breakers, and all of the individual electronic components themselves in many circuits that could have failed due to reverse polarity. With regard to the circuits you have mentioned, namely the radio, dome light, power windows, park shift interlock, and the air conditioner, the best thing to do is simply trace those circuits to find the fault. It could be a fusible link, device fault or damage to a microprocessor based control or solid state relay. Simple circuit tracing, for example just starting with the dome light circuit will reveal the fault. If you want these steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request an electrical diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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