September Diagnostic Challenge (SOLVED)

[Jeremy airjer W]

2006 Ford Focus

Info from customer - car made a clicking noise when trying to start. Replaced battery now no dash lights, no radio, no crank, and the wipers stay on all the time.

I jump in it turn the key and nothing. Pop the hood and find that the negative cable had been removed from a new battery. I reinstalled the cable and instantly the wipers turn on. I get back into the car and try to start. No dash lights as described and definitely no crank. The blower is working and the radio is not. I try rolling down the drivers side window and it did not work. I tried the passenger side window it also did not work. I bumped the up side of the switch and the window went down. Thats when I knew what the problem was.

What do you think?

[Macgyver55]

I'm gonna go with something silly caused by the battery installer.... like maybe putting the cables on the wrong battery posts?

[efgh]

I 2nd Mac post.

[SkunkedAgain]

Yeah, I was going to go with running the solenoid wire to the wrong post.

[Macgyver55]

Come on Jer, the suspense is killing me, gotta have the answer.... or more clues!

[Jeremy airjer W]

The customer installed the battery backwards. It was the right battery and on these cars the cables are "mounted" in there positions. When the battery was put in backwards the cables had to be removed from there "mounts" in order to stretch them to the new positions. If it doesn't seem right it probably isn't would have saved a lot of time and a few dollars.

After the battery was installed correctly the only fuse that was blown was the radio fuse. The alternator was not charging and I have to wonder if this was the true source of the dead battery or if the backward installation took out the alternator (the main fuse on the alt cable never blew).