Battery emergency...HELP QUICK

[prov1900]

My buddy just called me. Said that he took his cranking battery out of his boat, filled it with distilled water. When he hooked it back up, the fuse box area of his Mr. Pike started smoking. He unhooked the battery cables and pulled the fuses. Through tutelage on the phone from me, he figured out that he got a wire hooked up wrong. Got it righted. After he rehooked the battery up and put the fuses back in, the fuse box started smoking again, so he unhooked the battery and pulled the fuses again.

What did he do? Is this of super serious concern? The master power was off, none of the electronics were hooked to the boat. Why would this start smoking again? Need answers as fast as you experts can dish them out.

Thanks...glad this wasn't my boat.

[boatfixer]

I'm guessing in the first smoking incident, he fried enough things and now has a dead short in fuse panel.

[prov1900]

That makes sense. How do we fix that?

[eurolarva]

If he hooked his outboard cables to this battery and the leads were reversed then if the motor has or I should say had a rectifier it is shot. Does the motor charge the battery? It only takes a half second to torch a rectifier/ regulator.

[prov1900]

What does that mean for him? What is a rectifier? I assume that his boat/motor, a 2005, has as what you described.Thanks for the quick replies guys!!! All I need in life is FM and my boat, kids, and dog.

[boatfixer]

It would be difficult for anyone to tell you where to begin other than to identify the wires that, "released the factory smoke", and replace them. As Euro said, he prolly fried the rectifier also. Depending on his or your level of DC wiring capabilities, this one may very well end up in a shop, if for nothing else but to have the rest of the electrical system evaluated, including the rectifier.

[davesfriend]

One thing I have learned is that if it starts smoking, it is NOT good. I agree, this one should be looked over by a trained pro. The last thing you want is to figure out something is very wrong at the time you MUST get off the lake.

[eurolarva]

Your ignition system fires off of AC current similar to what is in your house and it cycles in a house 60 times a second. A battery does not use or like alternating current AC and uses a rectifier to convert the AC to DC voltage. In a rectifier voltage can only travel one way by reversing the leads your friend put voltage in the wrong direction. Rectifiers are like a fast blow fuse when this happens. There can be other damage as mentioned above. There is probably a circuit breaker in the motor that is tripped along with other things. The best thing for your friend to do is to either get a good service manual or bite the bullet and have it fixed. Now is when he wants it done. In about 2 weeks the outboard repair places will be swamped and chances are nobody will be able to look at it.

[Boogaard]

Id have to agree with eurolarva! I would bring it in. Im sure there are fuses in places that he wouldnt even think of looking that are no longer good. If your insisting on doing it yourself id look to download a manual maybe from the HSOforum. id say something is definately fried!id get it in asap to a shop im sure they will be swamped soon. The best lessons learned are the ones that cost you $$$!