Crossed battery... Fried something?

Yesterday I went to check my oil and found my battery bracket had fallen off and the battery slid out of place. As I was moving it back in place the metal bar that covers the battery made contact with the positive battery terminal and gave a good spark. It stayed touching it for 3 or 4 seconds while I reached for a stick to push it off.

The truck did not start after that. It did start with a jump though. The next time it turned off, I had to jump it again and hopefully I can do the same to get myself to work this morning. Everything appears to be working just fine, it just won't start on its own.

It's a 97 Tacoma, 2.7 liter, 5 speed, 4X4.

Any thoughts on what to look for first?

 

I'd say drive it around a bit and see if it can charge it self back, worse case the battery is toast, you could swing by a auto store and they'll usually check
It pretty quick at no cost.

 

I did check a bunch of fuses but was uncertain how to check the bigger ones in the box under the hood.

I drove 120 miles or so home last night and it did not start after that.

I had not realized a battery could get ruined so easily, I will stop in an auto store have have it tested.

Thanks for the quick responses!

 

IDK if I would let an AutoParts store check fuses. :scared: what they would Fuk UP.

 

I bought a new battery for a civic a while back. Turns out, the salesperson gave me the wrong battery and I didn't pay attention. The positive and negative cables would only reach so far and it was obvious which terminal they went yo some hooked it up backward. It made a loud clicking noise that damn near made me mess my pants and I just knew I had fried the CPU. Turns out there is a dummy proof fuse that blew before the cross-wired electricity could reach the computer. $10 fuse and I got a new battery. Everything ran fine for years afterward.

I know, not much help as my only experience is with a different manufacturer's car, but short story is I don't think you did any permanent damage. Fuse, maybe new battery. If it charges and runs, you're probably safe.

 

If it runs after a jump, fuses prolly are fine. If battery doesn't hold a charge, battery prolly toast

 

I would think a fuse blows before it toasts the battery. But I remember now you said battery wasn't hooked up to you harness, so fuse couldn't blow. I bet battery is a goner.

 

A car battery is capable of supplying hundreds of amps of power, it will blow holes in metal. Shorting it will create an electrical arc a few thousand degrees in heat. Something has to give.

A $2 multimeter can check voltage pretty easily, or for free at any parts store. The fact that it starts and remains running points to the issue being the battery. Any fuses etc that would result in power not getting where it needs to go would prevent the vehicle from starting/running regardless of it being jumped.

That it remains running says your alt is working fine. Once a vehicle is running the alt should be providing all electrical power + recharging the battery, which only should supply power to start the engine. After that it does nothing.

So battery.

 

a short directly from the battery isnt really gona hurt the trucks electrical. it would have to after the fuse for it to even blow one.

 

if it starts with a jump then I wouldnt suspect any fuses like others said. Another vote for battery being toast.

 

Got it checked out today and as suspected by many, it was the battery. I was surprised myself that a battery could fry so easily... But I learned a lesson... Be more careful.

Thanks for the help!

 

Good to hear!

 

I would bet the time was longer then what you were thinking as well.

What brand battery ??

 

Oh an next time dont bother with the stick. You wont get shocked to death by 12 volts.

 

I did this in my wife's old Saturn Vue and it blew a fusible link at the alternator. It's a small fragile section of wire that will burn in half to protect alternator. I had to splice in a new one and all good.

 

resistance of our bodies is to high.