I'm an idiot...

[TecNickal]

I got a brand new battery yesterday for my 87 Colony Park (65 series instead of the Honda sized whatever was in there).

Put the battery in, put the negative on the positive....then the positive on the nega..>ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. I tried to reseat it and received a fairly large ZZZZZZ - the headlights pulsed and quickly removed it.

Wonderful.

So after seeing my error I reversed the cables, and seated things correctly. Then I went to start it. Everything works. Lights, radio, horn, windows, locks, etc. But I now have an alternator light on

So what should I check? Pop the alt off and take it to get tested at the store? Voltage regulator?

[VicCrownVic]

Having the alternator tested would be good.
Before you do that, start it up again and if you have a multimeter or at least a volt meter see what you read for voltage at the battery while the engine is running.

[sly]

Might need a new regulator now.

[TecNickal]

I have never EVER reversed terminals on a battery but since the cables on the car are now not the factory spec ones, it makes sense.

Will check the battery voltage, as well as see if I need a voltage regulator. At least these cars have CHEAP parts like a Taurus. Good to drive fleeted domestics.

[VicCrownVic]

Everyone makes a mistake from time to time, some of us are just trying to make time from mistake to mistake.
As long as fixing your mistakes doesn't take up all of your time, I'd say you're good.

I'm not sure what the voltage level needs to be to illuminate the alt light on the dash but if you're in the 13.5V-14.5V range (engine running) the alternator will probably test good if you take it in. If you get down to low 12s or lower with the engine running then your alternator is not healthy, may be the voltage regulator as Sly suggests.

Does this car have the stock alternator or something else like a 3G? If the alternator is not charging but passes a test at the auto parts store, my next question would be is it possible a fusible link (if stock) on the charge cable has been blown.

[TecNickal]

Typically mistakes are not my thing.

However, as you'll see in another thread - I made another goof because of my lack of knowledge on theory/operation.

this was just stupid.

Stock alternator on this car. And fusible links haven't been touched under the hood - wouldn't surprise me if one was toasted considering I smelled some burned electrical smell under the hood. I'll look at Google Images to see what I should look for in a burned up fusible link.

I'll report back in soon in the next couple of days - working on the 91 GM right now..

[sly]

yeah... fuse links on the charge cable and sense cable are probably blown, maybe more than that, but check those wires for continuity (disconnect from the lug on the starter solenoid and check continuity to the alternator).

[Lincolnmania]

prob cooked the alternator, time for proper color coded cables and a 3ag alternator

[Rodentkiller]

Transposed cables can fry an Alternator according to my late Dad when I asked him the same question, so be prepaired to get a new alternator. The charging specs are 14.2vDC you will know when you fried a Voltage Regulator is when you charge not enough or overcharging.

[grandpaslincoln]

I did that once, except my battery was dead and I had my boss jump start it. My cables were also color coded wrong, and for some reason I forgot about this. Car sounded funny when I tried to start it. Alternator didn't die until maybe three or four weeks later, the amp for my sub in the trunk died shortly after that as well.