Battery cable came off!
 

Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
LEDs, and the ECU.

I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

"sharx333" <emil.santos@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1165823374.696591.95350@16g2000cwy.googlegrou ps.com...
> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
> shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
> off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
> found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
> LEDs, and the ECU.
>
> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?
>

For an event like that, the damage will be clear immediately. The only
electrical zaps I've seen delayed failures on were lightning strikes. I've
dealt with about two dozen lightning strikes (one on a bizjet, the rest at
communication sites) and have come to the conclusion that although the
failure rate drops off after 6 months the equipment is often never
completely right again.

Sounds like you dodged the bullet. Congratulations!

Mike

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

"sharx333" <emil.santos@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1165823374.696591.95350@16g2000cwy.googlegrou ps.com...
> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
> shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
> off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
> found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
> LEDs, and the ECU.
>
> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?
>

For an event like that, the damage will be clear immediately. The only
electrical zaps I've seen delayed failures on were lightning strikes. I've
dealt with about two dozen lightning strikes (one on a bizjet, the rest at
communication sites) and have come to the conclusion that although the
failure rate drops off after 6 months the equipment is often never
completely right again.

Sounds like you dodged the bullet. Congratulations!

Mike

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

"sharx333" <emil.santos@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1165823374.696591.95350@16g2000cwy.googlegrou ps.com...
> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
> shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
> off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
> found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
> LEDs, and the ECU.
>
> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?
>

For an event like that, the damage will be clear immediately. The only
electrical zaps I've seen delayed failures on were lightning strikes. I've
dealt with about two dozen lightning strikes (one on a bizjet, the rest at
communication sites) and have come to the conclusion that although the
failure rate drops off after 6 months the equipment is often never
completely right again.

Sounds like you dodged the bullet. Congratulations!

Mike

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

"sharx333" <emil.santos@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1165823374.696591.95350@16g2000cwy.googlegrou ps.com...
> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
> shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
> off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
> found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
> LEDs, and the ECU.
>
> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?
>

For an event like that, the damage will be clear immediately. The only
electrical zaps I've seen delayed failures on were lightning strikes. I've
dealt with about two dozen lightning strikes (one on a bizjet, the rest at
communication sites) and have come to the conclusion that although the
failure rate drops off after 6 months the equipment is often never
completely right again.

Sounds like you dodged the bullet. Congratulations!

Mike

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

sharx333 wrote:
> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
> shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
> off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
> found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
> LEDs, and the ECU.
>
> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?

You read wrong. The battery reacts too slowly to absorb spikes, it lives at 12V
versus your alternator's typical 13.5-14.5V, your alternator wouldn't produce a
spike unless it failed spectacularly, and having the terminal come off wouldn't
cause a spike either.

Ultimately, cars have batteries for one purpose: starting the engine. Once the
engine is running, the alternator provides for all the car's power requirements.
Yes, batteries are also used to power accessories when the car is off, but the
only reason they're there in the first place is to crank the starter.

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

sharx333 wrote:
> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
> shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
> off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
> found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
> LEDs, and the ECU.
>
> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?

You read wrong. The battery reacts too slowly to absorb spikes, it lives at 12V
versus your alternator's typical 13.5-14.5V, your alternator wouldn't produce a
spike unless it failed spectacularly, and having the terminal come off wouldn't
cause a spike either.

Ultimately, cars have batteries for one purpose: starting the engine. Once the
engine is running, the alternator provides for all the car's power requirements.
Yes, batteries are also used to power accessories when the car is off, but the
only reason they're there in the first place is to crank the starter.

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

sharx333 wrote:
> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
> shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
> off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
> found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
> LEDs, and the ECU.
>
> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?

You read wrong. The battery reacts too slowly to absorb spikes, it lives at 12V
versus your alternator's typical 13.5-14.5V, your alternator wouldn't produce a
spike unless it failed spectacularly, and having the terminal come off wouldn't
cause a spike either.

Ultimately, cars have batteries for one purpose: starting the engine. Once the
engine is running, the alternator provides for all the car's power requirements.
Yes, batteries are also used to power accessories when the car is off, but the
only reason they're there in the first place is to crank the starter.

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

sharx333 wrote:
> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I hurriedly
> shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery cable had come
> off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected it, restarted and
> found everything working fine, even checked all the stereo functions,
> LEDs, and the ECU.
>
> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?

You read wrong. The battery reacts too slowly to absorb spikes, it lives at 12V
versus your alternator's typical 13.5-14.5V, your alternator wouldn't produce a
spike unless it failed spectacularly, and having the terminal come off wouldn't
cause a spike either.

Ultimately, cars have batteries for one purpose: starting the engine. Once the
engine is running, the alternator provides for all the car's power requirements.
Yes, batteries are also used to power accessories when the car is off, but the
only reason they're there in the first place is to crank the starter.

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

Matt Ion <soundy106@gmail.com> wrote in
news:ovefh.470560$R63.142904@pd7urf1no:

> sharx333 wrote:
>> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
>> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
>> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I
>> hurriedly shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery
>> cable had come off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected
>> it, restarted and found everything working fine, even checked all the
>> stereo functions, LEDs, and the ECU.
>>
>> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
>> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
>> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?
>
> You read wrong. The battery reacts too slowly to absorb spikes, it
> lives at 12V versus your alternator's typical 13.5-14.5V, your
> alternator wouldn't produce a spike unless it failed spectacularly,
> and having the terminal come off wouldn't cause a spike either.



It absolutely would. Damage may not always occur, but there will be spikes.

The battery's secondary function IS to provide a buffer for the
alternator's pulses. Connecting the cables together without the battery in
between is dangerous to the car and should NOT be done. You could to that n
1976, but not now.

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq2.htm


>
> Ultimately, cars have batteries for one purpose: starting the engine.
> Once the engine is running, the alternator provides for all the car's
> power requirements.
> Yes, batteries are also used to power accessories when the car is
> off, but the
> only reason they're there in the first place is to crank the starter.
>


See the above link.



--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

Matt Ion <soundy106@gmail.com> wrote in
news:ovefh.470560$R63.142904@pd7urf1no:

> sharx333 wrote:
>> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
>> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
>> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I
>> hurriedly shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery
>> cable had come off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected
>> it, restarted and found everything working fine, even checked all the
>> stereo functions, LEDs, and the ECU.
>>
>> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
>> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
>> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?
>
> You read wrong. The battery reacts too slowly to absorb spikes, it
> lives at 12V versus your alternator's typical 13.5-14.5V, your
> alternator wouldn't produce a spike unless it failed spectacularly,
> and having the terminal come off wouldn't cause a spike either.



It absolutely would. Damage may not always occur, but there will be spikes.

The battery's secondary function IS to provide a buffer for the
alternator's pulses. Connecting the cables together without the battery in
between is dangerous to the car and should NOT be done. You could to that n
1976, but not now.

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq2.htm


>
> Ultimately, cars have batteries for one purpose: starting the engine.
> Once the engine is running, the alternator provides for all the car's
> power requirements.
> Yes, batteries are also used to power accessories when the car is
> off, but the
> only reason they're there in the first place is to crank the starter.
>


See the above link.



--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

Matt Ion <soundy106@gmail.com> wrote in
news:ovefh.470560$R63.142904@pd7urf1no:

> sharx333 wrote:
>> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
>> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
>> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I
>> hurriedly shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery
>> cable had come off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected
>> it, restarted and found everything working fine, even checked all the
>> stereo functions, LEDs, and the ECU.
>>
>> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
>> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
>> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?
>
> You read wrong. The battery reacts too slowly to absorb spikes, it
> lives at 12V versus your alternator's typical 13.5-14.5V, your
> alternator wouldn't produce a spike unless it failed spectacularly,
> and having the terminal come off wouldn't cause a spike either.



It absolutely would. Damage may not always occur, but there will be spikes.

The battery's secondary function IS to provide a buffer for the
alternator's pulses. Connecting the cables together without the battery in
between is dangerous to the car and should NOT be done. You could to that n
1976, but not now.

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq2.htm


>
> Ultimately, cars have batteries for one purpose: starting the engine.
> Once the engine is running, the alternator provides for all the car's
> power requirements.
> Yes, batteries are also used to power accessories when the car is
> off, but the
> only reason they're there in the first place is to crank the starter.
>


See the above link.



--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

Matt Ion <soundy106@gmail.com> wrote in
news:ovefh.470560$R63.142904@pd7urf1no:

> sharx333 wrote:
>> Hi, was checking my '95 Civic 1.6L today. It was idling, and I heard
>> the idle sound change: it seemed higher. I stepped on the gas a bit,
>> and I heard a soft electrical "pop" near the stereo panel. I
>> hurriedly shut down the engine, I found that the negative battery
>> cable had come off! (It had a quick-release connection). I connected
>> it, restarted and found everything working fine, even checked all the
>> stereo functions, LEDs, and the ECU.
>>
>> I've read that the battery acts as a big capacitor to smooth out
>> voltage spikes. The entire episode didn't take more that 10 seconds,
>> but I'm worried... could there be any permanent damage?
>
> You read wrong. The battery reacts too slowly to absorb spikes, it
> lives at 12V versus your alternator's typical 13.5-14.5V, your
> alternator wouldn't produce a spike unless it failed spectacularly,
> and having the terminal come off wouldn't cause a spike either.



It absolutely would. Damage may not always occur, but there will be spikes.

The battery's secondary function IS to provide a buffer for the
alternator's pulses. Connecting the cables together without the battery in
between is dangerous to the car and should NOT be done. You could to that n
1976, but not now.

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq2.htm


>
> Ultimately, cars have batteries for one purpose: starting the engine.
> Once the engine is running, the alternator provides for all the car's
> power requirements.
> Yes, batteries are also used to power accessories when the car is
> off, but the
> only reason they're there in the first place is to crank the starter.
>


See the above link.



--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

I'm happy to be wrong on this one, Matt. Thanks, guys. *Whew*.

Mike: Lightning strikes, really? Wow.

Re: Battery cable came off!
 

I'm happy to be wrong on this one, Matt. Thanks, guys. *Whew*.

Mike: Lightning strikes, really? Wow.