Feel like an idiot for doing this, but just put a new battery in my 97 f150. The battery was bigger in size than the original, but I tried to start it anyway. Saw some smoke coming from the primary battery fuse cover. Has anyone heard of this happening, or can anyone point me in the right direction? With the correct battery installed it doesn't start...just get a click, but the lights and everything seem to work. Thanks!

 

As long as the battery fit physically and did not short out on the hood or anything else, it's probably fine.

Since you didn't specify what engine you have, I'm going to assume a 5.4 and that you blew either the starter relay or one of the starter cable connections that is under that fuse cover. Remove the cover and see.

Steve

 

I have the 4.6L engine, so by using the larger battery it shouldn't have screwed anything up?

 

Tried replacing the starter solenoid on the firewall and have the same result. I am going to remove the starter and have it tested. Anyone else have any ideas? Thanks.

 

I'm going to go out on limb here and I hope I'm wrong!

Is it possible that the larger battery that you put in (bigger doesn't hurt a thing) has a different post configuration. ie neg. and pos. post are switched on the corners, and you have hooked it up backwards. Should be Black cable (ground) to the neg. (-) post and the Red cable to the pos. (+) post. And if you can't read the - or + signs for wear or grease, the pos. post is a larger diameter.

If you did, there are diodes in the fuse block that have burnt themselves up, and the problems may not only be confind to that, possible protection diode in the radio, instrument panel and pcm, and any place else that may have a diode that gets power when the key is turned on.

Lets hope this is not the case. But I had to ask?

Gene

 

No, the post configuration was the same. It seems like everything electrical still functions...lights, radio, dash instruments. I'm about to remove the starter now and have it tested. I'll let you know what I come up with...thanks!

Steve

 

The starter is probably not the problem since the "magic" smoke escaped from elsewhere.

Get a voltmeter and see where you lost starter power.

Steve

 

Just had the starter tested and it does not work, they also tested a starter from the shelf and it wortked perfectly. Hopefully this fixes it.

 

Replaced the starter and it fired right up, kinda weird how the new battery blew out the starter and one headlight...but oh well...it's working. Thanks as always for the input.

Steve