1996 Dodge Ram - I think I nuked the battery?

Asked by 1996DodgeRamPlow Nov 12, 2017 at 01:04 PM about the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hey folks - I have a 96 Dodge Ram that I use exclusively for plowing my own
driveway, and the rest of the year it sits in the driveway. As it's getting cold, I
went to make sure it was ready for the season, and as often the case, the
battery was dead (starter clicked / interior lights came on but wouldn't start). I
went to jump it, and when I was making all the connections stupidly
connected the negative black cable back to the batter, not the frame. When I
went to start it again, there was a small spark at the battery, and then after
that none of the interior lights / starter / anything worked, turning the key was
just silent.

I looked through the interior fuse box and saw the windshield wiper fuse was
blown (think that's been out for a while, those stopped working last year...)
but couldn't see any other fuses out, any sense for what else I should check?
Hopefully I didn't do something really dumb...

Thanks!

2 Answers

If you did not reverse polarity there should be no damage. There is nothing wrong with connecting jumper cables to the battery ground.

157,395

If you reversed polarity while jump starting and one of the vehicle's (the vehicle that you are trying to start) battery cable lost connection to the battery then you've reversed the voltage directly to the electrical system and possibly done some damage. Check all of the fuses first and proceed from there.

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

1996 Dodge RAM 1500

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Dan Connell
    Reputation
    19,850
  • #2
    dandyoun
    Reputation
    15,170
  • #3
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    11,710
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford F-150
6,021 Great Deals out of 127,344 listings starting at $1,995
Used GMC Sierra 1500
1,878 Great Deals out of 64,496 listings starting at $3,400
Used Dodge RAM 2500
54 Great Deals out of 1,002 listings starting at $6,400
Used Toyota Tacoma
1,865 Great Deals out of 30,367 listings starting at $3,500
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
2,566 Great Deals out of 48,201 listings starting at $800
Used Ford Mustang
932 Great Deals out of 22,942 listings starting at $1,995

Used Cars for Sale

2010 Dodge RAM 1500 For Sale
17 Great Deals out of 238 listings starting at $3,995
2009 Dodge RAM 1500 For Sale
15 Great Deals out of 170 listings starting at $2,999
2008 Dodge RAM 1500 For Sale
10 Great Deals out of 202 listings starting at $1,995
2007 Dodge RAM 1500 For Sale
14 Great Deals out of 159 listings starting at $4,995
2006 Dodge RAM 1500 For Sale
17 Great Deals out of 171 listings starting at $1,800

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.