What could have messed up

Asked by Jamie Dec 21, 2017 at 01:26 AM about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

So I had to replace the battery on my 2012
Chevy Malibu today and I wasn't paying any
attention and connected the terminals to the
wrong parts of the battery. Once I connect
the negative the car alarm started going off
and the car started to smoke really bad. Tool
ot off within 6 seconds. I drove the car to the
store home then work then somewhere for
lunch. Left work and got the bank and
multiple lights came on my ABS,
ANTITHEFT, ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION
CONTROL, MIGHT BE MISSING ONE. Then I
waited a minute started the car back up and
took off as o was driving down the road
about a mile if not less the lights dimmed all
those lights turned on again and then it said
check power steering and then my lights
went out completely & the car shut off. I had
enough go to pull into a parking lot. I sat
there for a minute and the car turned back
on enough for me to reverse my car into a
parking spot. Shut it off again then I started
it to just let it run to see what would happen
and it ran and then I turned the brights off
and off it went again . Not sure what this is
going to cost to fix it.i know it's because I
crossed the terminals for the battery. Just
not sure to what this could have ruined.

3 Answers

30,465

If your lucky you may have only damaged the body module ($200 +) That's a good place to start ,, you may find the module solves it

101,515

I would start with having the battery rechecked, as well as the alternator and alternator diode pack (which is external to the alternator) and make sure you're not underpowering your electrical system which can confuse computer modules.

30,465

My area of concern is " the car started to smoke really bad" This may point to an input to the ECM screwing up the algorithm resulting in a screwy output (I said "Input" not a bad ECU) Did you identify the area where the smoke came from? It's essential that you do because it may effect anything else after new parts are installed

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