Help/Battery put in backward's
 

Daughters car battery (97 Altima) dies. Her boyfriend buy's a replacement and installs it backwards. - (+), +(-).. Reverses it and car starts but no accessories. Radio, A/C , Wipers, etc.. What has been damaged. For sure the Alternator but what else could explain no accessories.. Thanks

most likely your b/f has caused alot of damage to the electronics in the car most of the circuits can not handle reverse voltage with out being destroyed....I cant really be exact with what burnt out (still learning about all the comp sh*t in cars :-) ) but i have seen a few at my shop that have gotten dead batteries and been jump started backwards and fried things. There is a possible culprit though thats an inexpensive repair if you can get schematics of the electrical system some of the fusible links may have fried (learnt this the hard way :-( ) If you need i have access to service manuals for almost every car and can get you the schematics.

P.S. dont take my word as correct im still going to school for automotive. so maybe someone else on hear can provide more definative info.

Battery screw up
 

Thanks for the reply.. We got lucky. Blew the radio fuse and a 75amp battery fuse that protected the electrical system.. Everything appears normal. Keeping fingers crossed..

If you have everything working, you should be OK, but there are fusible links in many spots in the power wiring.
These links may have been damaged, so they are weak but functional. Typically, a fusible link is nothing more than a short length of smaller gauge wire, which will melt if too much current flows for a long time- sort of like a slow blow fuse.
The fact that the 75 A fuse blew tells me that a lot of current went through the system. The boy friend should have been surprised when he tried to start- this is where the alternator would try to fight the battery, and probably created a virtual short to the frame.
Not sure why the car started, because it should have turned the starter backwards if the battery was really reversed.
You may have affected the alternator, perhaps some damage to the diode bridge, again, this will not show up immediately.
So, as you said, keep the fingers crossed.

Car didn't start
 

Actually the car I was told did not start with the Bat in backwardes.. After he realized what he had done he reversed it and it started.. The car now shows a check engine light but it seems to run well.