# Screw VW, screw our dealer, and screw myself. (hooked up battery backward) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 28, 2021, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783 "2021-12-28T15:15:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/41 "2021-12-30T20:35:41Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > See, I’d think that Jiffy Lube would be safe; given that oil changes are all they do and they’re doing them all day long, I would think they’d be good at them. You gotta cut corners if you want things done in a jiffy. > [@bump](#): > > Apparently hooking the batteries up backwards will blow something called the “multifuse”, which seems a bit _Fifth Element_ -ish. Big Bada Boom! ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/42 "2021-12-30T20:50:05Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > See, I’d think that Jiffy Lube would be safe; given that oil changes are all they do and they’re doing them all day long, I would think they’d be good at them. Guffaw. Twenty years ago I used to take my Honda to them for oil changes but they stripped the threads on the aluminum oil pan so it had to be replaced for $200 at the independent garage I traded at. Less than a year later it happened again\* and this time I asked the garage if there was a steel replacement available. There wasn’t so I started going there for the oil changes. It was 50% than Jiffy Lube but the piece of mind was worth it. \*“Sir, the threads holding the drain plug have been stripped.” “Odd, since the pan was replaced a few months ago nobody but you has touched it. I assume you’re going to pay ffor the new replacement.” [blank stare] “I see. Well, do the best you can and I’ll take my business elsewhere from now on.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/43 "2021-12-30T20:58:01Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > “Well, maybe you hit bumps on the way home and loosened the oil plug.” - “Then you didn’t tighten it properly.” ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/44 "2021-12-30T22:23:09Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > It was 50% than Jiffy Lube but the piece of mind was worth it. I would hope you gave Jiffy Lube a piece of your mind. ---
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/45 "2021-12-30T23:18:56Z")
Oh stupid Auto service stories. I got a million of 'em. I freely admit I have an attitude problem with Auto service people. But, in my defence, I think it’s warranted. It started with my very first car, a Datsun, and pretty much every car since. (maybe it’s me?) This story is about the brand new GMC Jimmy. It had a number of warranty problems right from the get-go. I should have been forewarned when we took delivery and the salesdude said that if there were warranty issues we should wait a bit and bring it in when we’d collected a few. Hmmmmm. But I was young and dumb and had a husband who I assumed would deal with this sort of thing. So I did what I was told and collected: repeated mal-functioning seatbelt in the back seat (child seats anyone?), A rear window wiper that sounded like an donkey in heat (service manager couldn’t hear it). And finally exactly a month after the warranty ran out: yet another trip for seatbelts and rear window wiper and I don’t remember what else that had already been ‘dealt with’ at least once before - I mentioned that the ignition just clicked now and again when I’d go to start the car. Sometimes it clicked, sometimes it started just fine. Went to pick up the car and was handed a bill for a few hundred dollars. "ermm, and what would this be for?, I asked. “For the new starter we had to install to fix the ignition clicking problem” was the reply. “And you expect me to pay for that” I said. “Yes, since it out of warranty” “Nope”. I said. “Nopety nope, nope, nope. I’m not paying for a new starter on a two year old car and furthermore the clicking has been going on for a few months. It just wasn’t that annoying and I waited, as instructed by you, until I had multiple issues, all of which are repeats of things you have failed to repair. I’m not paying” Silence. I was on a tear. “This was obviously a faulty starter. I have a ten year old car that hasn’t needed a new starter. I’ve driven a number of cars for years and none of them have needed a new starter. This car is just barely two years old and you’re telling me the starter wore out? Nope” “Well” says he. “I don’t know how many times you started the car”. I lost it. “Yessiree Bob. I just sit in my driveway all day and start my car. Turn it off. And then start it again. All day long. That’s me. I got nothing better to do.” I didn’t pay for the starter. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/46 "2021-12-30T23:30:12Z")
Right now on our town unofficial Facebook account page there is a war going on between two groups: - homers who believe all the local businesses in our town are The Best in The World - Volkswagen owners who seem to think it’s More Than a Car It’s due to exactly the problem in the OP. Some chap took his VW to the local “independent” shop to put in a new battery. They reversed the terminals and apparently fried the electrics and the alternator which is going to cost thousands to fix. The shop says it’s because VW’s “wrong” color coding of the cables, not their fault. The VW fanboys aren’t having any of this. It’s going to get shut down in a while because the administrator does not permit criticism of business locally owned. But meanwhile it hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/47 "2021-12-30T23:50:19Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That said, “grenade”? Is that an autocorrect replacement for “degrade,” or a use of the word that I’m not familiar with? I was overly flowery with my description. Internally grenade? Still a poor description. Kinda like saying something went nuclear. As batteries deteriorate you will see a loss of voltage caused by the plates shorting out. The newer ones have closer spacing so they can have more plates which provides more power. But they can fade in a rapid cascade because of this. I’ve had a battery completely die in the middle of turning over the engine. It went from pulling hard to nothing and would not accept a jump start. Mechanics can chime in but I wouldn’t expect a battery to be stress tested unless specifically stated in the work order. A voltage test before starting, while it’s running, and after shutoff. I’m not sure you can stress test a battery while it’s connected and disconnecting it can cause computer issues in some cars. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/48 "2021-12-30T23:59:33Z")
My dad once hooked up a battery backwards on a Pontiac Sunbird, thought the random sparking in the engine compartment was because it was raining at the time, and then tried to start the car. 🤦 There are apparently fusible links in that car in very hard to reach places. Never was reliable again. Not that it really was in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/49 "2021-12-31T01:32:12Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Mechanics can chime in but I wouldn’t expect a battery to be stress tested unless specifically stated in the work order. Battery testers - the kind that put a load on the battery and measure its internal resistance and CCA - are cheap nowadays. I purchased [this one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QYS4KRM/) a couple years ago for $50. Works great. Not sure if it’s durable enough for professional use, though. At any rate, there’s no excuse for a garage to _ **not** _ properly test a battery. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/50 "2021-12-31T03:18:43Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Battery testers - the kind that put a load on the battery and measure its internal resistance and CCA - are cheap nowadays. I purchased [this one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QYS4KRM/) a couple years ago for $50. Works great. Not sure if it’s durable enough for professional use, though. At any rate, there’s no excuse for a garage to _ **not** _ properly test a battery. It might be interesting to see the wave form coming off the alternator but the car’s starter is a built in load tester. those little cable wires on a meter aren’t going to be able to create a bigger load than that. I can watch the voltage drop and recover on a volt meter when starting a car. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/51 "2021-12-31T06:18:46Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I would hope you gave Jiffy Lube a piece of your mind. I have only so many to give. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/52 "2021-12-31T06:22:53Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I’ve had a battery completely die in the middle of turning over the engine. It went from pulling hard to nothing and would not accept a jump start. Beat my story. I started the car, drove around a while then stopped to get gas, then nuthin’ – the instrument panel lights would come on but went dark on trying to start, and it wouldn’t even pull in the solenoid. I had to get help clearing the pumps. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/53 "2022-01-03T06:04:01Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > And many German cars have the gas tank filler on the right side… Yes. The Correct Side. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/54 "2022-01-06T17:40:30Z")
If a scheduled maintenance plan doesn’t include battery, tire and fluid check for every oil change, it’s stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/55 "2022-01-07T00:27:45Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I would hope that the ignition, fuel injectors, and radiator fan are NOT connected to the computer. It should only be allowed to control non-critical items. On modern cars, the computer controls pretty much everything. On my previous car, the speed sensor went bad. The car acted remarkably like the transmission was failing–all because the computer couldn’t tell how fast the car was going, and therefore didn’t know what gear the transmission should be in. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783/56 "2022-01-07T02:36:20Z")
That’s true of computers in cars however the PMC computer only exists to compensate for a failing alternator so the engine can go further on the battery. It would be epically stupid to take out the engine in the process. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-vw-screw-our-dealer-and-screw-myself-hooked-up-battery-backward/956783.md?page=2)