At 10:25 PM 8/13/2004, Jeff Hartman wrote:

>I have a sure power isolator and second battery, installed at the company
>that converted my 86 vanagon.  I tried to replace the second battery the
>other day, and momentarily got the anodes switched.  Big mistake, and a big
>spark too.  Ok I learned that it helps to have better lighting and to check
>if the battery is a reverse anode battery.  Imediately after installing it
>correctly, my spare battery is draining completely and quickly.  My amp
>gauge is falling very quickly.  I touched the alternator, and it seemed way
>to hot.  What have I done?  How can I fix it?  For now I have disconnected
>the spare battery (and protected the contacts), but we leave on the State
>ferry tomorrow morning for a trip.   I do carry a spare regulator, and
>wonder if the whole assembly in the regulator (with the wire you must solder
>to one of the regulator contacts) may have been fried and is shorting out
>somewhere there.  I tried removing all the acessory fuses, furnace, refrig,
>lights, but to no avail.  The primary battery is charging fine and holding
>its charge.
>Any ideas what I have done, and quick a fix?

Jeff,
Installing a battery backwards is BAD business....  there's a good chance that
you have fried one or more of the following:

The diodes in your battery isolator.
The diodes in your alternator.
Your voltage regulator.

Can also damage engine ECU and stereo and who knows what else.
Does the alternator get hot when the engine is NOT running? That's
a sign that one or more output diodes are popped, and the battery
is discharging through the alternator windings.

Good luck...

Steve
'86 Westy "Escape Pod"
'73 Beetle "ain't got a name yet"