I left a wrench on my 1996 Tacoma's Battery and ran it for maybe 2 minutes. White smoke started to come out of the hood and the car died. I found my mistake and took the wrench off. Now it will run but dies anytime the lights, blower, windshield wipers, breaks, etc. are used. At higher speeds (above 5 miles per hour) it still is running but giving it gas doesn't do anything. It will still idle with the e-break on but once any electrical is used (except the stereo) it dies. I think the white smoke might have been from the wrench heating the insulation on the hood. This leads me to think I blew a fuse coil and my mechanic agrees. Any suggestions or thoughts? Do you think it is the alternator?

THANKS.

 

Did you check the battery? It's probably fried.

 

Battery is probably toast. ALT fuse could be blown, etc. Take the battery and get it tested. Also, start checking fuses.

 

Sounds good will do. Thanks. However it does start, if the battery were fried, it wouldn't right?

 

How was the wrench??

I hope it was not a good one.

So what happened you had a short between the two battery terminals??

The thing with that there is no protection unless it shorted in a different way

This would keep conducting current to the wrench melted like a fuse or the battery was dead.

Just where was the wrench??

Have you since recharged the battery on a charger??

 

Throw the battery out, you toasted it. Check all the fuses under the hood and check the ones under the dash. I have zero clue how you didnt blow the big alternator fuse under the hood.

I would also double check the cables, they are probably fried.

 

The wrench was fine, hot , but fine. I think it must have only touched the positive end and the post holding it down no the other terminal because the battery is fine I got it checked. Also the alternator I think is fine because the car runs without the battery attached, I am going to get this verified as well. The issue now to elaborate is that the car dies when idling and doesn't give gas when in gear when both the headlights are on or the blower is on. Now for whatever reason when the everything else is on it is "fine." It also makes a noise coming from behind the inside fuse box when anything is on. Sounds like a squeaky joint and it will do this in the few seconds before it dies with the headlights on as well. Any ideas? I am also going to get the computer checked? All the fuses are fine. I am also going to start checking fuse linkages. Do you think it is okay to drive around a bit in the mean time? Thanks for the advice/suggestions.

 

Just charged battery. Charged up in under 30 min on trickle charge.

 

Doesn't really mean anything. Dead battery will often show taking a full charge in record time...and go dead just as fast. Slow to charge is actually a sign of health...think of it as holding more electricity.

Load test it.

 

So you shorted the positive battery terminal to the hold down.

So now you have full battery voltage going to ground this is kinda like welding with out the negative cable disconnected.

This current is now racing all over the vehicle trying to return to the battery no telling just what might have been fried

also since no protection was involved none would open.

I wouldlook at all the ground points of the vehicle for melted and damaged wires .

Has your MIL come on and have you checked the codes that should give you an idea where to look.

 

I melted and burnt completely through a ground point cable. Found it this morning replaced it for $4.09 everything is working fine. THANKS

PS. Got the battery and alternator tested at CarQuest, both %100