New Battery Installed, Alternator Instantly Goes Up In Smoke?

[BadBlue98GT]

My Odyssey went tits up so I got a new one the other day. This morning, I decided to install it. I hooked up the positive cable and tightened it down. As soon as I touched the negative cable to the terminal, smoke started coming from the alternator. The original Odyssey was a PC680, the one that showed up is the exact same size and configuration, but the model number is ODS-AGM16L…same CCA, same battery in my opinion. And a 12v battery is a 12v battery anyway, for the most part.

The car has been sitting for a couple of months so the only thing I can think of is some sort of debris may have worked it’s way into the internals of the alternator from blowing out the garage or just nature.

Am I missing something or is this just another one of those freak things that have plagued my life here lately?

A new alternator is on order…done that replacement before on this car and I’m not looking forward to it. Those of you that have done it know what I’m talking about.!

 

[CobraSam]

I don’t mean to insult your intelligence so excuse me.
The only way I see that happening is if you accidentally hooked the cables up backwards. Maybe check and see if the new battery has the terminals in the same location. Usually the fusible link will run up before the alternator, but not always.
I’ve done this exact thing before and it burnt up my alternator.

 

[BadBlue98GT]

I don’t mean to insult your intelligence so excuse me.
The only way I see that happening is if you accidentally hooked the cables up backwards. Maybe check and see if the new battery has the terminals in the same location. Usually the fusible link will run up before the alternator, but not always.
I’ve done this exact thing before and it burnt up my alternator.

CobraSam…no offense taken and you’re exactly correct…the terminals required to fit the battery to the car cover up the colors indicating polarity and like the know it all dumb ass I am, I situated it how I “remembered” it being oriented in the engine bay and didn’t pay attention to the polarity markings stamped into the plastic. Another case of me not measuring twice and cutting once. Now I get to take half of the driver’s side accessories off the timing cover so that I can replace the alternator.

 

[CobraSam]

Well don’t feel like too much of an idiot. There’s more guys on here that have done the same thing, they just won’t admit it.
I have certainly done it before. Sometimes you luck out and only the fusible link burns up. In a foxbody anyways.

 

[Mack Verde]

Been there done that

 

[olympic]

You can slip the alternator out the bottom without removing anything, maybe the swaybar mounts, I can't remember. It takes some maneuvering and pushing hoses out of the way but I've done it this way many times.

 

[TerminatoRS]

You can slip the alternator out the bottom without removing anything, maybe the sway bar mounts, I can't remember. It takes some maneuvering and pushing hoses out of the way but I've done it this way many times.

This.
I've done the alternator at least twice and I've never had to go crazy removing interfering stuff. Battery, loosen the power steering reservoir...couple things just for better visibility and tool maneuverability.

 

[BadBlue98GT]

Yeah, my anger at frying the alternator by doing something stupid makes it sound a little more dramatic than it actually is.