I was jump starting a friends car,kaboom

Asked by sseph Jan 23, 2014 at 02:39 PM about the 1999 Pontiac Grand Am 4 Dr SE Sedan

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

He had the + and - reversed and marked that way with a marker I connected the cables
and just for a second the last cable sparked,I didn't have my radio on but it is the only
item that won't go on.I opened the fuse panel drivers side inside found the 2 amp fuse,for
the radio ,replaced it still no radio or clock pontiac grand am 1999,no mention in manual
about a 2nd fuse,what gives? does anyone have input

3 Answers

44,635

Either blew the fuse or shorted out the radio.

1 people found this helpful.
100

Is it an aftermarket stereo? If the fuse block fuse if good, pull the stereo and see if there is a fuse on the back of it. Some aftermarket ones have a "safety" fuse to protect the stereo in case something causes a surge in the electrical system. And for future reference, the positive and negative are marked on batteries. Usually with a large "+" and "-" on the top next to the terminals or on the side if it's a side post. And jumper cables, the black is always negative. In the rare case you have an older set, the solid black is negative, the black with the red, white, or yellow line is positive. And you shouldn't jump battery to battery. The negative or ground cable should be connected to a good ground point on the "dead" car - body bolt, engine block, etc. Only the positive should go to the battery. This protects BOTH cars.

1 people found this helpful.

Thanks Ponti grand am 1999 no power to clock or radio.the guys battery was marked wrong by the owner,that's how it happened,I just touched the jumper for a second,my radio is the version with tape player,and stereo,and am wondering if there is an in line fuse,at the power,hot leg going to my radio it's the stock radio put into sunbirds,grand prix and grand am's

Your Answer:

Grand Am

Looking for a Used Grand Am in your area?

CarGurus has 6 nationwide Grand Am listings and the tools to find you a great deal.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    tenspeed
    Reputation
    10,950
  • #2
    james sparrow
    Reputation
    2,360
  • #3
    John Saffrahn
    Reputation
    2,280
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Pontiac Firebird
17 listings
Used Chevrolet Corvette
29 Great Deals out of 593 listings starting at $10,989
Used Chevrolet Camaro
25 Great Deals out of 511 listings starting at $11,500

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.