I'm thinking of taking on a project car where the battery was installed backwards in a 92 Legacy. The fuses and relays in the main fuse box have checked good as well as the fuse box at the drivers side kick panel and I replaced the fusible link. I installed a new battery and got a quick puff of smoke at the alternator. The car has been sitting for about 3 years. Anyone out there have any suggestions? Where else can I check?

Unplug the alternator and if it doesn't smoke then, replace it. Hopefully the ECU isn't fried.

Thanks for your quick response.

If you have a pick n pull yard in your area, try finding a used alternator there. Much cheaper than new (around $20 total). Install it in place of the one that smoked. If that seems to work, you can either keep it or replace it with a new/rebuilt unit. Pick n Pull around here allows a 30 day return period during which you can replace it with another or get credit (sadly, no cash refunds) for it.

www.picknpull.com/

I would try to see if the ECU is alive before putting much money into it. Car electronics are not that likely to have diodes protecting the electronics from a battery connected backwards.

 

I have checked similar threads -several involving GLs... I wonder why?- and most mention a damaged fusible link and main fuse. A couple had a fried ECU.

try starting it with out the alt. if the battery is good enough it should run.

There have been a number of posts on this board where someone either installed a battery backwards or reversed the cable clamps when jump starting a Subaru. Frankly, I'm amazed how little damage resulted from reversed polarity. You may be lucky, the voltage regulator or the diodes may be fried in the altenator. That might be it.

i'm sure lots of things are possible but i haven't seen any major damage from reversing the battery on a Subaru:

 

blown fusible lines/fuses - they fry if the battery is installed wrong. that yours weren't blown suggests someone already replaced them or it wasn't that bad to begin with.

 

one fried ECU, replace it, they're really easy and never fail so they're cheap used. i've got a bunch and they're worthless.

 

that your alternator is smoking definitely suggests looking there first like everyone else said.

Thanks to All for your help. Wish me luck.

my username here at usmb at yahoo.com is my email address if you want to contact me again without using that visitor message thing.

 

good luck.

used alts are $25-$50

used ECU's $30-$50

 

i would get it properly repaired first - then worry about fuel tank, draining, etc later. subarus sit for years all the time and crank right up.