Potentially terrible /expensive problem!

[ccassone]

I put my motor back in my 96 xp and took the battery from my old 92 gtx.
I connected the battery with the positive wires first, and the negative wires second. When I went to attatch the negative wires it sparked when I touched them and then I connected them all tight. I put the key on and the guage lit up, but now "beep beep". I tried the trim buttons but it didn't go up or down. The trim guage read right in the neutral position. I pressedthe start button but nothing. I came back and something smelled like burnt plastic. All this time I had the battery connected when it was outside the hull. It was not in the hull. I leaned in the engine compartment and the smell was coming from the rear black box. I disconnected the batt, and came back, and that is when I smelled it. Just to be clear, I smelled it after I disconnected the wires and came back. It is coming from the black box. I hope my electronics aren't fried. Is it something as simple as a fuse? Hoe could it get fried and smelly like that? Thanks, Charlie

[Pale Rider]

I wish I could help ya here Charlie, hope someone here can...PR...

[ccassone]

I'm real worried. I have no money anymore! It took my entire life savings just to buy the damn thing!

[Totallyblown]

Off my head I would guess its a fuse...Thats what they are there for...But like I said just a guess. Have you checked the fuses yet?

[ccassone]

Not yet, but I don't know what to look for. Will it look melted or fried?

[Pale Rider]

describe "black box" what does it do? does it house the electrics? is there fuses in there, usually a fuse would just blow, but what you describe is worse than that, something got hot enough to melt burn something, can you take a look around, follow the wiring from the battery? You didn`t by mistake hook up backwards? look at the ground wires, does it have trim, look at that...PR...

[Totallyblown]

Yeah a fuse would just blow, not really melt, unless it got so hot that the plastic cap on the fuse melted...

But if you explain it a little better I am sure someone will be able to help you man!

[ccassone]

I just finished my ap chem homework, I'm diving in now. Wish me luck! I hope its just fuses because, I'm broke, and have no time to work anymore with football/track/tons of homework.

[Pale Rider]

I just finished my ap chem homework, I'm diving in now. Wish me luck! I hope its just fuses because, I'm broke, and have no time to work anymore with football/track/tons of homework.

good luck buddy!...PR...

[HOSS]

Well, since this happenned (and I`m sorry it did) its a good time to clear up how to connect/disconnect a battery from anything! Always, ALWAYS disconnect negative (ground) first and re-connect negative (ground) last. ALWAYS

This is to ensure that if you ground out with the wrench,,,ground to ground no problem,,,ground and positive,,,problem,,,complete circuit in your hand.

I don`t know enough about the schematics or wiring on a jetski persay, but you may have gotten lucky enough to just burnt some wire. You either had the battery hooked up opposite or you had something grounded.