Wierd electrical deal

[Tobra]

So the battery was dead on the wife's vehicle, Mitsubishi SUV. Put it on the trickle charger overnight at 2 amp/hour, click, but no turning over in the morning. Hooked it back up at 6 amp/hour for a few hours, she takes the charger off and tries it again, no dice. Calls me, and I tell her to put the charger back on, probably have to get a new battery. She put the charger back on it, plugs it in, and the charger promptly starts smoking. She unplugs it, calls me back and I tell her I will go get a battery, and from the sound of it, a battery charger. I get home, pop the hood to access the battery, but the interior light looks pretty bright, so I try to start it, and it fires right up.

WTF?

I have no idea what is going on with it, but I figure I ask here, because you can ask the most esoteric, random question and have an answer in a few hours. So what do the smart guys of PPOT think happened.

[Gogar]

The smoking charger sounds like the ol' red-black-black red to me.

[Scott Douglas]

I ran into a similar problem with my in-law's Lexus just the other day. Checked the car out one day and the next it wouldn't start. I was in the midst of checking it out the following day when my father-in-law got home, jumped in the car and started it before I could stop him. Battery showed 14V+ when running. I chalked it up to bad ignition switch possibly.
They called the other day with a no start again. This time the battery measured 10v.
I put in a new battery and problem seems to have been solved. No telling how old the old battery was.
I'll bet your battery has shorted plates and the second connection of the battery charger burned that connection out so it started.
I'd get a new battery in there as a first step.

[wdfifteen]

First thing I do is ram the shifter in and out of park a few times. I've run into a lot of intermittent safety switch problems over the years.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Gogar

The smoking charger sounds like the ol' red-black-black red to me.

That is what I was thinking. She insisted she did not, but what else would do that?

If it is the safety switch, it would not click or do anything. She did not do anything to the gear selector after it would not start, and I just hopped in, turned the key and it fired right up.

This is a vehicle that seems to go through batteries, which I attribute to it sitting for too long and being driven on very short trips.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Gogar

The smoking charger sounds like the ol' red-black-black red to me.

I have never tried this but some whacky guy at work one time suggested you can "recondition" or "rejuvenate" a battery by reversing the charge.

Makes me wonder...

"Kids... don't try this at home!!!

[Tobra]

That also occurred to me as well. Reverse polarity zapped the crap off the plates, but that would only allow it to take a charge, not make it charged up all the sudden.

[1990C4S]

Are you sure the battery was dead?

Did you lose the radio codes/stations? Clicking may be a dead battery, but it may also be an intermittent starter/solenoid issue.

[MBAtarga]

Battery might have had a cell or two that was shorted then reverse polarity zapped the shorts.

[mreid]

Might have a loose battery cable.

[dad911]

Wife reverse polarity, smoking charger and battery, . Calls local mechanic.... "Help, can you fix this before my husband gets home, I'll pay cash." Car fixed.

Hubby scratches head, declares all is well, everyone happy.