Battery/Alternator issue potentially? Please help

[amitmishra4]

Hi,

I went on my first drive to meet another fellow forum brother this morning and we were checking each others cars out and talking, went around the parking lot to show him how it drives and it was all going well.

We decided to leave the parking lot and go for a drive on the streets when while coming out of the lot, I stalled it accidentally. Then quickly tried to restart it and to my surprise, it would not start. Pulled over and suspected a dead battery. Had to put the car in Neutral and push it back into the parking lot. Fortunately, there was a mechanic shop right across the street so we went over and asked to borrow a booster and/or cables. He was happy to help and brought it by. While plugging it in, he accidentally plugged it in backwards(not entirely his fault, my battery has a red cap by the negative terminal and its easy to be fooled) Of course, what was our fault was not ensuring that the red was the positive indeed. Anyways, there was a big spark and he immediately pulled it. Then we carefully looked at the battery and realized the error. We plugged it in straight and the car started right up, no error codes.

On we go, drove for a while and pulled over and it wouldn't start again. Saw a passing tow truck and he was kind enough to pull over and give me a jump again. Started right up again. Knew something was wrong. Decided to go to auto zone, took out the battery and plugged it into their automatic charger/tester, it said the battery was bad. Bought a new battery and installed it in the car and the car started right up. Measured the voltage across the terminals and it was only 12.03 with the car running. That is always how I have tested the alternator.

There is a red tab in the fusebox with the battery symbol on it. I had pushed it in before the first mechanic jumped it. Don't know if that matters.

Interestingly, most of everything works on the car, it does the checks and everything just fine. Just two things I notice - the one touch function for the windows won't work and the stereo does not come on at all anymore -(may be a fuse?).

Here are the questions running through my head:

1. Was my alternator already shot when I bought the car and it started up 5-6 times just because the battery had enough juice? When I brought the car home, the time was not set and the car did ask for radio code.

2. Is my alternator shot because we accidentally interchanged the positive and negative terminals while boosting?

3. Was my battery shot because we accidentally interchanged the positive and negative terminals while boosting?

4. Does the Red button have anything to do with anything? I know what that is for, but does the in or out position on that matter at all? I am thinking when you pull it out, it disconnects the battery from the charging system or something?

5. Does the Boxster (2001) have a main fuse that blows and protects the car(ECU and Electrical system) in case something does happen like it did with me?


Sorry for the long blurb but I wanted to provide exact details so the experts here could give me some advice. Any help would be appreciated. I am just bummed out that my first drive was so eventful.

Thanks