# Jump starting someone’s car can kill my alternator?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/jump-starting-someone-s-car-can-kill-my-alternator/176215>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Tags:** toyota, camry\
**Created:** [April 18, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jump-starting-someone-s-car-can-kill-my-alternator/176215 "2021-04-18T17:45:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 8

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**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jump-starting-someone-s-car-can-kill-my-alternator/176215/8 "2021-04-18T21:11:41Z")

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> [@emily.g.mcclain\_174802](#):
>
> Apparently some stuff in her car is already fried.

The cables were connected wrong, the polarity was reversed. This is also what damaged the alternator in your car, the diodes are burned.

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