electrical screw up

[Jody Smith]

How bad did I screw up? I got in a hurry to install my new engine and forgot to hook up the main ground from the battery. When I hooked the battery up the small ground to the fender burnt into pieces and smoke came from the relays on the passenger side. I fixed the ground cable, but when I went to hook the battery back up to try and see what I screwed up a spark came from near the firewall. So my question is: What have I done and what are the best places to start trouble shooting? Thanks

 

[Steve Wood]

The simple answer is find where the spark is coming from.

It would sound like you have a dead short somewhere in the power side of the cable.....I would examine the battery cable to the starter and make sure the end of the cable (the connector part) is not touching anything other than the post on the solenoid that it is supposed to be attached to. If it is not, then check the fusible links and see if they are all good...I suspect that a wire has become pinched somewhere after the links and the fire and smoke is coming from a short.

As the ground cable burned up, that kinda leads me to believe the short is either at the solenoid connection to the positive cable or in the cable between the solenoid aNd the battery....one way or the other, you are going to have to examine everything.

 

[Jody Smith]

Thanks Steve. How do I check the fusible links? I pulled the starter earlier and made sure that the wires weren't touching anything and that none of the wires were bare. I've already visually checked all the other connections that I could and nothing seemed wrong.

 

[Steve Wood]

The fusible links are in the bundle of smaller wires that attach to the same large terminal as the battery cable attaches to. They are just a few inches up from the ends of the wires....if blown, the insulation will be burnt looking on the blown one(s) or completely burned off or into.

I would start with a meter and see if you no resistance between the battery positive and ground....no resistance means dead short.

To get smoke when you connected the ground cable means the positive feed is getting to ground someplace....every circuit connecting to the solenoid goes thru a fusible link so it would seem reasonable to find a blown link if the problem is after the starter.

The orange wire to the ecm has a link in it as well right by the connector.

 

[Jody Smith]

Steve, I just pulled the starter again to check. All the links look fine, no melting or any sign of excessive heat. I still have the battery out of the car, should I hook it back up to check for resistance or keep lookig for the proble. I have another starter would it be wise to hook it up and try? Thanks for your help,I'm an idiot when it comes to the electricals on a car.

 

[Steve Wood]

Most of us are, don't feel bad. Do you have a meter? I hate testing by the smoke method...Laughing

 

[Jody Smith]

I don't know, the smoke method is usually the only one I can use efficientlly. I have a meter, I thought it looked kind of cool in the tool box and hoped I would never really have to use it. With this car it is beginning to be a common hand tool, darn it. It just has too many reading settings for me?? Laughing at myself now, thanks I needed it.

 

[Steve Wood]

okay, the smoke method it will be....

Install the starter, connect only the battery cable...none of the other wires that go to that terminal. Leave the positive cable disconnected from the battery. Hook up the ground cable properly. Engine and sheet metal. Disconnect the orange ecm wire connector.

Now, quickly touch the the positive cable to the battery and remove it. There should be no spark.

It is a bit tedious but add one wire at a time to the starter and repeat the above..there should be no major spark for any of them...may be a small one if the underhood light is connected or a door open, etc.

If you can see what you are doing, you can connect the cable and touch one wire at a time to the starter terminal and look for big sparks there.

If those check out okay, try the orange ecm wire.

 

[Jody Smith]

OK, I'm going to try it by the smoke method. Thanks, I'll return shortly with the outcome.

 

[Steve Wood]

okay, good luck....I am heading toward the bed...

 

[Jody Smith]

Steve, you are the man. As I was putting one wire on at a time, I noticed the angle of the main battery cable terminal was close to the heat shield; checked a little closer and sure enough it was touching. Dead short found and engine started. Thanks again for taking the time to help me. Jody

 

[Steve Wood]

Laughing....all's well that ends well. Glad it was just smoke and sparks and nothing was hurt.

I recently bought a couple of Mini-starters for $125 each from Mike Savino who is the administrator on www.turbobuicks.com .

He is selling them to as a means of funding the board. They work really well and give so much more room for the wiring. I guess he is selling the heck out of them because he said he had another 100 on order for April 15 delivery. If you ever need a starter. I recommend them highly.

 

[Jody Smith]

Thanks again Steve, I thought about getting one of those starters, they sound like good deal.I think theyeven come with the correct bolts, don't they? I'm going to hold off until my starter goes bad, since I have kind of went over budget with this new motor and I'm going to be a new dad this friday. So, a new set of worries are going to come into play and the regal will have to be put on the back burner, I just wanted to get it running before my daughter is born. Thanks again for your help an patience, I'll talk to you later. Jody

 

[Steve Wood]

You are welcome.

Yes, they come with the bolts ready to drop in. You have your priorities right..

 

[Jody Smith]

Thanks, I try to keep them in order. Later, Jody