Please help
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You are currently reading a thread in /o/ - Auto
I don't know what the fuck happened but I need help, this shit is above my mechanical and nil electrical knowledge
Okay, so I was swapping out my alternator in my car. When I took off the battery, the terminals accidentally hit the wires and my alternator sparked three times. Once on my ratchet and twice on the engine block itself. I didn't think nothing bad happened so when I was done with everything and hooked up my battery again, a massive spark came out from the positive terminal and melted a fuse link wire in the alternator harness ( cable that goes from positive terminal to alternator ground ).
Anyways, I bought that same new cable from a junk yard. I tested the battery and it was fine and charged, I tested the alternator and it was fine ( both according to advance auto parts and their machine ). When I re-hooked everything up, the electrics in the car worked but the car won't start. The first key turn made a click louder than the following clicks. Every time I turn the key, it just makes one click that's it.
What is wrong with my car? How can I diagnose this?
If you were dumb enough to try and swap your alternator with the battery hooked up, you are too dumb to understand any advice I could give you.
>>15132537
No, I disconnected the battery but I didn't push them back far enough and I didn't notice them coming back into place when I moved the alternator out and that caused the spark.
What happened man? What are some of the culprits and things to try to diagnose this?
>>15132437
>The first key turn made a click louder than the following clicks. Every time I turn the key, it just makes one click that's it.
So when you turn the key it makes a succession of clicks?
>>15132552
Dumb. You shouldn't be working on cars if you are that poor at noticing potential bad situations.
Look at a wiring diagram for your car, the problem is going to be with the starting circuit which is the simplest part of the wiring diagram. As in anybody capable of not getting lost in their house ought to be able to understand it.
Or do what other dumbasses do and watch a bunch of youtube videos until you feel secure in pretending you understand things.
I don't care, just stay the fuck away from my daughter.
>>15132437
If it makes one click it's probably engaging the starter relay, but the power isn't getting to the starter. Check your starter's fuse or you could of burnt the starter itself.
>>15132588
Why'd you scare OP away, he was asking a question because something is out of his knowledge. There's nothing wrong with that, and what the fuck does your whore of a daughter have to do with this?
>>15132437
>makes one click everytime I turn the key
Replace your starter. Guarantee that's the issue
Did you check thr fuses
>>15132668
In the fuse box? I'm sorry, I'm new to cars.
One of the fuse links literally disintegrated before my eyes. That fuse link was in the wire from the negative terminal to the alternator ground and NOTHING else.
The fuse link that busted was in the 4 gauge ground wire that leads to the alternator.
potential ECU frying?
>>15132699
What's your car's year/make/model?
>>15132709
06 Mustang GT
14305 is what literally disintegrated - right at the blue ( not shown ) which is a fuse link Ford put in.
>>15132724
So if nothing else hooked up, I assume the battery is shot, right? But why would the guy at Advance tell it wasn't shot?
The positive terminal WAS hooked up and then right when I put the negative in, the negative cable sparked and shit really heavy and started smoking at the terminal and the fuse. I didn't see any action happen anywhere else in the engine bay.
>>15132699
I mean, you fixed the wire right? I've seen some rage inducing shit happen just because of a faulty ground or a short. Could have fucked up the starter solenoid or the fuse if it has one. If it turns out to be your solenoid it's an easy enough fix, unless its built into the starter.
Hell, check the simplest thing first, you could have drained the shit out of your battery when you were burning up that fusible link. Electronics would still work and the starter might try and engage, but the battery may not have enough amperage left to actually turn the engine over.
>>15132437
You blew a fuse. Find the fuse box, and look at the fuses that look like this.
Its the alt fuse.
its okay, I blew my fuse when changing the alt too, accidentally let the lead fall and ground itself.
>>15132777
Welp, I'm fucking retarded. Glanced right over the bit about the battery. How clean are those terminals/connectors then? I've seen shit even a cunthair too loose cause an issue.
>>15132805
Like a decent sized chunk is taken off of it man
>>15132820
Got a picture? This may be your problem if you don't have any blown fuses.
>>15132891
The terminal looks fine, that gash isn't going to hurt anything. That loose connector might be the problem, unless you loosened it to show the crack. So, if you do not have any blown fuses and all the wires are nice and snug. The next thing down the line would be the starter solenoid and starter motor. Get those tested.
>>15132916
Are you sure though?
Like why would that small tiny gap stop my car from starting but the electrics work fine?
>>15133066
Because running a starter takes a lot more current than running an ecu + light bulbs.
Okay, the starter is okay. I had it tested. The battery is fine.
What now? The other cable on the battery leads to my fuse box and I checked the relays, I can't even tell if they are blown or not.
The cable from my battery that was connected when the spark ignited leads to my starter and fuel pump.
>>15135072
Actually, it is not connected to the fuel pump, my bad.
Fuck, is there any way to manually start my engine and will a check engine light come on so I know what's wrong?
>>15135072
Check fuses senpai, you probably blew some.
>>15135181
How? I can't see through them man. The fuses on the fuse box are solid color.
How do I tell a blown fuse?
>>15135082
Alright first pop your hood and open ever fuse block or box you see, after you've checked every fucking one open the driver door and pop the panel that gets hidden by the door and check every fuse in there
Dude it's a fucking fuse or you melted a connection on the wire that made contact
Please figure shit out and don't depend on a Chinese message board to save your ass
>>15135274
Check with a multimeter
>>15132437
If you don't know what you're doing, don't do it
>>15135279
Okay man, I'll check that when I get home.
How can I tell a blown fuse if the fuses are all cover in plastic.
>>15135630
Use these, and put the fuse between a light source and your eyes.
>>15135654
Here's a picture of a good fuse and a bad fuse.
>>15135630
You could also ask anyone over 40 and they could probably fix you're fuse problem
Give old mum a call and ask for help
>>15132588
Lol get a load of this faggot.
I just checked my fuse box.
NO fuses that could prevent my car from starting are blown from what I can see
Please help guys
Any other ideas? I just want to diagnose this shit man.
>>15137780
If the battery is good, the fuses are good, and the car doesn't crank, you probably burned out your starter. Either get the car started by pushing it and clutching out in 2nd, and see if it throws any codes, or replace the starter. Otherwise take it to a mechanic, pay him for an inspection, and replace what's broken yourself or pay him to do it. In the future make sure to be more careful when working on your car, specially when fucking around with electrics
>>15138131
Dude, I had the starter tested. It works flawlessly.
>>15138334
Then take it to a mechanic, have the car inspected, pay maybe $100 for a report and fix it yourself. We've pretty much gone though all the reasonable things that could happen so that your car doesn't start after a short circuit.
>>15138356
The mechanic will probably say some bullshit like he needs more time to figure it out then charge something stupid for labor
>>15138464
Well, those are your options. Either figure it out, or take it to someone who will
I fucking found it
I rechecked my fuses and found this faggot
This is the PCM key off relay. Whatever that does or means. Hopefully this was the problem. I will be getting s new fuse at first light tomorrow.
>>15138631
You fried your starter
>>15135660
ayy lmao
>>15139511
No. I had the starter tested. It works perfectly.
>>15138631
Just swap the fuse with some other fuse like from the power windows or something.
It was the fuse guys. That fuse.
Car started like a charm.
>>15133323
This is very true, my 2001 ranger I recently got had some bad fucking corrosion at the battery terminals. lights came on and everything but it would not turn over the starter.
Replaced shitty battery cables and battery and all is better now.
>>15135274
A cheap test light should work
>>15142141
Nice. So it was a simple blown fuse? I'm surprised the starter is fine but I guess that means the fuse did its job?
>>15142352
Yep. Buy a goody bag of fuses next time you're out, they're useful to have around anyways
Always have the negative battery cable the one that makes or breaks the connection.
