Alrighty, engine is in, wiring all done up, turn the key, nothing, no starter engaging at all. Checked everything and found a loose wire in the alternator harness. Turn the key, starter fires up, and then sparks fly! So, I had a lot of smoke come from under the fuse box on the drivers side, and from around the alternator. Had a look around, turns out it was an improperly seated ground. Checked the fuses on the fuse box, the battery fuse and the red fuse next to it were quite warmish, but seemed okay. Problem is now, I can't get anything to fire, my question is, did I fry the fuses? Alternator Wiring? Anything that would affect the starting of the car? High beams still work, so the battery is still supplying power, but the dash cluster doesn't turn on when I turn the key, and the battery doesn't even spark when I tap the wiring on it. How screwed am I? D:
I will be changing it, however does the ptu effect starter motor and dash cluster? My money atm is on the battery fuse or the alternator wiring.
High amp fuse or you have burnt out a ground. Which ground did you leave off? All that current will have gone somewhere else and possibly cooked a (previously ok) connection. Sounds like your alternator grounding wire may have copped the majority perhaps try hooking up a secondary earth from the alternator to the body? At least it's easy to get to... Are you sure you didn't have anything on backwards? The symptoms you have described (smoke & sparks followed by a suspected blown fusible link) are usually caused by reverse polarity...
The ground I left off was one on the alternator harness, there was already a ground and a plug on the alternator itself, however one of the grounds had been hidden out of view, It was just tapping against the chassis and every time the starter cranked I heard tapping (sparking) sounds. What could I have placed on backwards? I'm trying to think of what it could be, all the plugs I've dealt with so far all have clips, and I'm not near the car atm, going through all the possibilities in my head. I've already ordered a battery fuse, because if that's blown then nothing engine side should work I guess, hopefully it's that or the alternator harness as I've just ordered a new one.
Yeah I've gone through them, the one disconnected was near the alternator on the alternator harness, or do you mean check them for damage?
is it possible the power wire and the earth on the alternator were swapped around, mine has a slightly different size rings but if they had been played with or forced they may go on the wrong way around.
I would buy a fire extinguisher if you dont have one before proceeding.. especially after that video of the guy blowing on his engine like a bday cake.. yikes!
Alrighty, turns out the alternator was aftermarket and had a few switched around units, the thing that blew was the battery fuse, replaced that and the car has started up, albeit a very rough idle with stalling, and a very weird whoosh sound when it stalls. Happy days! Anyone know anyone with a leak tester/ecu talk in the Melbourne Region?
Tell me about it haha, it's been a trial by fire for me, figured out the crazy idle problem, vacuum leaks , now to do some tuning and re-assemble the dash, raise the car, change the exhaust, replace the heater core, re-spray the front bumper from the damage bryan did to it, do a cut and polish on the paint to bring back the shine, beg the rwc guys to pass me and then she should be on the road! Simple, right? RIGHT?? D:
