ykp53

hey guys, on the back of the altenator there is a red wire when i was tightning my power steering pump i accidently hit this wire with me socket wrench. there was a large number of sparks. and the car went dead. i mean no lights, no radio and no vroom vroom. as i sat there for a min. and looked at the repair manule the dome light and radio came on. as i turned the key everything went black again. and the lights havn't come on again. what have i done. im thinking a fuse or fusable link but i dont know where. to start looking. i really dont want to leave my car in a empty parking lot all night. please help im am not an electritian by any means.


thanks

DollaGreen

This is actually a common one...

I did it and heard of many others...

There are a few fusable links...I would guess that this one is on the right hand side near the starter. Disconect the batt. and feel the wires (if you can not see any damage) the burnt ones will feel like they are light and they are just insulation. You can repair this temporarily with another piece of wire or a generic fusable link but you must do it right eventually.

I did mine while connecting a timing light!


[Modified by DollaGreen, 8:33 PM 3/5/2003]

ykp53

about how far away from the starter is the fusiable link? where are the others? the only one i found was in located in a bundle of wire that connect dirrectly to the alt. if the fusible link you are talking about goes out does the entire car die?

DollaGreen

Some one else would have to chime in on where the others are. The one I fried (and others told me they have) is just a few inches (a foot at most) from the starter. It runs to the firewall near the bottom of the block on the passenger side. When this is fried you get nothing...no dome, no radio, no key in ignition buzzer...acts just like there is no batt.

ykp53

thanks i will look there first thing in the morning.... it looks like my babys going to be sitting all alone tonight ... i guess i dont have to worry about anyone driving it off....... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Crash Dummy

ypk53....

Not saying you did this.... but, years back I had my '69 vette at a dragstrip at Gulfport, Miss at a Ford/Chevy meet and while in the staging lanes we noticed that the alternator belt had flipped on a previous run. In an attempt to get it straight I bumped the ignition while a friend used a screw driver to attempt flip it back. It was the only tool we had in the lanes and bumping it enough times we got it flipped just far enough back that the friend I was with said to stop. Not even thinking I left the ignition on and he slipped and hit both a hot & ground and roasted the wires across the back of the wiring harness. Lots of sparks, smoke and unsulated wires meshed together when it was done. Amazingly enough, we were able to use the screwdriver to jump start the car across the starter as I was up next in the lanes. It would not stay running though. I was gonna attempt to make that next 1/4 mile pass no matter what! We trailered it and that's the way it went home.

Hopefully you are not in that same boat.


[Modified by bgrice, 4:18 AM 3/6/2003]

goinbroke

There are four or five fusible links in the system I beleive. The one at the starter soleniod at the "bat" terminal may be the problem (14 gauge red wire) . Repair by splicing in a new link. There is also one, possibly two, at the junction block on the driver side fender well. Like DollaGreen said above, the link may appear to be OK, but has burned away leaving just hollow insulation. I might be wrong, but I think all the links are red. I'm sure not an electrical guy, so someone jump in here and add to this if possible.