faulball67

iTrader: (2)

I burnt my alternator out driving to my in-laws house and the car is now stuck there. I tried giving it a jump start. As soon as I hooked up the cables they started getting hot and before I knew it they were melting. I disconnected the wiring plug from the back of the alternator. I got a jump from my truck and the car fired right up. I pulled alternator and checked for hot connections, wires grounded out etc. I didn't find anything. I put in my new 100amp 1 wire alternator. I got everything put back together. I got in to start the car. I turned the key to acc/run and everything was good. Dome light and dash lights were good. I checked the headlights. All good. As soon as I turned the key to start, the starter cranks what sounds like maybe 3/4 of a rotation goes cllllliiiicckkk. So I turn the key back and pull the key out of the ignition. I opened the door to find out I suddenly had no power to anything. My new set of cables were starting to get warm too. I've checked every wire in the engine bay (there's only about 15) and can't find anything wrong. It seems like there is a constant hot gounding out some where but I cant find or see any burnt/melted wires. I never saw any smoke. The only thing I can think of is the lead to the fuse block got messed up, but I didn't have the tools to take the lower dash apart to get in and check it out. The starter doesn't seem burned out, and none of the wires from it are hot/metled/burned. None of the fuses are blown either. Any Ideas?

elky74

Did you check your fuseable links, if you have any? I've had this problem before and that's what it was. You seem to have intermittent problems just before they go completely out, at least in my experience. Either that or a bare wire touching metal like maybe the batt cable running down to the starter, this happened on my Le Mans shortly after a new engine swap. Good luck!

1991 RS/SS

Tech / General Engine may be a better place for this, but anyway...

When you say your new cables started to get warm, I am assuming you mean the cable from bat to alt and bat to starter, or did you have to jump it again?

Sounds to me like a starter solenoid issue. Something has got to be dead shorting when it engages. Sounds like probably the load side of the solenoid and not the trigger because it seems like it is pulling too much current too fast to be a light-gauge wire. Also, with the heavy wires, (like the starter wire from the bat) you may not be shorting it long enough to get it hot enough to smoke and that is why you may not see anything smoking.

I vote for a new starter. Good luck.

faulball67

iTrader: (2)

but that should cause all my electronics to be our would it? I have no power to anything with the key in or out. With the key out of the ignition and the door open I should at least have dome lights. I'm gonna pull the wires off the starter this weekend and see if I get anything.

I thought I was in electronincs when I placed this. I've been trying to get it moved.

okfoz

It sounds like you have a grounded wire somewhere. When you disconnected your ALT, you may have moved something enough to disconnect from ground. You might check the wires that wrap around the front of the engine on the RH side that go down to the starter as those are right there by the Alt from 82-87.

JOhn

magus92z28

you and i are in the same boat except that i can get my car started but it dies out and then i cant start it and after a while the battery is drained i posted this some where else let me know how it goes for you i will do the same