Ok so the other day I get in my car turn the key and notice dash lights are dim. Go to start it and i hear a pop under the hood and a small cloud of white smokes rolls out the right side of the hood. Now it won't do anything. when you turn the key. BUT headlights work, dome light, ect. All my cables seem to be good and secure. Somone said it might be the starter solenoid? Anybody ever had this problem? This car is about to drive me nuts.

I think we need more info. Be more specific, any other details?

Any recent electrical work done?

Check all fuses under the dash and fusible links near under the hood.

Seems like something shorted together. Identify fuses that are blown, if any,
to help trace down the problem circuit.

Ok I got the car jacked up today and noticed that one of the three or four wires that run to the starter solenoid was burnt completely in half. So I crimped it back together turned the key and the dash lights came on but were dim...THEN started seeing smoke again, shut the key off and it had completely fried the wire, I mean it was completely on fire! So i thought the solenoid was making it short out or something and do that. SO i replaced the starter and solenoid, which when i got the starter off it was locked up. So i get the new starter on and it does the same thing as before. So i'm pretty sure its the fusible link thing cause on one side it was hot with power and the other side it only was half the time. So Im going to try and find one tomorow to replace it with and go from there.

But what gets me is why doesn't my power windows or dash lights or anything work or come on when I turn the key if all it is is that fusible link to the starter solenoid? That's why I was almost starting to wonder if the ignition was bad too but before the wire caught fire again it seemed to have fixed it.. ALSO all the fuses inside the car under the dash are good.

You must clear the short before you attemp to supply power to the circuit again.

Fuses just don't up and blow for no reason as you know. An Over-Current condition must exist somewhere.

Did you replace the Solenoid?

So where is your shorted connection?

Each circuit in your car is fused in some way to protect wires and components in that circuit. The other circuit you mentioned are not involved ... not shorted.

Yes i replaced the solenoid it was already on the new starter i just installed. And it still did this. But i traced the wires all back up to the loom that is right in front of the motor and there aren't any bad spots in the wire or any places it could be touching metal. So I don't know what else to try. But this is what happend. 1.) One of the wires that runs out of that loom to the starter through a fusible link is connected to the solenoid. 2.) When I turn the key to on the normal lights that come on the dash are very dim. 3.) It instantly starts to heat up and melt that wire that is connected to the solenoid. What else could it be if all the wires seem to be ok? My buddy looked at it and said something about the wire is grounded when it shouldn't be but like i said all the wires appear to be good and not touching any metal. Any idea's??