I just installed a new steering column in my 84 LG4 Trans Am to replace the theft damaged one it had before. After wiring everything up and recharging my battery, I turned the key, and the car wouldnt crank. A few people suggested that maybe the ignition switch was bad so i jumped the starter terminals with a remote starter switch, and the car cranked. But then one of the little alligator clips popped off the terminal it was on. So I crawled under the car and replaced it. When I tried to crank the engine again, I got nothing. Now there is absolutely no power in the system. No lights, horn, windows, nothing works now.

Did I short out my entire car?

This has actually happened to me before, and I fixed it by removing and replacing every ground under the hood. i tried that today, but with no luck.

The grounds I undid were:
-1 DS and 1 PS on the radiator support
-Engine to firewall ground strap
-a black one that i believe is part of the HVAC wiring
-black wire from NEG battery cable to fender support
-NEG battery cable to alternator bracket

What should I do to fix the short? Any ideas what may have caused it?

Any help here is really appreciated. Thanks in advance.

BTW, i know next to nothing about auto electrical, so Im gonna need the over simplified versions of any answers, lol.

 

I think there may be some inlione fuses going up behind the motor.
You probably blew out one of those.
Do a search around here, you should be able to find info this topic.

 

had the almost the same thing happen to me, there is a fuesable link near the starter, you blow that and the whole car just dies... the guy that put my motor in didn't snug down the wires on the starter, so it blew the link and started a small fire