I just finished putting in a new torque converter and building a new exhaust on my GTA. And then I put the battery back in, hooked it up and...NOTHING. Not a dag-on thing. No dome light, no buzzer, no fuel pump prime, no engine cranking and no headlights. Safe to say something electrical is off. Here is what I checked...

Firewall to Engine ground - Check
Block to Negative Battery - Check
Fender to Negative Battery - Check
ECM fuse - Check
Charged Battery - Check
Swapped Battery - Check

Starter wiring is set up like...
Small Post - Single Purple wire
Top Large Post - Two sets of two wires, not sure what they are.
Bottom Large Post - Positive battery cable - Checked

Now 3 years ago I had the VATS bypassed by installing a new VATS reader under the dash with the key taped in it. I was a PFC with no money who had already paid to have it done once...give me a break.

Lastly this last week was the first time the car had been parked outside for two years and it got rained on really bad, and then I found a very little bit of water in the car.

Anyone have any advice? This whole bruhaha put the hex on my victory dance for my new exhaust system and torque converter.

 

That bottom terminal should only have a wire or cable going into the starter motor itself. The top terminal should have the two sets of wires and the positive battery cable (thats what feeds the power)

 

 

Those two sets of wires are the fusable links and supply all the power to the inside of the car, if they burn, you will have no power to the inside. Or anything else for that matter.

 

And if the battery cable is not connected with those two sets or wire there will be no battery power to get to them.

 

Easy! I will see if I cant get her out of the Hobby Shop tomorrow! Thanks guys!

 

The purple wire is from the ignition key, turning on the starter solenoid.
GM uses the large post as a junction block -- the two wires get power
from the main batt. cable. These have some fusable links, and route
power through the firewall connector into the big distribution/fuse box
up under the dash. If these wires are bolted onto the starter terminal
with the main battery cable, and every thing else remains dead,
somehow the fuse-links have burned.

Hope that's some help on what to look for.

 

Where would I find the "Fuseable Links"? On the driverside part of the firewall? Im just asking, that way I can trouble shoot it right away.

 

 

I'm as sure as a DNA test I already did the trouble shoot for you by pointing out your mistaken starter connection.
If that does not fix it, it is certainly one, and the first problem that needs to be addressed.

 

You guys were absolutely right it was incorrect starter wiring.

This is the kind of thing that makes TGO a great site to be a part of! Thanks guys!