[Nsomnia]

I connected the battery backwards by accident and it smoked by my alt. and by the firewall behind the pass valve cover.

Now I only get power to my headlights and interior lights.

I cant crank 'er, but I can jump the starter. I have 12v running into the firewall through the red accessory wire. All the fuses look fine. What else can I check?

[Holder350]

the fusible link.

but if its out, the headlights shouldn't work unless they have been wired around it.

[Nsomnia]

thats why im confused. I cant find the fusible link either.

there is 12v going into the firewall and the interior lights and such work.

[Holder350]

fusible link will be close to the starter....connected with the batt cable.

see if it stretches like a rubber band. If soo then its burned out.

[Nsomnia]

So I'll have to take my starter off then? There is not alot of room to pull wires there.

I get 12v to the starter post, I can jump it with a screwdriver, and I get 12v to the firewall. This could still be fusible links?

Thanks for the help

[Nsomnia]

I searched around, no fusible links in my entire car.

Im soooo confused and aggrivated.

Edit: some more goodness, the power acc. fuse terminals give no reading when connected to a multimeter while any other fuse terminals do give a reading.
anyone have any tips on how to remove the fuse box and brake booster so I can figure out where the short is?

[carsavvycook]

There should be 2 fusible links bolted with the battery positive cable at the starter. Outside of that I hope these help.

[Nsomnia]

Originally Posted by carsavvycook

There should be 2 fusible links bolted with the battery positive cable at the starter. Outside of that I hope these help.

I looked and felt all the way up the pos wire and starter wires about half a foot. Nothing. And no fusible links anywhere along the lines that I can see. The pos. bat cable was handmade, it runs from the starter under the fuel pump to the battery since the headers got in the way of the origonal cable I think.

Heres a picure I took a couple days ago if it has any clues, I'll take some clear ones tonight. Im completly out of ideas.

[Holder350]

ok....let me explain that a fusible link is not a fuse holder.

it looks like a regular wire but the inside burns out with a dead short.

NOW......you say you have power to the firewall.....where are you checking at?

do you have power to the fuse panel?

[carsavvycook]

Originally Posted by Nsomnia

I looked and felt all the way up the pos wire and starter wires about half a foot. Nothing. And no fusible links anywhere along the lines that I can see. The pos. bat cable was handmade, it runs from the starter under the fuel pump to the battery since the headers got in the way of the origonal cable I think.

Heres a picure I took a couple days ago if it has any clues, I'll take some clear ones tonight. Im completly out of ideas.

Even in this poor photo you can clearly see the 2 RED wires which are your fusible links. Look at the wiring schematics I posted to confirm the mounting position and wire color of these links.

[Nsomnia]

Im testing for 12v at the firewall by poking the red wire in wire loom that goes into the firewall, and it gets 12v.

The two fusible links (sorry I thought fusible links were thick plastic things) also get 12v to them, and if I poke two points on them, they pass current (using a resistance meter on my multimeter).

Ill try running a wire from the starter and splice it somewhere just before the firewall -> fuse box and see if that solves it.

It worries me that the "power accessory" fuse does not flow any current right now, however if the fusible links are burnt out, that would explain it.

I REALLY hope I dont have to take out the fuse box to rewire a fusible link in from the starter.

[Holder350]

you NEED to pull that wire bundle apart and see where your main power wire (from starter) runs, and make sure that its getting power.

you /might/ have some wires melted together.

I have a 79 and I when I rewired it I only remember 1 fusible link....

but for the life of me I cant remember how the alt wired into the rest of the system.....I think it merged into the power wire....After the fusible link.

[Nsomnia]

FINALLY got it.

Gave in, and ripped out the fuse box. Indeed the fusible link was fried.

So I'll run a new wire from the post, through the loom, through the firewall, into the fuse box. Bolt it all back together and go back to smoking tires.

Thanks for your help guys

[carsavvycook]

Originally Posted by Nsomnia

FINALLY got it.

Gave in, and ripped out the fuse box. Indeed the fusible link was fried.

So I'll run a new wire from the post, through the loom, through the firewall, into the fuse box. Bolt it all back together and go back to smoking tires.

Thanks for your help guys

Do us a favor and put a fuse in line, so you will be able continue to communicate with us.

[Nsomnia]

Ill just splice the new wire into where the cooked wire leads into the fuse box on a female spade that a fuse would plug into. Im not sure where the actual wire fried. I might even try splicing it before the firewall first and hope I get lucky.

I wish I could install a simple wiring harness, routed exactly as I want, so that I wouldnt have to deal with these issues. Too much effort though, ripping apart interior, lights and engine.