I was rushing some work on my 1980 SA and hooked up a battery with wrong polarity -- stuff started smokin' and now nothing works, no accessories...nothing (don't ask). Not sure where to begin repairs, but I'm guessing at least alternator and generator, but maybe I got lucky and some master fuse somewhere saved my bacon? Any thoughts?

 

Start with the main fusible link on the strut tower, looks like 3 thin crusty wires with a material coating plugged into a small brown box. The middle one is the main one, hopefully this one saved everything. The alternator should be fine.

Replace the fusible link, and get back to us.

Also, you may not be able to find the same style link, so check the archives for 'Fusible Link Conversion Thread' or something along those lines for a replacement.

 

Sorry to hear that. Anyway, 1st there is a set of fusible links. These are basically a main fuse to protect the fuse box, alternator, and other things. These are locatated on the inner driver side fender. They look like cloth covered wires. Take a look at this thread. It will try you how to replace the fusible links with more common fuses.

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/electrical-fusible-link-conversion-thread-532866/

Hopefully, the fusible links saved the other parts. The next thing would be to have the alternator checked (autozone and other autoparts store will do this for free). Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Kent

 

Gents...Thanks for the tip and the fast turnaround...FYI, the fusible link was definitely the source of the smoke and even smells like it too. I'm heading to Kragen right now!

 

YES...that was it!! They cost me $3.99 and it's taking me longer to type in this response than it did to install...it was a near perfect fit too...for the record, the parts are made by Cooper Bussman called Buss Fuses, part no. FLF-30 Fusible Link (2 ea) and FLF-60 Fusible Link (1) ea.

What the heck would I have done without the internet, this forum and you guys and to top it all off, on a Sunday?

FYI, I just put in a set of universal power door locks with remote keyless entry ...once I figured out what I was doing, I was able to get the job done in about 3 hours..I had to drill two holes and do a little soldering, but it was really easy to do. It's pretty neat, 'cause with ignition on, the doors autolock and when ignition goes off, the locks pop-open -- if I lock/unlock one side, then the other side locks/unlocks. It doesn't change the look of the car either, 'cause it's all hidden behind panels. It has leads for horn/lights/tailgate etc., so I'm hoping to get to those eventually to fire off the key fob too, plus it all integrates with a security system (my next project).

Thanks again...Todd


P.S. This RX bug has bitten me badly and I just don't know when to stop!

 

LOL! Sorry to hear that. I actually had a "mechanic" swap the battery cables on me at a Autozone a while back. Replaced the main fuseable link, but the alternator was fried. So def check the alt.

Ryan