My starter went out yesterday. When I cranked it it just made a whining noise and the engine didn't crank. Well I installed a new used one and it was working fine but now it is just making a single click and not moving the engine.

I heard I should replace my ground cables. Would it be all of my ground cables or just the one to my starter?

 

The cable that goes to the starter is the positive cable not a ground.
Clean the cables at the battery and where the ground cable(negative)attaches to the area just below the strut tower. Clicking is usually caused by a poor connection. If that does not fix it then have the battery tested.

 

I think I need to run a new ground cable for my starter. The cable that is on it is like connected to another cable on the harness with one of these.




I was going to get a new cable and run it from the negative terminal onto one of the bolts that holds the starter on. Do I need a certain gauge wire?

 

Ground cable needs to be the same size, or larger, as what comes off of the neg battery post. You should be able to pickup cable and ring clamps to terminate the ends of the new cable. I have yet to see a wire nut big enough for a battery cable, so I'm guessing your cable is way undersized.

 

Wire Nuts are no good for cars. Too easy to fall off, and even when connected they can be intermittent. That was probably an emergency repair just to get back home, so now it's time to fix it.

 

I got a 10guage wire and ran it from the right terminal on the starter to the starter bolt under it.

I also cut the wires back that connect to the clamps on the battery terminal and cut them back a little bit and reclamped them.

When I tried to start my car my ground wire blew up and there was smoke and my rev buzzer beeped once.

What should I do to start my car ugh!

 

I informed you that the cable to the starter is not a ground, there is no ground at the starter at all. All the wires that go to the starter are for power. Meaning the big cable that is attached to the left larger terminal(looking at it from underneath while it is mounted). The small wire above that and to the center is for the power from the ignition switch. The large post on the right is to supply power from the solenoid to the starter when cranking. You hooked up a ground to a power supply, no wonder it blew up.
The ground cable from the battery from the factory mounts as follows. It goes from the negative battery post to the joining point just below the driverside shock tower. Then it goes to the engine block using the long bolt that mounts the starter.

Now if you didn't compromise your battery, your ignition switch and your starter you are lucky.
You need to remove that wire. Reinstall t he ground cable as specified above and see what happens.

 

Im very confused on which wire goes to the passenger side terminal on the starter

 

The passenger side lug on the starter has no wire connected to it, period. The braided wire that goes from the left lug to the right lug is the supplied power for the starter solenoid.

10 ga. wire is not heavy enough for a main ground wire to the block. You need a heavier gauge, as stated before. Your question has been answered, but you have failed to read the replys given with the needed comprehension.

 

Scott, I pm'd him about the correct stuff but on some years including the 79 and 81
Models I have there is a wire(looks like a fusable link) that attaches to the right side lug and is plugged into the wiring harness. I have not looked at a wiring diagram to decipher what it is supplying power to.

 

Thanks for the correction Doc. I'm not that familiar with the earlier starters and assumed they were the same as the 83 on ones, which is where most of my experience lies.

If I have given bad info, my apologies.

 

On my 85se, I see two bolts with nuts. One bolt in somewhat in the center of the unit and the other bolt is off to the side/edge. Is this outer bolt where the positive cable connects to, directly from the battery?