I tried to reground my car according to a response to a thread I started yesterday. I connected a 8 gauge wire from the positive battery terminal to the nut on the alternator, and another one from the negative terminal to the body. As soon as I put the negative on, sparks, then a plume of smoke came from the wire on the firewall that is connected to a nut on the back of the engine. All of my electronics (i.e. radio will play and windows go up and down) but the car won't start. It will turn over, but it won't start! HHHHEEELLLPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

this is just a tottal guess but did you check your fuses?

 

No. I am a moron. Where are they? And which ones should I look at?

 

There is a fuse box to the left of your clutch and a fuse box in the engine bay on the left

 

Ok, what am I looking for(ie which fuse). My car is across twon, so I can't just go look for it!

 

Also make sure you are getting a spark .... if it is turning over an you are getting spark than the only things that I can think of is that the engine is not getting Fuel (your fuel pump fues blew) or its flooded.

George

 

It sounds like it is kicking, It just won't start. It wants to, and there is a click, so I know the starter is fine. Any more ideas? which fuse is for the fuel pump?

 

If you think it's flooded pull out your EGI 40A fuse located in the engine bay on the left .... than try to start your car for about 15 seconds ... than put the fuse back in and try and start the car again ..... and it should start if it was flooded.

George

 

Its not flooded. I think I just fried some part of the electrical system.

 

Sorry I have no idea what it could be than .... I am sure someone else will beable to help you more than me.

Good Luck

George

 

sparks should not have flow!! are those wires still hooked up?

where on the alternator did you hook the pos wire too? the nut that had another wire already? or the one that holds it to the engine? it should have been the one that had a wire already, and you have to put both back on, not just replace it.

are you sure you didn't put the wires on the wrong side of the battery? if you put the pos wire and grounded it to the body that wire by the firewall would start to smoke as it did with you I think.

did you add the ground to the body? or replace it? you need to leave the stock wire on the neg of the battery as well. that would also fry that firewall wire if you only had a wire from the neg battery to the body, and not the stock one as well which goes to the engine.

 

Ok got the car running fine, no idea what happened! So Scott, put the pos wire to the bolt that already has a wire! Oh ****, I put it on the bolt that connects to the arm that holds the alternator to the engine! Looks like I am REALLY lucky! Thanks Scott, once again, you save my *** w/ your good ideas!!!

 

ya... you just put a few hundred amps through those wires the one by the firewall started frying first since it was the smallest. you woudn't have blow any fuses because there are none in it's path. which also means you should put some plastic loom over the wire from the pos battery to the alt, because if the wire cover wears off and it touches the engine again the same thing will happen.

 

Thanks man!

 

Wow- You got lucky that that wire fused.
It was me that initially described how to put in the supplementary wiring for the alternator- guess I should have been more clear. I just assumed that the nut holding the WIRE ON IT (the main output) on top of the alternator would have been the one that you would use- the ones holding the alternator on are all grounding!!

The car wouldn't start initially because I'm sure the computer was reset without voltage for a while- sometimes it takes a few cranks a (and a bit of gas pedal) to get it going after a ECU reset. (only once in a while though)

 

Thanks Bambam! I am retrying it tomorrow!

 

OK- I just want to make sure here!!
Run a wire from the NEG BATT to the chassis
Run a wire from the POS BATT to the NUT HOLDING THE BIG WIRE ON IT ON THE TOP OF THE ALTERNATOR!!
If I were you I would run an 8 ga to replace that tiny one behind the manifold to the firewall, that got fried.(that wire is too small)

You got lucky!

 

Yeah, I know about the lucky part! I am thanking GOD right now! Really freaked me out! Thanks guys!

 

whats the point to running these wires

 

Supplement's the car's charging system- Compare it to driving on a 8 lane road or a 2 lane orad- with the same # of people...
It also helps grounds, since the ECU is dependant on voltage from sensors (resistors) - grounding can alter the signals, and cause the car to run like ***. (Technical)

 

Well, it is doing it again! It started up fine this morning, now, it won't kick over again!

 

I am not sure about your problem man.?.?.? But I would try pulling the EGI fuse( the inner most fuse towards your engine) from the fuse box by your front shock tower. HOLD THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR!!!, while cranking for about 15-20 seconds. Put the fuse back in and try to start without touching the gas.

This is usually to fix flooding, but what it also does is by holding the pedal down it resets the ECU. Which could be acting weird since it's little electroshock........
good luck