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shorted starter wire to header


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droddy
Novice

Jul 8, 2017, 4:35 PM

Post #1 of 14 (1756 views)
shorted starter wire to header Sign In

So I have a 79 Corvette. I was looking under the hood today. I noticed that the starter wire was close to the header. So i tried to move it away with a screw driver. The car was not running when i did this.
After the sparks flew from making contact with the stater, i tried to start the car. No crank or anything. I looked at the fuses, they all look fine. What else should I look for? Is there a fusible link in line somewhere?
Battery is fine and I had no issues prior to this.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 8, 2017, 4:57 PM

Post #2 of 14 (1752 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

That wire you pushed away WAS a fusible link. The links are right at the starter and hot all the time. Pull on each one and see if any stretch.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 8, 2017, 5:03 PM

Post #3 of 14 (1749 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

Don't go poking around live wires with a screwdriver but too late I guess.


Yes - stuff so tight and close wire insulation and trigger wire could be all messed up.


IDK - just drop starter straight down if it will BATTERY NEGATIVE DISCONNECTED and see what mess it there. Any corrosion the nuts may bust off and you need a solenoid on that or if you can't figure out how to do just that a whole starter isn't that costly but wires must be high quality as possible ends spliced in with the best if you have to it gets too hot in too many places too close to stuff in these and others too,


T



Hammer Time
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Jul 8, 2017, 5:48 PM

Post #4 of 14 (1741 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

It's a fusible link burned out. The starter does not have to come out. Merely find the bad one and patch in some fuse wire.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



droddy
Novice

Jul 9, 2017, 7:13 AM

Post #5 of 14 (1711 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

Going to the auto parts now. Hopefully that will fix her up.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 9, 2017, 7:18 AM

Post #6 of 14 (1709 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

Have you located the burnt one yet?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



droddy
Novice

Jul 9, 2017, 11:21 AM

Post #7 of 14 (1701 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

Yes, it looks as if the previous owner had some issues prior, One of the wires was twisted together like it had burnt and was twisted back together.
I had two reds combined into one and another single red.
Also I have a smaller black the was taped off and not tied into anything???
The other wire was a purple the is tied to the small pole on the solenoid.
Oreilly's did not have any specific wire for the replacement. Can I use standard 12 AWG in its place?


(This post was edited by droddy on Jul 9, 2017, 11:22 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 9, 2017, 11:29 AM

Post #8 of 14 (1697 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

For the 3rd time, NO you cannot use regular wire. That is fuse wire and has to be replaced with fuse wire if you don't want your car to burn to the ground.

The purple wire is the starter trigger so that goes on the starter terminal. The other red wires are all individual power supplies that should be fused separately so separate the 2 that are twisted together and make sure they all have a section of fuse wire.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



droddy
Novice

Jul 9, 2017, 12:45 PM

Post #9 of 14 (1692 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

Thanks for all the help. Figured the answer was no on regular wire. Went to 6 different part stores. Not one of them has fusible wire in house:(
Going to order some up.
any idea about the black wire? It is probably 16AWG. It was just taped off???


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 9, 2017, 12:59 PM

Post #10 of 14 (1684 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

NAPA - you buy the whole roll in a blister pack of exactly what you need - call and ask to verify that local to you,


T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 9, 2017, 1:04 PM

Post #11 of 14 (1682 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

That doesn't sound like anything factory.

It could be a ground wire being that is a fiberglass car but it doesn't show on the wiring diagrams.








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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
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Jul 9, 2017, 1:49 PM

Post #12 of 14 (1674 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

As Tom said Napa, Carquest or any big parts house will have it in stock....

I would bet those other ones have it in stock and just don't know it....If you go in there...Have them point out their "Help" section if you aren't familiar with it and just check out all the rows....I don't think I've seen one yet that didn't have fusible wire links in them.....Most usually have eyelets already on them.....but you can always cut off what doesn't work for you.....Them main thing is, you now have fusible link wire...


droddy
Novice

Jul 9, 2017, 4:37 PM

Post #13 of 14 (1663 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

Found a couple of 14AWG universal links at Pepboys. I put them in and I am charging up the battery. Will try it out tomorrow.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 9, 2017, 4:57 PM

Post #14 of 14 (1661 views)
Re: shorted starter wire to header Sign In

That should fix your problem.

Save the wiring diagrams for future use.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jul 9, 2017, 4:57 PM)






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