hello people! i am new here and love the site, but have bad news! i recently acquired a 77 cruising wagon for 500 bucks, it runs perfect and the body is totally straight..... everything is all dandy right?????????????? i installed a new battery..............
BACKWARDS!!!!!!!!!!! >:( >:( :-X :-\ :-\
something started to smoke and now the car wont start, no lights, nothing!!!!! i am set on fixing it myself, but i really have a finite knowledge of auto mechanics, but am willing to learn. i read that it could have possibly messed up the alternator. all i know is the battery was hooked up to 2 things, the ground was hooked into the engine and the positive was hooked into a little module with a bunch of wires going into it. the little module is what started smoking.
please tell me this is going to be a cheap fix!!!!! i am willing to go to a junkyard to find replacement parts. I guess my question is.... where do i start?? i have limited funds and time so i would like to know what the most logical fiurst step should be.... ???
guys.,.. this is my dream car, and i totally fu%%ed it up......
i know its no consolidation, but the negative wire on my pinto is RED! and the positive wire is BLACK!!! That is why i got confused! WHY THE HELL DID THEY NOT COLOR THE WIRES CORRECTLY!!!!!! NOW I HAVE TO GO THROUGH HELL TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS CARR!!!! PLEEEEEEEEEZEE HEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >:( >:( >:(
first off, does it make any sound at all when you turn the key? If not, replace the starter selenoid. picture attached. Does it look like that that was smoking? or the voltage regulator (next picture)?
voltage regulator
replace whatever was smoking, hopefully you didn't do any wiring damage (fusable links) Don't feel bad, i'ts happened to most of us......i did it on my '76 Olympic edition Pinto many years ago!
1) Put a battery in the correct way.
2) Check all your fuses, just in case.
3) Get a cheapo voltage tester, you know, the kind with a little light, a needle-point probe and an allegator clip.
5) Beginning at the battery, check the current by clipping the allegator clip to the frame and probing the wires (or connections) on the positive side. Keep going until the light doesn't light. That's where your problem is. My guess is you burned the wire wraps in the starter solenoid. Replacing a solinoid is fairly inexpensive, quick, and simple. Just be *absolutely sure* you've wired it back in correctly (not trying to be harsh or anything).
6) I've never had to replace a voltage regulator, so I don't know about cost on those, but again, it should be an accessible bolt-on repair that doesn't take a lot of time.
Good luck with it. Sounds like you have a sweet deal on the car...with or without the electrical snafu.
I'm also wondering if you didn't fry your battery (no lights, etc.) Depending on your battery type, cross wiring it may have burned out the plates that create the charge. Be sure that you have a battery you know works and that it is wired in correctly before testing your electrical system. Always start with "knowns" and work towards "unknowns" when dealing with electrical systems.
Even if your alternator is toast, that's not your primary problem. All the alternator does is recharge your battery and run your electrical system after the car is running (did I say "all" it does?). A blown alt won't keep the car from starting, it just won't keep the car running after the battery drains. You shouldn't need to replace the starter as this is a primarily mechanical device triggered by the solenoid (which deals with the electrical conductivity).
One last tip. Once you determine the problem(s), disconnect the negative cable of the battery before replacing the part.
Again, good luck with it.
well first of all let me say i was not expecting such a fast response,
let alone such a helpful one! Thank you soooo much! well, the 'module' that was smoking was the selinoid. (also there is no sound when the key is turned). i am going to replace it today. if there is possible wire damage will that be a hard fix? the wire appear to be in good shape.... i guess i will get the voltmeter like poison said to test the wires.
Replacing a solinoid is fairly inexpensive, quick, and simple. Just be *absolutely sure* you've wired it back in correctly (not trying to be harsh or anything).
i laughed at this.... you guys are way to nice....
well, i'm gonna go get to work.... i saw an alternator on ebay for like 20 bucks out of a 76 pinto.... what other pintos can i swap this part from if there is a problem with the alternator? (again money an issue.....i have it parked by a 7-11 because there is no money to get it towed).. the battery IS shot... just spent 50 bucks on a new one and now it is dead. (i think i'm gonna try to exchange it and say it was a bad battery.... good ol' sears.
anyway i'm gonna replace the selinoid and i'll report back to you on the results! thanks for all the help! oh, and all the fuses are ok... but i could not find any fuses in the engine.... is there possibly something i am missing???? ok, thanks again.
ty
"well, i'm gonna go get to work.... i saw an alternator on ebay for like 20 bucks out of a 76 pinto.... what other pintos can i swap this part from if there is a problem with the alternator? (again money an issue.....i have it parked by a 7-11 because there is no money to get it towed)"
Whoa, there buddy... :) Alternators go by engine application. Just being the same year means nothing if the engine isn't the same. You seem bound and determined to spend money on an alternator before you even know if that's a problem!
"but i could not find any fuses in the engine"
The reference was to "fusible links." These are points in the wiring that will burn through in the event there's a voltage spike. They look like heat-shrink tape wrapped around the wires. Don't worry about them unless you have a dead spot between two items (such as power coming out of your solenoid but not reaching your starter).
While you're at it, you should be able to take off the battery cables and swap them so the black wire goes to the block and the red wire goes to the solinoid. That way, if for some reason someone else is using your car and needs to jump it or something, they don't make a boo-boo (and you're less likely to do the same thing again).
One more tip: Buy a shop manual. I don't mean this to sound harsh, but a good shop manual is a godsend for people who want (or have) to work on their cars. I buy one for every car I get. I know they cost money (around $20 or so for the basic ones), but in the long run, they save money...they're a heck of a lot cheaper than buying parts and fixing on a trial and error basis.
Good luck.
hey, thanks a lot guys!!!! i replaced the starter selinoid and now it is running like a cham once more!! i put in a brand n ew battery (the right way) and am running it until i can tell if the alternator was affected (hopefully not)). ;) anyway, next i will try to fix the cosmetic problems on the car and start thinking about what kind of v8 engines i can stick in it! any ideas? i will upload some pictures of my wagon which looks amazing!!!!!! thanks again!!!
ty :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
I did the same thing to my Mustang when I was 14 years old. I was installing the battery in the dark and didn't check the polarity before I connected the cables. I ended up slightly melting the alternator wires and frying the voltage regulator.
I would have the charging system checked soon to make sure everything is working as it should.