Stupid mistake and the car wont start.

[gsommo]

So i tried to fit my refurbed starter today, got it in fine and tried to start the car, the motor was working well, turning everytime i turned to key however it was still not engaging and so the engine would not turn over. This was the start of my issue.

i took the starter off and wired it up again as i was going to see if I could start it and see what the cog was doing, however i got distracted and proceeded in putting the wrong wires on the terminals, all of a sudden there was smoke and stuff coming from the negative wire (well the negative wire that leads to the starter as a thinner wire coming off it, i think its called the fusible link cable) anyway this had melted, wired it up properly and there was no charge at all. Now im guessing that this is just a battery problem as it was badly shorted?

Also the small wire that i melted im sure is easily fixable its only like 6 inches long and very thin, so can i replace it with any old piece of wire??

So I did a quick repair on the melted wire with the remaining pieces just to see what would happen, connected it all up to battery and starter etc to make the connection right. we then tried to bump start the car and it would not go, even towing it behind another car. Now what does this mean, as surely bumping starting should have worked, it sounded like the engine as turning over but no life at all. I hope I have not buggered it. Does anyone have any ideas about all my issues.

Thanks for any help on this very bad day

[chan]

youve probably blown a fuse and thats why it wouldnt bump start. take a look at the fuse board in the passenger footwell and i think its about 4 black wires check all the fuses they link to and check there secured in the plug correctly. not sure what has happend to the starter motor mate but should be fixable.

did it sound like the engine was firing when you were trying to bump start it?

[rpats]

might be being daft here but are all your earths connected properly???

[gsommo]

Well i have definetely burnt out one of the wires which i will replace (oh and is there special wire that i need?) other than that I think i have killed the battery so will replace.

When we where bump starting it the engine was turning over but was not running if you know what i mean, like the engine was totally dead, this confused me though as all the connections where done back up so why would the engine ticking over not get the electrics going??

I have not checked the earths, im not entirely sure where these are but ill find them.

I am a little concerned now though as it is dead, ill try and jump start it over the next few days and see what happens.

[chan]

aslong as you get wire with the same core size any wire will do as long as its in good nick obviously if you turn the igniton on do you get lights come up on the dash board? battery light 4wd light ect. if youre not getting these the fuse is blown or the battery is shagged. can you try the battery in another car to check charge?

was the starter motor fitted and all wired up correctly when you were jump starting it because i think if i can remember the main earth that comes from the battery goes to the back of the starter motor and then to the body where the engine mount is. if the starter motor wasnt wried up correctly or simply wasnt in the car the ignition system wouldnt of been able to work resulting in no spark.

hope that helps