Newb Needs Help NO POWER NO LIGHTS NOTHING

[kurbage]

Well just to start im a honda guy and have basic mechanic skills. I helped a friend install a clutch in his 97 gsx which was really fun doing it for the first time on a eclipse. Anyways I was putting the battery back in accidently hit the positive on the strut tower and now were getting no lights no power nothing. Ive tried jump starting , changed the battery , checked the terminals , checked the grounds, checked the fuses they all look good , and even added another ground.

Any Ideas ??? Any help would be apreciated Thanks

 

[PXHero]

If you saw alot of smoke you might try checking for fusable links within the power wiring... sorry... I know where one is on an Eagle Vision, long story, but not on the DSMs. But if you fried one, then look for a lot of burnt insulation and essentially a broken wire... this may require removing the battery tray, among other things...

Best of luck!

 

[BlueTurboSpyder]

I know you said you checked your fuses but recheck the main fuse. That's the first thing I would check if it were my vehicle with the same problem. Good luck.

 

[kurbage]

thanks but were is the main fuse at

 

[BlueTurboSpyder]

It should be in the fuse box under your hood. Check the 60A and 100A fuses.

 

[Jafro]

It should be in the fuse box under your hood. Check the 60A and 100A fuses.

What he said.

Nothing should have blown up anywhere else. That's why it's there. It's an expensive frequently out-of-stock fuse. Must happen a lot. It's one of the huge clear ones in the plastic box in front of the passenger-side wheel well.

 

[kurbage]

they all look good is there anything else that it could be like maybe the ecu or something cause i have checked them all and they are all good i just did a clutch on it so maybe there is something with that i dont know cause it waz running fine until i changed the clutch and got it all back together then i went to turn it on and there was nothing no power what so ever

 

[Jafro]

MPI Relay? Can anyone verify if these are symptoms of a fried MPI?

If I were you, I'd pull the main fuse to inspect it thoroughly, make sure the ground is bolted to the body, and then start with cleaning up all the terminals on the battery and then followed by probing around with a voltmeter. If it's possibly the relay, it's behind the center console near the ECU. At least it is on a '95.

 

[Jafro]

Wait... is it THIS GUY'S car? Seems too odd that finding two threads with a '97 GSX that's not starting in Hawaii came up twice – when searching "MPI relay" in the forums.

 

[kurbage]

Nah Im in colorado springs if anyone wants to come help. This thing was running just fine before I hit the tower brace replaced the clutch and now im f**ed. Ive checked the wires everythings fine all the grounds were checked with a light. Im just not getting power to anything. I was wondering if that relay would stop me from getting power to anything ??? Or the ecu maybe ???

I got to admit these cars are nice but when it comes to working on them they are one poor design followed by another. Nothing about this damn car is easy

 

[Jafro]

I don't think it's poor design. I just think they tried to cram 10 lbs of shit in a 5 lb bag.

It's not the relay. It sounds to me like you grounded out your battery. It's actually listed as a probable symptom exactly as you described it in this thread.

 

[saechao04]

My friend just put his battery in backwards in a 4runner, it blew the alt. fuse and like 8 others.

 

[kurbage]

well i checked all the fuses and they are all good so it cant be a fuse and i tested the battery with a test light and its good but is there a possiablity that the battery could be bad still even though the test light comes on i mean cause i have a battery charger on it and it says that it is charging

 

[PXHero]

Yes, there is most likely a chance that the battery is still bad and the test light will still light up... if it only takes 1-2A of current to light the light, and if you've got 3A possibility in the battery, then the light will come on... Go to walmart/meijer and buy a cheap VOM (Volt Ohm Meter) they're analog, and cost about $10... Unless you've got a buddy with a DMM (Digital Multi-Meter) That will give you a better idea on what you're dealing with...

 

[kurbage]

well actually i just tryed and put my battery in the car and it still doesnt work so i still have no idea of what it could be so if there is any other suggestions that would be great like is there a way to test the ecu without any power or something else maybe i dont know im completly stumped

 

[Jafro]

If it was just the ECU causing problems, you would still have lights, horn, power windows, radio, cig lighter, blower fans, etc. The only thing between the battery and those parts is the main fuse box under the hood, and the secondary fusebox inside the car. You would still be able to probe the ECU harness with a test light and get power if the main fuse is good. Your accessories should still work if that fuse is good.

If the battery is shorted out internally, it will still light a test light but won't power anything. But IMO, you've got all the classic symptoms of a blown main fuse. If you can probe resistance across the fuse terminals, it's good. You can't do that test with a test light. But with a test light grounded, if you get power on one side of the fuse but not the other, then it's blown. If you don't get power on either, then it's either a bum battery terminal/cable, bad ground, or a dead short in the battery. The main fuse is held down by bolts that you can probe.