no start negative battery terminal smoking

[TAL0NTSi]

So, I just finished dropping in my freshly rebuilt 2.3L stroker motor and got everything put back together today. I pushed it out of the garage and cranked the car a few times with the coilpacks unplugged to get some oil pressure. After a few 30 second cranks the car fired up. I let it warm up and then I drove it around the block a few times. During which time, my fuel line coming from my fuel filter popped off. I slowly made it home with fuel shooting straight up in air. Pulled the line off and re threaded the AN fitting, and gave the fuel filter a good once over. Now the car won't start at all. I can hear my fuel pump kicking on and I have power to everything, and ECMlink is connecting to my ECU just fine. The car doesnt crank, and the only other symptom is that the negative terminal is getting extremely hot. I'm thinking starter. Does anyone have any other ideas? Thanks guys.

 

[minimoose]

The starter could be bad but ive never heard of them just working fine and then instanly dieing, i would start with checking the wires to the starter make sure they are tight and try starting it again, I havent heard of a battery terminal running hot but sounds like it could be a bad ground.

 

[ChiTownHussla]

What you can do to help diagnose this. Try to push start the car. If that works then it is your starter.

 

[DsmDanny98]

Like stated above starters don't just go bad. Possibly the wires to the starter are loose or there is corrosion on the battery terminals.

 

[luv2rallye]

Or you now have a huge short.

 

[TAL0NTSi]

I thought about the push start method. Although, if it doesn't start then I'm going to be stuck down the road. There is no corrosion on the battery terminals and I highly doubt it's a loose connector. The car started just fine less than half an hour previous of running into this issue

 

[ChiTownHussla]

Well try and let us know. This way we can help narrow it down better

 

[TAL0NTSi]

do you think it could be a bad ground. I don't remember any grounds to the block or bell housing when I took everything apart. Is there supposed to be?

 

[ChiTownHussla]

There are a few on the wiring harness. one on the alternator.

 

[minimoose]

Theres should be a ground on the bell housing pinched between the coolant hard pipe with a bolt going through to the block one from the intake to firewall and as said earlier one that grounds off the bell housing to the starter.

the starter only has one wire ran to it which is the power and then the wire for ground comes off the starter and grounds to its self though the block.

 

[pj91gsx]

follow the starter wiring harness. there is one ground on it that goes to the bell housing.

 

[Rideit636]

Measure voltage drop from the negative battery terminal to the ground. It should be very close to zero. If not, you have a bad ground

 

[Pauly D]

yes ground to bell housing and fire wall are very important.

 

[mitsu-luver]

I haven't read any of the post but I just saw it said " smoking" and the first thing I would do is replace that battery! Batteries are no joke and very dangerous and explosive. Also it could be internally shorted causing it to get very hot and smoke. Just looking out for your safety.

Sent from my DROIDX

 

[Boma]

So, I just finished dropping in my freshly rebuilt 2.3L stroker motor and got everything put back together today. I pushed it out of the garage and cranked the car a few times with the coilpacks unplugged to get some oil pressure. After a few 30 second cranks the car fired up. I let it warm up and then I drove it around the block a few times. During which time, my fuel line coming from my fuel filter popped off. I slowly made it home with fuel shooting straight up in air. Pulled the line off and re threaded the AN fitting, and gave the fuel filter a good once over. Now the car won't start at all. I can hear my fuel pump kicking on and I have power to everything, and ECMlink is connecting to my ECU just fine. The car doesnt crank, and the only other symptom is that the negative terminal is getting extremely hot. I'm thinking starter. Does anyone have any other ideas? Thanks guys.

The only time this has ever happened to me was when I put the wrong starter that I bought and the solenoid on it got fried and the negative terminal smoked. I'm guessing your solenoid is toast.

 

[DSM1G90]

In all due actuality, DC current flows from negative to positive.

Thus, ground clean and tight connections along with many grounding points from the negative post are highly important for good current flow (and why you disconnect the negative from the battery when working on your vehicle when the potiental current is not needed) and why it's highly important that no frayed, corroded or undergauged wiring is used.

Some users have multiple grounds under the hood from the battery like: intake manifold, tranny casing, alternator brackets - practically any good ground connection to really make the current flow more freely than just one point like the firewall connection since there is so much current coming from the battery that it needs to "spread out" for more efficency.

-DSM

 

[TAL0NTSi]

Well, I checked the following grounds and all seemed good: firewall, bellhousing, alternator, intake manifold. The wire that goes to my firewall is sort of frayed so I'm going to replace it. I'm still really unsure about it being the starter, because the car started just fine before I dealt with the fuel leak.

And as for the starter wiring, I have what looks like two grounds attached to the negative post. Should the wire that comes off the negative battery terminal be mounted on the bellhousing bolt instead of that post?

 

[jtmcinder]

I haven't read any of the post but I just saw it said " smoking" and the first thing I would do is replace that battery! Batteries are no joke and very dangerous and explosive. Also it could be internally shorted causing it to get very hot and smoke. Just looking out for your safety.

+1. Put any other known-good battery in the car and try it.

ps. driving the car with fuel squirting out in the engine-bay is like auditioning for a Darwin Award; please don't do that again

 

[TAL0NTSi]

ps. driving the car with fuel squirting out in the engine-bay is like auditioning for a Darwin Award; please don't do that again

Haha, I definitely agree. Not something I ever hope to have happen again.


On another note, I moved the ground from the starter post to the bolt that goes through the bell housing to the starter. Car started right up. However, after running it for about 15 min, I turned the car off. After a few minutes I tried to start it up again and the battery was dead. Next plan of action is to take the battery to be tested. Thanks for all of your help guys.

 

[DSM1G90]

if died like that in such a short time, check the ALT out as well for it could be blown.

 

[TAL0NTSi]

Ok, final verdict is a bad battery. She starts with no issues! it's been an interesting week for the electrical system in the talon.

 

[minimoose]

Glad you figured it out!