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Wiring issues

PatL

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Oct 14, 2017
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I hooked up the battery cables backwards and now I have no power at all. Everything seems to be working to the firewall, as tested with a multimeter. Under the dash is where I think the problem is. Does anyone have an idea what I can try? It's a 73 Charger.
 
Fuseable link might have blown? You'll have to resort to your factory service manual for its location or someone else will chime in on it.

Could have backfed the alternator too.
 
Right on, thanks for replying. I did change the fuseable link, but had no idea anything about backfeeding the alternator. How do I check the alternator and does it cause the issue that I'm having?
 
I hooked up the battery cables backwards and now I have no power at all. Everything seems to be working to the firewall, as tested with a multimeter. Under the dash is where I think the problem is. Does anyone have an idea what I can try? It's a 73 Charger.
Please describe exactly what you mean by "no power at all". What happens? What doesn't happen? If you ask the right questions, this group here can answer them for sure.
 
There is no power from the ignition when I turn the key. When he tried starting his car, my car just died and completely lost all power. There is no power at all. I forgot to mention that it has a MSD. I changed the ballast resistor. I checked all connections from the starter to the solenoid and everything has power to it and that is as far as I got.
 
Did you check to see if you destroyed the battery? Hooking them backwards in reverse the polarity can do it
 
I replaced the battery and still does nothing.
 
Does the starter relay have power at the big post. Does anything come on like radio, interior light does any dash gauges work
 
You say you already replaced a fusible link, was it located at the bulkhead connector ? If you fried the fusible link at the main power feed to the interior/ignition switch, it may have melted the terminals in the bulkhead connector also. You can also check for power at ignition switch connector coming out of steering column under the dash. Power in, no power out, switch bad.
 
Thank you, I will check. I know there is power to the starter relay but nothing to the ignition. Would it make any difference if I were to connect the wires directly and bypass the connector all together?
 
How did you manage to hook up the battery incorrectly?

Most batteries have two different size round posts in the hopes of preventing this.

Has your battery got flat posts with bolt holes?
 
I tried boosting a car, I hooked up the cables incorrect thinking they were my dummy booster cables, where it doesn't matter which way they hooked up. Obviously, I was wrong and made the mistake, but, that's pretty much it in a nutshell.
 
So the battery and car were connected correctly, then you tried to jump it and reversed the jumper leads? If I'm understanding you correctly you wired a battery in series making 24v? You were actually able to turn the ignition on???
If I was a betting man I would guess that that MSD is toast, and probably the Alt. Does the starter solenoid work?
 
Yes, the starter solenoid works works.
 
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