Hooked up battery wrong

BARROO7

MEMBER
1985 CHEVROLET S-10
2.8L
V6
4WD
MANUAL
200,000 MILES

First. All fusible links and fuses checked and taken care of. Brand new battery and starter. I put the wrong cable on for like a two or three seconds. Getting power to fuse panel no power to switch or starter when key turned. Four rows on panel. One has power, three do not. One with power has no fuses. When you turn headlights on come on along with dash radio CD player but no door buzzer. When key turns nothing no click nothing doesn't make headlights dim or anything. No power getting to switch. Big plug that goes into panel looks like tar has been poured in it but it is not melted plastic doesn't smell burned or anything. So many questions don't know where to start. Any suggestions? As I said checked and took care of fusible links and fuses has new battery and starter. Help!

5 Replies

BARROO7

MEMBER
5 POSTS

Something else is this problem is directly related to my mistake as I had none of these problems before I had just replaced the clutch in the truck and was getting ready to test it out. I had the wrong cable on for maybe two or three seconds before I pulled it off. I have been all over the thing and have not seen one sign of visible damage i.E. Melted stuff. I don't know. I am so close I am sure. Thanks for any help.

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Saturday, March 23rd, 2019 AT 9:58 PM

SCGRANTURISMO

MECHANIC
4,897 POSTS

Hello,

What seems like a mess, probably isn't. What you have to do is figure out why you aren't getting power to the fuse box. It probably isn't as bad as it seems. One piece of advise I can give you is if doesn't look like it came out of factory, it probably isn't right. In your question you were describing the connector looks like it has black tar poured in it. Probably didn't come from the factory like that. To me, it sounds like melted wiring insulation. I would replace that connector. In Honda PACT school we were taught that if we were repairing a vehicle that had any damage or we thought that there might be damage to a connector, it was to be replaced with a new one, no questions asked.
Anyway, I have included for you the factory wiring diagrams for your vehicle in the diagrams below. Please go through them starting with the battery and work your back on your vehicle to figure out what is going on. Then please get back to us with what you find out.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros

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Sunday, March 24th, 2019 AT 2:29 AM

BARROO7

MEMBER
5 POSTS

Yes it is a mess. I am getting power to the connector that plugs into the back of fuse panel and there are four rows of fuses. One of these rows has no fuses that row has power the other three rows (the only ones with fuses)do not have power. Then there is no power to the switch and do forth. The plug I was talking about it does look like tar but instead of being like melted insulation or plastic seems like real nasty thick grease. Yea it does seem like somebody had got a hold
of it before me but it was fine until I did what I did. With all the fusible links, fuses and everything could it have messed up the fuse panel without blowing some fuses.I guess I will have to replace it, I am really not sure.

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Sunday, March 24th, 2019 AT 2:50 AM

BARROO7

MEMBER
5 POSTS

Yea, I am getting power to the panel but not coming out going to the switch or nothing else, no power going to the starter in crank position either. Headlights come on dash back lights but not the engine light like the red ones when you start it. I fried something I just have not found it and I am running out of stuff to check.

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Sunday, March 24th, 2019 AT 5:24 AM

SCGRANTURISMO

MECHANIC
4,897 POSTS

Hello again,

You have a complete wiring diagram for your whole vehicle there. If you aren't getting power at your ignition switch run the circuit backwards towards the battery. Where you find 12 volts the break will be the last section you tested before and had no voltage. The answer is there if you take the time to look for it. Wiring is frustrating, and sometimes not easy, but I can't do it for you. I'm not with the vehicle. Let me know if I can help in any way please.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros