hhrrat

Got the battery back and decided to check its volts which was 12.6 volts

Decided to do the continuity check on all the fuses by putting my DMM with OHMs. All fuses had some numbers changing back and forth which is an indicator that the fuse is good.
Did continuity from the the red solenoid cable and it was good, also from starter to alternator.
Did continuity from the radiator bar to the tranny bolt checked out good, for the ground cable itself checked out good.

Hooked up the battery and checked it and it was reading 12.34. Checked volt at the positive terminal by connecting the negative DDM cable to the radiator bar and red on the positive terminal which was 12.24volts.

I figured I would check continuity from the positive terminal to each fuse using the OHMs method since by my understanding it should be a closed circuit from +terminal to the fuses and the same ones as before did not check out, and all the rest their was continuity. I dont know if I have a bad circuit inside the fuse box....

Grizzly old man

Its nice that you have a Digital Multi Meter but, if your checking live voltages in the OHM's range of the tool yer doin it wrong.

Only check voltages in the voltage range of the device or you could, at the least, pop any circuit protection it may have {fuse} do not try to test voltages in the OHM position.

A inexpensive analog VOM would still be a good investment. It sounds to me like you have grounded your meter and are trying to test the fuse sockets to see if they have continuity, this is always lots of fun but if you have the battery hooked up you can zap your meter. When you test for continuity you use the OHM's setting on the meter or if your meter is fancy enough {my 'good' Fluke has this} there is an actual continuity setting but you still don't want to test any live power in that setting either.

I really hope you don't bounce your meter but since your taking classes I suppose you can fix it.

hhrrat

The battery was disconnected when I was checking for continuity. I used 200ohms setting and also to double check had the DMM set on the continuity mode, the arrow with a line.

Lucky

I have been following this thread but have not added too much. The people that are helping is giving you good advice and too merry cooks in the kitchen can really confuse things.

Using an ohms meter to check battery cables is not very accurate. The size of a battery cable is a large wire with lots of strands.

Let just say by example inside the cable all the wires are broken but one.

The ohm meter would show great continuity but that one strand of wire won't carry the currant the starter need to operate.

The ohm meter also won't test fuses unless you remove the fuse from the fuse box.

With the fuse in the box continuity can be there by back feeding through relays and modules.

Let me back up a little and ask a question.

Did the starter work before you did the engine repairs? Have you checked the head light that's not working? If the bulb is good you have a built in test light that telling you power or ground is missing.

hhrrat

The starter worked great before the repairs when I got the car. Maybe we should use an example. How would you recommend I test the I/P IGN 20A fuse to check that its good and also to check if it's getting power?

All the other fuses when I ground the negative cable of the DMM and touch the pins of the fuses, I get 12.24volts when they are still inserted, but the ones that I listed earlier I dont get any any reading. My question is, Is there are reason as to why the fuses I listed earlier are not getting any voltage reading while others are not getting any reading.

Lucky

Using your test light test the I/P fuse with the test light connected to ground and the key on. The I/P fuse is number 62 and is only powered with the key on. If there is no power there check fuse labeled bcm 3 for power using the same hook up of the test light.

Post up your results.

Lucky

I have looked over your first post again. You state that there was contact and smoking of the starter wires where the big red wire was touching the the small black wire on the other starter stud.

The wire on the small stud of the starter should be a purple wire. If it is black then it is possible you hooked up a ground wire in the purple ones place.

If the purple one is grounded somewhere every time you try to crank the car the crank fuse would blow.

Oldblue

Good one Lucky , I'm color blind in the dark spectrum of blues , Browns and purples , they all look a drab dark grey to me, so I always tape and label me wires even for the simple job of changing a starter or alternator

Lucky

I don't know how I would function with if I were color blind. I remember my uncle was color blind.
He would have problems when he would go to city's with traffic light that was not the traditional vertical ones. He could not tell red from green.

hhrrat

Connected the test light to the radiator bar, the I/P fuse is not lighting with the car on. I tried other blade blade fuses in the fuse box with the test light and non of them is lighting up. Just to make sure the test light is working I connected it to the positive terminal and touched the radiator bar stud ground and its lighting.

How do i test the BCM3 without taking it off?


As far as the starter goes, I put it a new one. I connected the thick wire from the fuse box terminal to the big stud on the solenoid together with the red wire that goes to the alternator, the little wire to the little stud. Just went to the garage and checked the little stud wire and looks like its purple-brownish and not black


thanks for taking the time to walk me through this.