no electrical power and FIRE '92 240sx KA24DE

[ucantstopthebick]

so i was driving up the last hill before i got to my apartment, and all of a sudden everything turned off...so fast and everything..just like a switch. I immediately stopped and got out and popped my hood. Just then is when i realized a bunch of smoke coming out from under the hood...When i opened it, there was a small flame burning the rubber grommet spacer piece that bolted down the ignition coil as well as the power steering... i blew it out..but now i have absolutely no power to my car...none of my dash works, my cd player doesn't work, when i turn the key to start it there is NOTHING...the only thing that works is the clock..but now it doesn't even work anymore..i have absolutely no clue whats goign on..can anyone help me? I checked all the wires that came to and from the ignition coil and none of them are melted...anything else that i can check to better explain this?? thanks

[smokin240]

Something obviously shorted out, probably from bad grounding. Check your alternator and the wires connected to that. Then check the one that attach's to your valve cover on the exhaust header side and the one right next to it that attach's to your firewall. Also, try checking the huge wire that comes from your negative terminal on your battery and grounds on your intake. I've had a similiar problem. If something isn't grounded correctly you will get a short somewhere, and if you don't notice it right away it will slowly eat away at one of your wires and eventually melt it in half. Basically, it sounds like one of those wires got too hot and caught a piece of plastic / rubber whatever it was on fire like it did me.

[ucantstopthebick]

hey, so i checked all the wires you told me i should and they all look fine..no sign of heat, wear, burning..anything..whats the best way to go on from here?

[574-240sx]

check all fuses and relays under the hood and in the kick panel. Also replace what ever caught on fire that was possibly damaged. Thats the best advice I can give you.