No power to my beloved.

[Johnrose81]

Hey everybody! I'm not one for writing on car forums except the F1 forum and that forum about Barn Girls, but that's neither here nor there. Fact is, I have a problem that I have been trying to destroy for the last two (2) days. I'm finally revoking my man card and asking for help. 2 days ago I woke up and and got into my car to drive to work. Alas, it didn't start. It just clicked. I knew the bearing in my alternator was going bad, so I figured I had worn it out and I had drained the battery. So I jumped the car and it didn't work. No jumping for me. But I was jumping physically because that means I get to use a personal day from work! So I got in the zone and went to Autozone and bought an alternator and installed it. I think I installed it right. It looks right. I'm not a GREAT mechanic, but I know enough and can do enough to be dangerous to myself and small animals. So I installed it. It's now 5pm. Happy Hour. I jump in the car to attend my favorite bar and I'm back at square one. Just clicking noises when I crank the key. No bar for me. I head back to Autozone, lacking my aforementioned jolly mood. I buy a starter. I install said starter. I sit back in my car in a little bit better of a mood cause it's 1 am (I took breaks). The strip joint closes in an hour, I can make it!! But alas, I'm even worse off. NO POWER. NO ELECTRICITY! Like the battery doesn't exist. No clicks, no dome light, no beeps, no boops, NO BOOBS! No anti-theft LED blinking it's justice greedy eye at me. Just cold car death. I bow my head in defeat. I retire to bed. I wake the next day and hitch a ride to work. At work I google my problem all day. I drink at my desk while I worry about how much money I have to spend. The CEO has a talk with me about my drinking at work, I offer him a beer and now all is well at the work place, but not in my heart. My heart is with my car. On the slow ride home with Gretta, the secretory, I remember that I touched the wrench to metal while I was tightening the car battery down. So I get home, clean the terminals, check the fuses, replace the big Lego looking fuse in front of the battery. Inducer? I don't know. I saw the anti-theft Lego block too, but it was $50 and I told Autozone to eat me. Bailed out of jail for trespassing and aggravated assault. Back to car. No fuse looks bad to me. But, I don't know what a bad fuse looks like. The metal inside wasn't black and it was one piece. Gravy, right? So I don't know what could be wrong! The fuses look good, installation looks good. Trust me, I tore everything out and put it back in about 5 times. I can't tell you why I have zero electrical power in my car. I tested the battery, it's fine. 12.6. 13.something under load. Please help me, my little obi-wan's. Yall's is my only hope.


BTW, I have a 1997 Infinity I30. Green, if that makes a difference.

[maxhopper]

If I read correctly, you had power before replacing the starter, but not after. I'd recheck the wiring connections on the starter.

Did you ground out the wrench after replacing the starter, or while replacing it?

[Johnrose81]

I grounded out after I installed the starter. But it was very brief and a relatively small spark. More than anything it just scared me. I didn't feel it. And no, I don't need a battery for my watch now. It wasn't that bad. I just rechecked the wiring since all my air stuff is still off the car. It's perfectly fine.

[Johnrose81]

I'm defeated. I can't think of anything else. All fuses are good. Anti-Theft and Inhibitor is good. Battery is good. Posts are good. Grounds are good. Starter and alternator is good. No dash lights. No security LED blinking. No headlights. No electricity at all. Battery cables seem okay after testing them.

I do have a question about them. Of the positive side of the battery, I have the main cable that bolts straight to the starter. Another cable is apart of that has a plastic piece that clips onto another plastic piece that's a part of the starter. Now I followed that cable and it goes striaght into the fuse box next to the battery but doesn't connect to anything there. Just passes through. BUT, there are 2 white cables with a red stripe that are also apart of the main wire. They bolt onto that fuse box. But the other end is just a red plastic plug in piece that doesn't seem to plug into anywhere. I don't think I've ever seen it plugged in. Can someone explain that wiring? Maybe have an answer to this problem?

[Johnrose81]

FIXED. Sounds retarded, but I didn't have the battery hooked up right. It wasn't normal. There is the main wire you hook straight onto the positive post of the battery. Tapped onto that was another cable that had 3 cables inside it. One cable went to the plastic plugin on the starter, the other two went and bolted onto the fuse box. Now at the other end of this was a big red plug. I didn't see where to plug it in. On the inside was a metal strip. So I put a gator clip on it and put the other side of the gator clip on the positive terminal. Cranked right up with power and everything. Now to figure how to replace this big red plastic box plug in or just take it off...What is it even called?