This electrical problem is KILLING me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[PhillyDaKid-S13]

Well, i recently came back to 240s, and got a 91 base model hatch. I knew it wasnt in working condition when i got it, it was to be a project that myself and my roomate were gonna work on. One of the previous owners installed jim wolf cam gears in the ka. Now, the person who gave it to me informed me that the car wouldnt turn over. So I attempted to jumpstart the car first to see if it would at least crank. All the electrical systems were dead to begin with before the jump. after the jump, starter clicked twice then nothing, electrical systems started working, but after a few minutes after the jump it died again. So i went home, owner tells me that he'll install a new battery to see if that helps. come back to find that he installed the cables on the wrong terminals, and sparks flew.

now I checked all the fuses. the 75 amp fuse for the alternator in the bottom left of the fuse box definitely is blown, so ill be replacing that. I took a multimeter to all the rest of the fuses in the fuse box, all the rest checked out, as well as the one attached to the positive battery cable. I thought there may be a problem with the starter, so to test it, I disconnected the harness from it and applied direct power to it to see if it would engage....i got nothing. Im pretty sure it should engage independently of the alternator (correct me if im wrong...) in any event, ill be getting another battery and alternator fuse, but can anybody think of anything else that may be causing these electrical problems? also, in the fuse box, the top left plug (labeled ign coil) is not even there....is that supposed to be on an automatic, or am i losing it? any help would be greatly appreciated. heres a link to the fusebox labels in case anyone needs it....

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[Ghast]

So the starter solenoid does not make any noises or anything when you apply direct power?

You got your "Source" (Battery) which is first in any circuit,use your DVOM to check and make sure it is holding charge. If you have excess to a Vat-40 or a Vat-45 check to make sure your battery is good.

Next would be your "Protection" (Fuse) you said you checked all of your fuses but just to be sure run a continuity test on all of them or pull them out and look at them VERY closely.

Your "Control" (switch) if any in that circuit to your starter would be next. If the battery is good and the fuse is good then you should use your DVOM to check for voltage TO the starter, you can also disconnect the positive & negative terminals and check for resistance from the battery to the starter, maybe there is some unwanted resistance to your starter. OR maybe your ignition switch is bad.

You may also have a short to ground. Maybe even a short to voltage.

Though from what you explained i am not sure.

Hope this helps a little bit!

[PhillyDaKid-S13]

Yup. supplied direct power to the starter solenoid, i got nothing. i also pulled all the fuses in the fuse box next to the battery, as well as the one thats on the positive battery cable, as WELL as running a continuity test via multimeter on all the fuses. save for the alternator fuse that blew, all the rest were still good.

Now I used the multimeter to check continuity on the battery which checked out. So then, I used a hydrometer to check the voltage on the individual cells....They all checked out as being in fair condition, not perfect, but not needing a charge either. question tho....what is the DVOM and Vat-40/vat-45 you speak of? im not really familiar with those terms. are those testing instruments?

[hilux30]

The ECU fuse burns when you jump the car wrong (or batt. install in your case) so after all this it might just crank but not fire, and if you have a KA then that ignition coil empty slot must be filled with breaker or fuse, as long its a KA

[PhillyDaKid-S13]

Hmmm...now the ecu fuse, is that located in the passenger kick panel along with the actual ecu, or is it in the engine bay? I wasnt even aware that that fuse blows if the cars jumped incorrectly. And yes it is the ka. for some odd reason tho, that empty slot looks like it was empty from factory, there isnt even a plug to put a fuse in on that spot, that really threw me off....

[Ghast]

DVOM = Digital Volt Ohm Meter.

Vat 45 and Vat 40 is just an electronic Battery tester, your multimeter or DVOM can do its job. But a Multimeter and DVOM can not test CCA and CA (Cranking Amps and Cold Cranking Amps)

I am telling you, that your problem is a short somewhere. If your electronics are turning on that means they are ok, but if there is a short somewhere your circuit will either A. Stay on, heat up and blow a fuse. B. Stay on, till it heats up enough to blow an Auto Resetting Circuit breaker. Or C. Stay on, and get hot enough to fry whatever it is getting to.

When you used the hydrometer did each cell come out at 100% or what? Also don't forget to add or minus to your calculations according to the temperature.

[PhillyDaKid-S13]

i dont have the hydrometer in front of me (just got finished taking an economics exam.... ), so I cant tell you the exact reading at the moment...but I know it was between not needing a charge and having a decent charge....but, u reminded me, i completely forgot to compensate for the temperature in the calculation. also, if someone could tell me where the ecu fuse is so i could check it, id be ever so grateful....if there is a short somewhere, its gotta be one of the circuits that is wired into ALL the electronics, as nothing electronic is currently working on the car....

toss me in a tornado and f*** me in a barnyard, this ish is annoying...lol

[2ndnissan]

on my daughters very stock ka(90 model) there is nothing where the fuse box says ign coil. hers is an auto as well so i don't believe you're missing anything . Check harness running along top of the fan shroud for any melted wires. One of those is the coil wire. Mine fried a while back and it would turn over forever but not fire up.

[PhillyDaKid-S13]

ok, so at least i dont have to worry about the ign coil thing. and ill check those fan shroud wires soon as i can. hope nothings melted....

[PhillyDaKid-S13]

OK, so a lil update. I checked all the fuses in the fusebox underneath the drivers side dash....



every fuse in this box checked out. the one thats supposed to be on the bottim left (ignition), I removed to check impedance on it, checked out ok as well. The only fuse that blew that ive found so far....



was this, the fusible link in the engine bay for the alternator circuit. now I just got finished downloading and printing the entire FSM at work (but SSSSHHH.....im pretty sure theyll be pissed about me using so much paper and ink, lol!). I was only able to quickly glance at the electrical section, but from what I saw, the circuit that this fusible link is on shouldnt be the problem here, at least I think. im going to be looking over the entire section and all the schematics in the next few hours to double check. u cant really tell from the pic (its not really a good camera, i admit) but its definitely blown. i even checked it with a multimeter to be sure.



in any event, tomorrow im taking my battery to get charged at auto zone (free), going to get a replacement 75A fusible link for the alternator circuit, and go over these schematics. once again, any more advice will help. thanks.

[Chris28]

I blew that exact same fuse twice haha. I also spent about an hour reading the page that outlines the wiring layout of that fuse. In order for that fuse to blow, the alternator's positive post is grounding out. When i replaced my alternator, I accidentally grounded the positive post, so that's why I blew mine.

however, the engine WILL start without this fuse. The only things that worked for me were the headlights and radio...that was it. Once I fixed my alternator wiring everything worked.

The fuse blew because of your alternator grounding out. Check around there and I bet you will find your answer. Either that or when he connected the wrong terminals the thing in the path of the current flow was that fuse.