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It just sorta blew up!

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Shakey Dave View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Shakey Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: It just sorta blew up!
    Posted: 03 June 2012 at 2:42pm
I was just beginning to get my car ready for the All
Pontiac Show and was disconnecting the negative terminal
on the battery. The long adjustable wrench I was using
slipped out of my hand, fell to the left and connected
with the positive terminal with a shower of sparks (the
negative end was still connected to the wrench). Now the
car won't even turn over when I try to start it, even
though all of the other electronics still seem to be
working OK.

Can anyone give me a clue as to what or where I should be
looking for the thing that I must have damaged?

Thanks

Shakey Dave    
"Shakey" Dave Hathaway
www3.telus.net/myhistory
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DannyCanuck View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote DannyCanuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 June 2012 at 4:06pm
Have you tried an new battery?
88 duke, bog standard
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Shakey Dave View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Shakey Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 June 2012 at 5:25pm
Because the rest of the electronics (lights, blower, radio
etc. are still working, my limited knowledge of electricity
tells me that the battery is still active. However my plan
for the current upgrade includes a new battery, so we'll
see if that works. I'll pick one up tomorrow.

Shakey Dave
"Shakey" Dave Hathaway
www3.telus.net/myhistory
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Dawg View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Dawg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 June 2012 at 9:50pm
It is more likely that you damaged the connections to the battery. By
damaged I mean there is enough current carrying capacity for lights
and so on, but not enough for the starter. The starter needs MUCH
more current.

I would disconnect the terminals and inspect the connectors. Are
they clean and functioning normally? Any melting present or burn
marks?

The battery is probably as fine as it was before you touched it.
Unless we are talking about a long short circuit, more than 3 or 4
seconds.

Dawg
You dream it up....I'll make it
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Capt Fiero View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Capt Fiero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 June 2012 at 10:46pm
Although it should not happen, you could have blown a fusible link in the ignition.  The starter solenoid wire goes from the ignition, out to the main harness plug, then through the power distribution and then down to the starter.  If the stuff that Damian suggested does not fix the issue, grab a multimeter and check the fusible links.  There are 2 I believe right near the battery.
Capt Fiero
88 Fiero GT 5spd V6
Eight Fifty Seven GT V8 5spd.
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Dawg View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Dawg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 June 2012 at 8:56pm
Read that again Dave....:). He shorted directly across the battery
terminals. All the current travelled through the wrench and posts.
So nothing else would have happened.

Dawg
You dream it up....I'll make it
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Shakey Dave View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Shakey Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 June 2012 at 10:22pm
Hello Dawg, Capt, and Danny etc.

Thanks for the tips on how to fix my sick Fiero. I'll be
buying a new battery in the next few days, lets hope it
works and that nothing else is wrong.

Because of the electrical/battery problems, plus some
minor body damage to the front end, I won't be bringing
my car to the All Pontiac Show this year, giving the
younger drivers a better chance at placing in the
notchback class. However, I will try to be there in
person a little later in the day to cheer them on.

See you all on Sunday.

Shakey Dave
"Shakey" Dave Hathaway
www3.telus.net/myhistory
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ARTIC-1 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote ARTIC-1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 June 2012 at 5:34pm
You could check your fuse box,not likely one blew but you never no.
hope you get it fixed soon Dave.
SNOW MAN

87-GT/AUTO-2.8_ WHITE

88-TTop/ Duke-2.5. RED
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Shakey Dave View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Shakey Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 June 2012 at 1:02pm
Thank you everyone. My Fiero is now up and running. All
it took was a 100% new Bosch alternator and a new red top
Optima battery (red to match my car!). My son and I
could have saved about $100 to $200 by using cheaper
parts, but we decided to use quality parts so that we can
rely on them in the future (if it ever happens again).

BTW: My son, who is a qualified mechanic with big hands,
absolutely HATES working on the Fiero. I've never heard
him swear so much as when he was working on the heat
shield!

Cheers

Shakey Dave
"Shakey" Dave Hathaway
www3.telus.net/myhistory
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