Battery connection fault

[MattBas1975]

Hi, when my son and I  reconnected the battery terminals, the positive terminal starts smoking and blows the large fuse that's mounted near the struts. Can someone please help. 

[GTSBoy]

What else have you done just before that? Don't say "nothing", because dead shorts don't appear from nowhere.

[MattBas1975]

Put a new battery in. Then went to put all the connections on and it just pops. I'm going up there tomorrow and will suss it out again. We replaced the fusable link small connection about a month ago because it was doing the same thing and it fixed the problem. Now it's doing it again. 

[GTSBoy]

Model # of old battery? Model # of new battery? Photos?

Next, seeing as it sounds like a pretty severe short, have you considered putting a multimeter, set to continuity/resistance, onto the main +ve battery lead** and seeing if there is much resistance to body earth?

**without the battery being connected, of course, and with a new fuse in place.

[Duncan]

So basically there is a short circuit in your wiring downstream of that big fusible link, and if you can get a battery terminal to smoke it is big enough to burn your car down. 

I'm not familiar at all with the 31 battery wiring so I can't suggest specifically, but you need to start pulling apart wherever that link goes (eg into a big fuse box of some sort and have a look for any sign of burning and/or very exposed wires. If you have a multimeter and it goes to a fuse box, you can pull each fuse and check if the socket has continuity to ground, but as you are blowing the big fuse not a small one first, it is most likely between the big fusible link and wherever that starts splitting out.

BTW, double check there is no chance your battery terminals are around the wrong way, that might do this....

[MattBas1975]

Thanks. I'll be up at my son's tomorrow night and will send through pics on what's happening. 

We had problems at all until we charged the battery and reconnected it and it happened. Tried another battery and same thing. 

[robbo_rb180]

Short in alternator.

Use a multimeter to find it.  

[GTSBoy]

21 hours ago, robbo_rb180 said:

Short in alternator.

Probably reverse charged the first battery, blew the crap out of everything when it was hooked up, then with the crap blown out of the alternator, any new battery will make the same smoke show?

[MattBas1975]

Hi, can you tell me what this is connected to from the battery to dash? We've disconnected it from the battery and no spark or fuse blown.

[GTSBoy]

You're talking about the big red power wire with the inline fuse? It's a big red power wire with an in-line fuse.

[niZmO_Man]

For the amp in the boot or under a seat.

[MattBas1975]

Well, disconnected the "big red power wire with the inline fuse" Mr comedian. And guess what Steady Eddy? Started 1st go. 

[MattBas1975]

On 28/12/2022 at 2:57 PM, MattBas1975 said:

Hi, can you tell me what this is connected to from the battery to dash? We've disconnected it from the battery and no spark or fuse blown.

 

On 13/12/2022 at 4:59 PM, GTSBoy said:

Probably reverse charged the first battery, blew the crap out of everything when it was hooked up, then with the crap blown out of the alternator, any new battery will make the same smoke show?

Nope. Not even close. Power wire with inline fuse that's connected to the amp in the boot was the culprit. Disconnected and turn over 1st go. Bang O'

[GTSBoy]

And do you know why? Or are you just proceeding from ignorance?

[MattBas1975]

14 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

And do you know why? Or are you just proceeding from ignorance?

Veil of ignorance reasoning favors the greater good.