Need electrical help!

[Ralph]

While removing the dash panel in my J10 tonight for cleaning, I accidently grounded the red wire that goes to the amp guage when it brushed the steering column. I thought nothing of it since it was a quick/small spark, and besides I had everything apart.

But when I got it all back together, I had no ignition, no lights, no horn, no flashers, nothing. I checked the fuse block and found that the IGN/LPS fuse had burned out. I replaced it but still nothing.

Then I borrowed my neighbor's test meter thingy to see what I could find. The fusible link and wire to the alternator show amperage. And the big yellow wire going into the firewall block has juice. I checked the fuses and no juice there at all.

I'm lost when it comes to electrical stuff, so I would really appreciate someone telling me what I did wrong. Thanks in advance!

[Stolen76]

You're off to the right start, just need to go a bit further. Where the wire comes through the firewall is where you need to check. With it being "quick" contact, you have most likely burned up an already weak connection. If you follow the wire from where you last have power and check the connection all the way through, you are bound to find it.

Don't be surpised if you find that you lose power at the ignition switch, or at a connector. Those contacts burn easily on older vehicles.

[Bob Barry]

You may have melted the "big splice" in the under-dash wiring harness. This is a duct-tape wrapped splice of about five 12ga wires that hook into the red wire that comes off the alternator. Since this also feeds the fuse-box, that would explain the dead everything.

Another possibility, if you grounded the wire when the engine wasn't running, is that you blew the fusible link in the YELLOW wire feeding that ammeter. That hooks into the system at the starter relay. Check that for continuity.

[Ralph]

Thanks, guys. I read your posts last night and then decided I was going to sleep on it.

I'll let you know what happens. This is a project I didn't need to be doing today... Well, then again, maybe I did!