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    Battery hooked backwards, what now?! ;(

    Hello all, so here's the low down. I just pulled my engine out or my 1989 MGM, regasket EVERYTHING, did a 86 GT cam (advanced 4°), touched up E7 heads, explorer intake, Lightning throttle body/spacer, and the 90ark VII ECU. I got the engine in last night, EVERYTHING hooked up. I get excited for first start(mind you I was a idiot and been up past 24+ hours to get this done), I slap the battery in, and my dumba** made thee biggest rooky mistake and hooked my battery up backwards. All fuses under the dash are fine, interior lights, fuel pump, dash lights, radio all work. key cycles and can here everything work. Ingo to crank and no click. I'm sure I blew a fuseable link, my question is where should I start to check? Any main ones to check first? ECU fried now? Alternator and wiring all junk?

    I'm BEGGING for some help, pleeeease?! I thank all responses, don't be afraid to call me a dumba** or anything else you please, I more then deserve it.

    #2
    Hey it happens- the first thing I’d try is to bypass the key to see if you can make it turn over- hook the battery up and use a screwdriver (or anything metal) to contact the signal prong (the little stud on the starter solenoid) and the hot side of the solenoid (the one facing the front of the car). If nothing happens the solenoid is fried... but I suspect it will turn the engine over.

    If it turns the engine over, turn the key to the “run” position and do it again, if the car starts then... I need to check a wiring diagram lol. Let’s go from there

    Edit: before doing any of this check the battery voltage, just to make sure it’s OK
    -Phil

    sigpic

    +1982 Ford LTD-S Police Car. Built 351w, Trickflow 11R 190 Heads, Holley Sniper EFI, RPM Intake+ Hyperspark dizzy, WR-AOD, Full exhaust headers to tails. 3.27 Trac-Lok Rear. Aluminum Police Driveshaft. Speedway Springs+Bilstein Shocks, Intermediate Brakes, HPP Steering Box.

    +2003 Acura CL Type S 6-speed

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      #3
      Battery is tested good. I got it to turn over by jumping small stud to stud closest to front of car. I turned the key on, I hear fuel pump running, tried it again and it turns over but no start.

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        #4
        Well so far so good.. my EVTM is from 1982, so someone with a newer one will have to chime in. Until then I’d check for spark, maybe the ignition module got fried. Take a plug out and ground it, or take the coil wire off and put it near the block and see if it sparks
        -Phil

        sigpic

        +1982 Ford LTD-S Police Car. Built 351w, Trickflow 11R 190 Heads, Holley Sniper EFI, RPM Intake+ Hyperspark dizzy, WR-AOD, Full exhaust headers to tails. 3.27 Trac-Lok Rear. Aluminum Police Driveshaft. Speedway Springs+Bilstein Shocks, Intermediate Brakes, HPP Steering Box.

        +2003 Acura CL Type S 6-speed

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          #5
          That's a relief something is good haha, thank you so much for the help sofar! I truly appreciate you for real! I'm glad my starter and most isn't fried. I do have spark, pulled #1 wire and put a old plug in and it's seems to be a nice strong spark when cranking over from solenoid with key on.

          Comment


            #6
            You most likely fried your ECM if the fuel pump is continuously running with the key set to on. As for your ignition not operating the solenoid, it could be a bad fusible link cause from the battery being hooked up incorrectly. Could also be a faulty ignition switch which is common on these. There's also the possibility that the wiring is not complete from the neutral safety switch to the starter solenoid. You will have to do some digging to determine whether or not you are getting power from the ignition switch out to the neutral safety switch and ultimately the starter solenoid.

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              #7
              It doesn't continuously run, it just primes every time I turn the key to the on position just so it's ready to start. Sofar I have spark, I know it has fuel(I can smell it and pump cycles). The ignition switch worked fine before, not to say the battery hooked wrong didn't fry that as well. Do you or anyone else have a wiring diagram to point me in the direction of which wires or fuseable links to check? Mind you this car was running less than 4 days ago before I pulled the engine to do the HO swap.

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                #8
                Fusible links are on the starter solenoid. There are a few blue ones on the driver's side. However I'd almost put money on that the connection for the neutral safety switch isn't making good contact. The fact that it's not starting even with jumping the solenoid tells me that you might have the ignition timing off. What year is your car? I have an 86 evtm somewhere.

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                  #9
                  UPDATE: So I verified it was at cylinder #1 on compression stroke and it was. Turned key on, jumped solenoid, and played with timing while cranking it. I GOT IT TO START, RUNS GREAT TOO!! Now it just will not start from key but will when I jump small middle stud to front most post as mentioned by Brown_Muscle. My car is a 1989 MGM.

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                    #10
                    ECM is good then. Now you just need to find out what's missing from the start switch on the ignition to the starter solenoid. Wire not connected or accidentally cut or bad ignition switch (these are known to go bad after 10-20 years).

                    Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                    rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                    Originally posted by gadget73
                    ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                    Originally posted by dmccaig
                    Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

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                      #11
                      Awesome!
                      -Phil

                      sigpic

                      +1982 Ford LTD-S Police Car. Built 351w, Trickflow 11R 190 Heads, Holley Sniper EFI, RPM Intake+ Hyperspark dizzy, WR-AOD, Full exhaust headers to tails. 3.27 Trac-Lok Rear. Aluminum Police Driveshaft. Speedway Springs+Bilstein Shocks, Intermediate Brakes, HPP Steering Box.

                      +2003 Acura CL Type S 6-speed

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                        #12
                        Is there a pinned link on here where it shows the wiring diagram for a 89 MGM? I know the alternator wiring got HOT, but don't see any burnt wires. If anyone knows off hand if one of them are connected to the ignition circuit?

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                          #13
                          The wire that goes to the small peg on the starter solenoid. Trace check if 12V is getting to that connector when switching to start (creative means of using multimeter with alligator clips or a friend to "start the car" while you measure that connector to ground). If low or no voltage, follow that wire until you find a fuse link (don't think there's one in that line) or check the ignition switch to see if it's falling apart. Common issue that switch. The no start is an indicator that the forward end of the switch has come apart and the contacts are no longer close enough together to make contact.

                          Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                          rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                          Originally posted by gadget73
                          ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                          Originally posted by dmccaig
                          Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            you need an EVTM, the Electrical Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual. That has the wiring diagrams for all of the systems, connector locations, and how to test it all. The start circuit isn't real complex. Power to the key, output from the start circuit on the key to the neutral switch, from the neutral switch to the relay. Crusty connector on the switch, on the harness to the trans, a bad ignition switch, or wiring anywhere between those points is possible. Since it cranks when you jump the relay, we can rule out the relay and the starter.
                            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                            Originally posted by phayzer5
                            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

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                              #15
                              I always forget about the NSS on the trans.

                              Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                              rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                              Originally posted by gadget73
                              ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                              Originally posted by dmccaig
                              Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                              Comment

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