Help Smoking cables

[autochefc]

Ok all you elctronic guineses:

Problem: negitive cable melted when I tryed to start truck

Assumption : something not grounded or a crossed wire

Questions

1: can a crossed wire on a cd player cause a neg battery cable to smoke and burn?

2: once a crossed wire has been fixed if I try to restart the truck with the melted neg cable will it still ground properly?

3: will an electric problem of this calliber ruin a battery?

Thanks to all to help

[projectnitemare]

Does it only do it when you tried to start the truck? If so that would have nothing to do with the CD player. If you have a crossed wire I would get that fixed. A crossed wire on a CD player would blow a fuse somewhere first, or if you didn't use a fuse then the wire would have melted a long time ago. You need some high current to melt a 4ga. battery cable. I would say you need to check the starter and your grounding to the engine and chassis. Make sure the engine isn't locked up. I had a bad FPR once and it allowed fuel to hydrolock a cyinder so the engine wouldn't turn and I melted a positive cable. Yes this situation can harm the battery if you don't fix it.

Matt

[rebocardo]

> 1: can a crossed wire on a cd player cause a neg battery cable to smoke and burn?

No, the smaller stereo wire would go first unless you are running 0/2 cables or something.

> 2: once a crossed wire has been fixed if I try to restart the truck with the melted neg cable will it still ground properly?

Yes as long as the cable ends are not melted. If the metal itself melted (I assume you mean the plastic covering) then it probably will not.

> 3: will an electric problem of this calliber ruin a battery?

Yes, along with the alt. and fusible links.

What you should do is check all the big positive cables coming off the starter solenoid. It sounds like one of them is grounded to the vehicle. It is possible it fell off the starter and is touching the frame. Especially if the starter fell off the vehicle.

The other thing to check is a bad starter.

[autochefc]

yes it only happens when I start the truck I pulled old negitive cabel and I an giong to check the alternater and starter.
Now I just replaced the starter with a junck yard starter and have ran it for about 4 mounths now could it be somthing besides the alternater and starter?

"Make sure the engine isn't locked up. I had a bad FPR once and it allowed fuel to hydrolock a cyinder so the engine wouldn't turn and I melted a positive cable. Yes this situation can harm the battery if you don't fix it. "

how do you check for something like this? and how do you fix it?

[projectnitemare]

Pull all the spark plugs...if it is hydrolocked it will be obvious. Fuel will be coming out of a few cylinders. If nothing comes out; still spin the engine over by hand to be sure it isn't locked up from something else. If all is well put the plugs and wires back on (in order of course). If you have fuel in there then you will need to replace the FPR. Its on the fuel rail and pretty straight forward to change. If nothing still check the alternator and starter. Check the wire going to the starter as well.

Matt

[DirtStripHero]

I had this exact same problem on my 460. Only I melted the positive cables too. However, my truck started and then melted the cables. I bought a new started, solenoid, and coil. Now it starts right up and purrs. I was able to get the starter and solenoid brand new from O'Reilly for under $50.

[autochefc]

Thanks to all your help it was the starter. I replaced both battery cables and starter and atarter solenoid . starts like a champ "God bless Ford Trucks"