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1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks 1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

Shorted out big time

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Old Mar 17, 2017 | 02:39 PM
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James Wiggin
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Shorted out big time

Well I was driving along today and my truck just shut off. No power to anything what-so-ever. Popped the hood, battery was smoking. Turns out the Positive cable from the starter solenoid had shorted against the exhaust. Apparently this wire had been in bad shape for some time. Tried to remove the cable from the solenoid and it was so corroded it broke the stud off. Question is, what should I check? I fear it fried the computer.
 
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Old Mar 17, 2017 | 02:49 PM
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If it were me, I'd...

1. Smell around and look for burns as you try to detect other things that fried.
2. Pull fuses for anything expensive to repair or replace.
3. Put the power circuit back together and see what happens.
4. Replace the fuses one at a time and test the relevant items.

If you're worried about the computer you can unplug it first. But you won't know if it's damaged until you run with it. Odds are that the battery-starter-solenoid-ground circuit contained most of the damaging juice and everything else is probably ok.
 
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Old Mar 17, 2017 | 04:29 PM
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Well did a trick with the solenoid stud using a 8mm rod coupler and new 8mm bolt to fix it. replaced the 4gauge wire from solenoid that melted and she fired right up. $12 and 10 minutes.
 
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Old Mar 17, 2017 | 08:43 PM
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Go buy a lottery ticket. It's your lucky day.
 
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Old Mar 18, 2017 | 08:05 AM
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It would be strange to fry anything else from that scenario other than the things in direct contact with the hot wire from the battery.
 
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Old Mar 18, 2017 | 01:34 PM
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Originally Posted by James Wiggin
Popped the hood, battery was smoking. Turns out the Positive cable from the starter solenoid had shorted against the exhaust.
Wow, luck was sure on your side since the battery didn't explode. Been there, done that, it wasn't pretty.
 
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Old Mar 18, 2017 | 03:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Glenn54
It's your lucky day.
It sure was.
 
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