Still cant get my maverick running post battery incident (hooked up battery cables backwards) After the incdent I replaced the alternator with a tuff stuff 70 amp 1 wire due to the fact that the regulator harness and wiring was so badly damaged (I was looking at this swap anyway). The car is still dead in the water (turn key and nothing no clicking or turnover just deadness). I ran through what I installed with a test light and revealed the following: 1) Getting power from the battery to new solednoid (old one damaged) 2) Getting power from solenoid to new alternator 3) getting power from solenoid to the starter (original not replaced) Am I missing something here? I have not swapped the fuses under the dash, but have inspected them and they look ok should I replace them anyway or would it make a difference with the starting issue anyway? Should I have the starter tested even though it is getting power? Is there an ignition problem I could be missing here?
there is a fuesable link in the wire that comes off the starter soliniod that goes to a yellow wire then into that harness that goes foward to the radiator support. that link probly blew when you put the bat in backwards. repair that link or bypass it and you should have power to the rest of the car.
check ground from engine to battery. if power is to starter and starter is gronded, yes pull it and have it checked. Engine should turn over.
Check that the block is grounded. I once had the same problem you had. Everything hooked up, noid was clicking, but the starter wouldn't crank. Realized I forgot to put the grounding strap back on the block when I reinstalled the engine and that was the issue. Grabbed a spare battery cable and ran it from the block to the frame rail....boom, started right up. Of course this was after extensive confusion and swapping noids twice. It always turns out to be the easy solution you missed.
