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'help' Engine electrical problem 1990 taurus

My alternator went out. The black & orange wire on top of the alternator had melted and i think that is what shorted the alternator out. After changing the alternator the car ran just fine and then Someone told me to check the fuseable link and replace it because if i didn't the alternator could go out again and it could cause a fire. While I was checking it with a test light I touch the starter relay with the tester and it arced. When I got into the car to start it, I had no power what so ever. It was like there was no battery in it. I checked all the fuses inside the car and they are good. I tried jumping the starter relay and the car turned over but wouldn't start. I figured it was because of the electric fuel pump. The fuseable links are good. I change the three that are off the starter relay. Still don't have any power. The battery is charged. Is there any other fuses that i am leaving out. What else could have happened? I hope someone can shed some light on this problem Thanks in advance, Val

Reply to
Sparky
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1) a fusible link is like a fuse. You don't have to change it unless its bad. 2) find out what's wrong before you start changing parts.

You need to start trouble shooting. Get a volt meter. Start at the battery. put both leads on the battery center posts. DO you have

12 volts? If you do, leave the negative lead on the battery and move the positive lead on down the line. Keep moving it past the fusible links until you find where you have no power. Reverse the procedure with the negative.

Now, you did do the stupid checks? Take off both battery cables and cleaned them? Take off and clean the ground lugs to the engine block?

Having a melted cable is not good. Its possible you have some internal wire harness damage. Do the other checks first. Inspect all wiring harness

for signs of melting or heat damage.

BOB

At this point, you need to find out where you have power and where you don't.

Reply to
BOB URZ

THE BATTERY CABLES ARE ALWAYS CLEAN

ANOTHER FUSEABLE LINK THAT WAS BAD. OFF THE YELLOW WIRE.

I WAS ABLE TO FIX IT.

Reply to
Sparky

FOUND ANOTHER FUSEABLE LINK THAT WAS BAD. OFF THE YELLOW WIRE.

Good for you. There has been a bunch of people with taurus electrical problems here lately (including me).

My 93 would not start yesterday. Had power, but one big click with the key start. I cleaned the battery posts, no change. Turned out the be the solenoid on the starter. It was a napa rebuilt from a few years ago. You could feel where the solenoid was a little loose in its housing. I threw on one off of my donor and the car is alive again.

I guess the morel of the story here is you can keep an old taurus going. You just have to be handy and do the work yourself to make it practical. And it helps to have the shop manuals. Even then, its sometimes hard to read the schematics when there on 5 different pages on the same book.

BOB

Reply to
BOB URZ

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