Hello everyone, my mother in law 2004 Honda dx head gasket was blown, so I replaced that and also put new radiator, and other new few things like started and new coils etc. to make the car run better. I was trying to start the car to get it going after everything completed, I plugged in the negative terminal, and when I tried to plug the positive it sparked and like took a chunk off the battery connection where the terminal tighten on and the 80Amp main little fuse blown. I checked the connections, everything seemed tight. please someone help me figure it out! I made a lot of research and people who experienced this problem had positive shorting somewhere. I just need help from you all and experts to figure it out and fix this problem, as soon as the positive terminal touches it short out and blow the fuse. without even having the key in the ignition. please help me!
thank you very much.

 

Follow and examine the cables going to T1 at the under-hood fuse box and also to T2 at the starter. There probably a short to ground along those cables.





Usually, negative battery connection should be disconnected first, and re-connected last to minimize sparks.

 

I followed t1 from the fuse box to where that wire protector and also inspected the wire protector and I really didn’t see any damage. It’s covered with the black wire protector but nothing ripped or damaged and . As for t2 it looks ok! The cable that goes to the starter solenoid was kinda rusty and falling apart so I cut it off and made a new connection and then hooked it back to where it goes and tried again. The battery sparked and The fuse blew again.. should I cut that wire protector off competent and expose that white wire and check it all the way to the battery?

 

I checked it all
and they all look fine but the cable that goes to the starter solenoid was very rust and falling apart so
i cut it an made a new connector and connected it again but the battery still sparked and blew a fuse

 

Even though it may look like the cable goes from the alternator to the pos side of the battery (just like most cars) it does not. It goes from the alternator to the t101 (where the electrical load detector is located) across the 80amp fuse and then on over to the battery. I've blown that 80amp also because I had a big 3 upgrade and wasn't thinking as I connected the alternator. Just go back though everything and think about what is what. I'm sure you will see the obvious path back to ground and understand why the fuse keeps blowing. Grab a few of those when you are at the junkyard.

 

Check the alternator cable.

 

The alternator have 2 cables hooked up to it . One big clip and the other is with a nut. What do I really look for? And what to check?

 

I have bunch of the 80amp fuses. It’s hard to follow the cable cus it’s covered in that black protector and tacked all together. There are 2 white wires coming from the fuse box and I see at the end of the positive battery terminal 2 white wires too. . What you recommend should I go look st beside the alternator? And the alternator have 2 cables connect to it. How can I til if they are shorting?

 

That's your problem right there. You don't know the path. So you are hooking stuff up and replacing the ends but it's still a short when you make the final connection.

 

Ok can you help me find the path and fix this problem?

 

UPDATE: you guys saved it!! I was able to follow the wire to the alternator, the white one, found out that its touching the alternator body and causing a short, so I put thermal washers and it didn't make a short!!! so that was amazing, my new question is when the car started the belt was squeaking like crazy and like the engine revving up and down and there rpm and the dash inside the car is not moving. what might be the problem? the belts too tight? too loose?

thank you again so much