The repair started as a header gasket replacement on the passenger side.The bolts were easier to get to by removing the the starter which I did and replaced the gasket.Installed the starter and went to connnect the battery cables,the positive first and then the negative which is now throwing sparks.I looked for bare wires but all is good there.If I drop the starter and connect the cables there are no sparks but if I bolt in the starter and connect the cables sparks fly.What am I doing wrong?Would the solenoid wires being backwards cause this?Thanks for the help.
Make sure your main battery cable or the fusible link connectors to the starter aren't rotating into the header when you tighten the nut. It's hard to see up in there, if you're doing it on your back, in the semi-dark. Also follow along the header to see if the main battery cable is touching, when the starter is installed.
I had a hard time understanding what's happening here. (I guess I don't understand how removing the starter makes it easier to replace header gaskets, but that's a different story...) Where are the sparks coming from? From the negative battery cable? Because I don't recall that being connected to the starter (although I'm not sure what year car, what engine, etc.). Are you trying to connect the negative cable to the starter? Or, are the "sparks flying" from the middle of the negative cable somehow? -Bob C.
a few small sparks when connecting a battery might just mean you have some consumer on or maybe key on. disconnect both battery cables and try a ohm meter from B+ to the engine and see what you have.
Be careful playing around with the cable terminals. Drawing arcs while attaching the battery cables to the battery can cause the hydrogen released to explode. If you are experiencing a heavy arcing disconnect the negative terminal at the block and then connect the terminal to the battery. Then connect the cable back to the block. Any sparking or arcing at that point should not be enough to ignite the hydrogen at the battery. Now for the sparking, as mentioned in the other posts, a little could be just a normal system draw, such as a dome light, clock or other accessory. If it is a heavy arc the problem could be that you grounded the positive lead at the starter and are completing the short circuit trying to attach the terminal. The other possibility is that you have reversed the solenoid wires as you asked and the starter solenoid is trying to engage as you attach the cable. Try placing the starter on a block, up off the floor with all wiring connected and use a small jumper to temporarily connect it to the block. If the solenoid tries to close in you will hear the clocking noise it makes and the starter might try to spin, so just briefly touch the starter casing, but you van bolt or vise-grip the other end of the test wire to the block. If nothing happens at that point reinstall the starter being careful to make sure nothing contacts the wiring as it is put into position and when being bolted up. Then try connecting the battery lead back onto the block.
Thanks for the help everyone.Finally started it up with no problems.I think the main problem was the positive cable grounding out where it connects to the starter.Any way I took out the starter wiring,solenoid and starter and stripped off all the old tape and found a bare wire and fixed it and retaped it. I also taped the connectors good as good as I could without interfearing with contact and I reconnected the neg cable without sparks and started it up.I think the main problem though was the pos cable.You can't see anything up there once you get it in and what it's touching up there. Thanks Again
a few things that might cause a spark when reconnecting the battery. factory clock in the dash. radio memory wire on a radio that has digital tuning and/or clock. trunk/hood light if trunk is open. interior light if left on or if door is open. capacitors recharging in an aftermarket amplifier or capacitors added to a stereo power supply. radar detector. ecm. car alarm or its battery back-up.
same thing happened to me, wires on starter were touching headers, you may have to losen wires and rotate away from headers a bit more.
