Sparks when starting

[CowBoyDave]

I go to start my truck and sparks fly on one of the terminals. Truck wont turn over. Everything blacks out when I try and start and then sparks come. Did I connect the battery incorrectly? Something wrong with the terminal? Need help ASAP!!!

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Double check your connections where the sparks are happening. It sounds like a loose connection. Also make sure positive connection is correct. The positive cable is the one that goes to the starter edit from the solenoid.

 

[CowBoyDave]

Stupid question, is the positive the one that is on the right or left when facing the truck? Does the positive have three cords or one?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

It depends on your battery. I may have gave wrong info. IIRC From the positive battery terminal the cable goes to the solenoid on the passenger fender. From the opposite side of the solenoid one thick cable goes to the starter. Normally the negative has one thick cable go to an engine ground, there may be another thin cable going to the body behind/ around the passenger headlight.

 

[CowBoyDave]

Okay, I think I have it on wrong. I have the negative side of the battery pointing to the drivers fender. Positive is pointing to passenger fender. Ill switch those over. Thanks for the help.

 

[Spott]

Don't just go swapping battery cables around, or you're likely to fry things.

First, clean your battery until you find both the + and - marks molded into the battery case, and you're sure which is which. The red cable goes to the + terminal. If you don't have a red cable, the cable that goes to the starter solenoid goes to the + terminal. The other cable (should be black) goes to the - terminal.

It sounds like your battery cable(s) may be frayed. Inspect them closely, and replace them if they're damaged.

Make sure the terminals are clean and the clamps are tight.

If you find that the cables are already hooked up backwards, then damage may already have occurred. Correct the problem, check your fuses, cross your fingers, and see if it runs.

 

[CowBoyDave]

Okay, so I went out the truck this morning to look at it. Luckily, I had the positive terminal on the correct side. The positive was running the the little black box thing the the passengers fender. But I guess ill explain how this all came about. So last night I installed a new head light. But it on checked if it worked, lights turned on including headlights. Put the key in the ignition, everything peeps, dash lights turn on the kit and caboodle. Put in the clutch, go to start the truck, sparks on positive terminal and everything blacks out in the cab and outside of the truck. Tried to reverse batter once but by the time I actually got one of the terminals on I knew it was wrong because it was sparking. So I flipped it again, went to start the truck, same thing. Sparks and blacks out. Any idea what is going on? Bad terminal? Short in the lighting wire? Thanks for the help.

 

[CowBoyDave]

How do you also tell if the battery terminal is damaged? Everything worked on the truck until I added the new head light.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Can you post a pic of where the sparks are happening?
It sounds like something isn't tight enough. Sparks happen when electricity needs to jump a gap. Can also happen if there is too much current for the wire and it heats up red hot and melts.
The sparks and it blacks out indicates to me that you have a battery cable terminal at the battery post not connected tight enough or the ground at the engine somehow loosened. Really check all the wires in the vicinity of the light you replaced.

 

[CowBoyDave]

All right, ill look into those. I now the + is on tight same with the -. But ill look down on the ground wire. Thanks