# Sparks
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935
**Category:** PittSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [July 31, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935 "2006-07-31T18:01:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/1 "2006-07-31T18:01:30Z")
I’m getting sparks when I hook up the battery, like something is shorted. I checked my grounds and connections at the + and - blocks and everything looks okay. Any ideas?
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### Author:  [@Quik](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Quik)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/2 "2006-07-31T18:03:08Z")
if theres a slight load already youll get some sparks but nothing major and you should hook up pos first then connect the neg. if you get sparks with neg off the battery then you have a complete circuit already and somehting isnt right
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### Author:  [@Pewter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Pewter)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/3 "2006-07-31T18:18:01Z")
> [@Quik](#):
>
> if theres a slight load already youll get some sparks but nothing major and you should hook up pos first then connect the neg. if you get sparks with neg off the battery then you have a complete circuit already and somehting isnt right
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### Author:  [@Pewter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Pewter)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/4 "2006-07-31T18:18:18Z")
do u have the key on?
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### Author:  [@The1SloR\_T](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/The1SloR_T)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/5 "2006-07-31T18:21:55Z")
> [@pewterss](#):
>
> do u have the key on?
:doh:
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/6 "2006-07-31T18:59:18Z")
Key is off.
It actually welded the terminal a little.
Talked to Quik. Unhooked computer (hopefully not too late)! Checked starter - both wires are correct. Less than half volt from + battery terminal to ground. Followed grounds in shop manual
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### Author:  [@Quik](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Quik)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/7 "2006-07-31T19:04:19Z")
try it again with computer not in place. and do neg terminal last. if you have to go one lead at a time. like starter only then neg lead. then alt wire and neg wire. for you to get arching like you do somethings direct unless you had a slight load on it at the time.
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/8 "2006-07-31T19:06:57Z")
Computer is out. Connected pos. Tried neg and it starts to weld.
Might have to disconnect all electrical and go one at a time like you said.
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/9 "2006-07-31T21:29:07Z")
Disconnected starter, coil, & alternator. Still doing it.
I’ve had enough for tonight. Maybe things will be clearer in the morning.😕
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 6:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/10 "2006-08-01T06:45:00Z")
Son of a bitch. It was the _$&_@^$ power cable for the #\*%&@%$ stereo. I bet I pinched or screwed into the cable when I was replcing the trim panels doing the wiring under the dash.
One question - I connected the battery and the headlights came on (but stayed down). Is that because the computer is unhooked? Want to make sure before I reconnect my hopefully-not-fried PCM.
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### Author:  [@Pewter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Pewter)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 7:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/11 "2006-08-01T07:21:54Z")
> [@Jeff95TA](#):
>
> Son of a bitch. It was the _$&_@^$ power cable for the #\*%&@%$ stereo. I bet I pinched or screwed into the cable when I was replcing the trim panels doing the wiring under the dash.
>
> One question - I connected the battery and the headlights came on (but stayed down). Is that because the computer is unhooked? Want to make sure before I reconnect my hopefully-not-fried PCM.
that shouldnt happin
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### Author:  [@F-B-A](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/F-B-A)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/12 "2006-08-01T07:32:40Z")
im pretty sure everything is going to be okay, just find the wire that is the source of your troubles and remove it/replace it, if it was a direct lead to the battery then you should be good, and the only question i have to ask is why was the fuse not popping?, was it the main power supply to the amp, or a smaller 16 ga. wire to the radio?
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/13 "2006-08-01T07:45:38Z")
I take it back, it’s not the stereo line. Same problem when everything else got hooked back up. And with the lights coming on they must be getting constant power. Just can’t figure out where from!
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### Author:  [@F-B-A](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/F-B-A)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/14 "2006-08-01T07:59:15Z")
does the car have ANYthing aftermarket, like alarm/remotestart/video/turbotimer/neons, anything?
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 8:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/15 "2006-08-01T08:22:08Z")
> [@first-bass](#):
>
> does the car have ANYthing aftermarket, like alarm/remotestart/video/turbotimer/neons, anything?
Alarm & stereo. And you can control the headlights with the remote.
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### Author:  [@F-B-A](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/F-B-A)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 8:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/16 "2006-08-01T08:29:06Z")
try connecting varies fuses to ur multi meter.
like this.
leave fuses in place, on the top of each there is a little test tab, touch the test tab with one of your probs of the multi meter, touch the other probe to a good ground, set the meter to continuity, if you get a reading or a chime, then that line is in contact with ground,
they will probably all read a ceertain resistance, dont worry about that, you want the one that makes the meter make noise, or i belive reads ZERO
id check the alarm stuff 1st somtimes they wana set off the siren after power is connected back to the bat. maybe just pull the fuses to the alaram, or disconect the brain itself, it’ll hold memory of the previos settins
im still curious why you are not blowing a fuse though…
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 8:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/17 "2006-08-01T08:36:20Z")
Disconnected the alarm and the lights don’t come on anymore, but when I hook the rest back up, still have sparking.
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 10:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/18 "2006-08-01T10:47:04Z")
The ONLY thing connected to the positive on the battery is the alternator. If I touch the negative lead to the battery I get sparks. Am I right the only possible problem is the alternator? I took it to Advance and it tested fine. Could it test fine if it had a short in it?
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### Author:  [@Jeff95TA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeff95TA)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 12:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/19 "2006-08-01T12:19:48Z")
Holy shit I think it’s fixed! At least it isn’t sparking anymore. Took the battery to Advance to get checked, he hooked it up, the tester said the cable were reversed, but they weren’t. He flipped them and told me the polarity of the battery was reversed. :wtf:
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### Author:  [@Pewter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Pewter)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2006, 12:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sparks/183935/20 "2006-08-01T12:23:33Z")
:wtf: do buyt chance u have the ground to the block hooked to ur starter?
u got to learn to labul stuff!🤣
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