Replacing positive battery cable with firewall diagram

Asked by Ford_owner52 Oct 09, 2023 at 05:21 PM about the 1989 Ford F-150 S Standard Cab LB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Someone tried to replace the positive battery cable on a 1989 F150 4.9 6
cylinder EFI. When you try to connect the negative cable sparks fly

4 Answers

307,255

Shorted starter? Stuck starter solenoid. Main power and grounds wired wrong? This system is fairly straight forward, positive battery cable to starter solenoid negative battery cable to engine block, other side of starter solenoid large post wire goes down to the starter. Simple wiring diagrams on Google.

Thank you for the reply. My grandson is trying to get his pop’s truck going- it ran 3 months ago The battery was dead so we bought a new battery. When taking the cables loose the positive broke. He replaced it without taking a photo. The picture shows how he put it back on the firewall. Are the connections in the correct order? He tightened everything down and put the positive cable on the battery and tightened it. When he tries to put the negative on sparks fly when it comes in contact with the negative post on the battery. (The negative cable was replaced a year ago and was untouched). Do you think it’s still a starter/solenoid issue?

307,255

Yes. Disconnect the starters positive feed wire(large one)and then try putting on the battery cable, if it still violently sparks then there is a short in the solenoid, if it doesn't violently spark then you found the problem, replace the starter.

38,925

you should have a multi tester to see what going on you have a fire , You got sparks flying and what not .

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