I think I out did it all (stupidity wise)

[Lost81c10]

In a rush to try to get my truck started after putting it back together this weekend, I was connecting my battery as the last thing just before starting it. Hooked up the negative and I went to hook up the positive and it sparked, well tried it several more times until suddenly a puff of smoking came from this area of the pic, don’t know what it is. I was scared thinking I might have fried things up.
But here is the stupid part, after 20 minutes of checking and rechecking my grounds I realized I had plugged the negative cable to the positive and was trying to plug the positive to the negative…
After correcting this with no more spark issues, it started.
Do you all think I might have damaged anything especially where the smoke came from and what is it by the way?
Don’t know if this might be related but my one electrical issue is with the passenger turn signal, the light bulb kept going out when I put it back in the lens. Replaced the bulb but it got burnt when I turned the light on. Thanks for everything you can let me know and hopefully I can be put at ease.

[superwade57]

I did this once when I used a cable I had laying around... ie I had two black cables...my helper hooked them up backwards. And poof I let the magic smoke out. As I recall I burned up a fusible link.

[Sillyoldman]

I'd be looking for wires with melted insulation grounding out.

[Lost81c10]

update.
i messed with it a bit this evening and the light bulb is staying on however when i put the turn signal on the passanger side, the front side marker, rear turn signal and parking light just stay on, they dont want to blink. what gives?

Mando

[Corts60]

Originally Posted by Lost81c10

update.
i messed with it a bit this evening and the light bulb is staying on however when i put the turn signal on the passanger side, the front side marker, rear turn signal and parking light just stay on, they dont want to blink. what gives?

Mando

I think it is time to have someone come over and help with that electrical stuff.
You obviously have some grounding issues if your lights are doing that. And the first time something sparks, that is the signal something is wrong. Don't try it again and again without having found and corrected the issue. The trick with wiring is to not let the smoke out!

[Just call me Sean]

You have the junction block circled, where most of the fusible links are.

[bnoon]

The smoke is the angel of your truck, died and gone to heaven. RIP

[Lost81c10]

Originally Posted by bnoon

The smoke is the angel of your truck, died and gone to heaven. RIP

please explain.....What all do you mean? as in you think its no good? the truck is runnining and everything works with the eexception of the right side blinker not wanting to blink.

No just to clarify, the smoke was a small puff and as soon as a saw the park i took the cable off of the batery terminal, "quickly i'll add"

thanks.
Mando

[piecesparts]

Fusible link for sure.

[asphaltburner]

Lack of "blink" with turn signals is usually due to a malfunctioning flasher unit. Try replacing that first. But the smoke probably originated from a wire that had a fusible portion to it and it protected your other wiring by burning out. You may need to rewire in a new fusible wire.
Todd.

[motornut]

check the light ground on the passenger fender,it burns up if other big grounds get bad.
mine was cut out and replaced,it looked ok but wasn't properly connected

[Lost81c10]

thanks to all for you valuable inputs.

glad to report back on one finding:

replaced the flasher unit, $11 and my turn signals worked again. boy was i excited about it.

now on the smoke i still have to run down the fusible link issue after the smoke.

i have been searching and reading about fusible links as i know nothing about them. until today i had no idea of them so i am still trying to find out about where they are on my truck and how to test if they are bad.
my positive cable that goes to the battery does not have any other cable coming from it only the red. shoould it have one there?
by the way its an 85.

Mando

[asphaltburner]

If everything works correctly, forget the fusible wire, it must not have burnt!
The fusible wires are part of the original wiring,...contained within important electrical supply wires in your truck. They commonly have a portion of the wire that is of larger diameter than the rest of the wire (that's the fuse portion) and you would need a wiring diagram of your vehicle to discern where the fusible wires are at. They are not separate wires coming from your battery.
Do check all wires in the region of the smoke carefully to make sure none have severely damaged their insulation. But if it's all working, thank your lucky stars, the truck is good!
Congrats on it only being the flasher unit! It sure sounds like that is the case.
Todd.

[Just call me Sean]

Positive cable goes to the starter, probably have several fusible links there too but not on the main positive cable. Starter connection feeds the junction block, which has more fusibile links.

[Hubscrub]

last time i did that on my monte carlo, only fault was i burned the alternator up, but i had it hooked up for several minutes only found out when the power windows worked backwards

[hatzie]

In 1981 there's a fusible link at the junction block you circled and two at the starter. There's also a fuse in the camper wiring at that J block if you have that option. The link is not burnt out or the truck wouldn't have many or any volts in the cab but it probably took a hit.

The 1981 wiring diagrams are in the back of the service manual. You can download a copy from the link in my signature. The engine compartment wiring details with the fusible links are on PDF page 1065 (manual page 8C-58).
The metric wire gauge for the fusible link and the wire it protects are in the diagram. You'll see 3 RED-2G(SXL) and other similar seemingly cryptic notes inline with each wire. Translation (3 RED-2G(SXL)) means 3mm² wire cross sectional area, RED jacket, circuit 2, Subcircuit G, (SXL) "S" cross-link polyethylene wire jacket.
mm² to AWG translation table---->http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/aw...uge-d_731.html


The OEM fusible links have an injection molded plastic cover over the splice between the fuse wire and the harness wire. Check that the wire insulation on the fusible section is still flexible and not flaking off.
Check the nut on the j-block is snug too.


That being said. I believe the turnsignals are probably a bad ground. Look on the radiator support for a stack of black wires with ring terminals and examine them closely. Detail is on PDF page 1063 (manual page 8C-56).
Check the front side marker and turnsignal bulbs and sockets to be sure all of them are OK too.