Grounded out main wire to alternator to a 1998 toyota camry

Asked by Arlene Feb 20, 2017 at 10:25 AM about the 1998 Toyota Camry LE

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I changed alternator on 98 camry 4 cyl, but I did not
disconnect battery first and hot cable on alternator
made contact with car and sparked. Now I'm
having exterior and interior  electrical problems  
that won't work. Not working are the brake, tail &
reverse lights,  dashbord gages,  turn signals to
indicate turn, and no power from alternator to
battery.  Need some help or advice  with what I
should do/try .thanks

8 Answers

21,970

Check the Alternative. Fuse under hood. I believe this one is a bolt in Fuse. You may need a 12 volt test light or a DC voltmeter to check it. Get back with results.

2 people found this helpful.
45,195

You did the work yourself? whatever, it sounds like you need a real mechanic now- messing with electronics on these 21st Century cars is risky business-

21,970

OK....let's get back to the diagnosis. What are you using for testing? Voltmeter....Test Light....other? If you have no power between the ALT and the Battery through that fat wire that shorted to ground...then...I suspect the FUSEABLE LINK coming off the battery is blown. Can you take a photo of the Battery Connections and post said photo?

1 people found this helpful.

Using a DC volt meter. And if you can give me a few minutes to go take the photo and I'll send it. Oh and I want to say Thank you for your help/suggestions!!!!

21,970

OK....Check the under hood fuse box. Do you see anything that looks like this(Fusible Link)?

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Camry

Looking for a Used Camry in your area?

CarGurus has 985 nationwide Camry listings starting at $2,212.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Reelin68
    Reputation
    34,710
  • #2
    Tony Ciccotelli
    Reputation
    19,740
  • #3
    Tony Ciccotelli
    Reputation
    5,710
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Honda Accord
40 Great Deals out of 910 listings starting at $1,599
Used Toyota Corolla
108 Great Deals out of 2,035 listings starting at $2,795
Used Honda Civic
180 Great Deals out of 3,705 listings starting at $1,995
Used Toyota RAV4
108 Great Deals out of 2,083 listings starting at $3,888
Used Toyota Avalon
4 Great Deals out of 27 listings starting at $4,988
Used Toyota Tacoma
55 Great Deals out of 1,071 listings starting at $8,708
Used Lexus ES
15 Great Deals out of 195 listings starting at $3,888
Used Nissan Altima
22 Great Deals out of 716 listings starting at $1,400
Used Toyota 4Runner
10 Great Deals out of 304 listings starting at $9,700
Used Honda CR-V
103 Great Deals out of 3,896 listings starting at $1,795

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.