I think my car is dead. I am installing a 98+ front end on my car, my friend asked if he could help. I told him to disconnect the battery and screw in one of thelower headlight brakets with a self tapping screw. I went in for some drinks, when I came out he started drilling and FAP FAP FAP, the car burst into sparks! He forgot to disconnect the battery and drilled into the main wire set that is low in front of the battery and leads to the fuse box. Half the wire are melted and the screw was melted also. This is the main set that leads to the red power connector then snakes in front of the battery around the other side to the fuse box. What am I looking at? Is the PCM fried? Will I have to replace the entire wire harness? How much is it gonna cost me. I am still in shock that a simple bumper swap just cost me my car.

 

I would try to solder the wires first but if that does not work I would buy a new harness.

 

I doubt you fried the pcm.

Probably blew all the fuses though.

Like IDOXLR8 said, get a new wiring harness and swap the fuses.

 

Would that be all the likely damage? What about fuses, should I change all of them, or did the screw just act like a welder and fry only the wires. That would be great, only cost me a few buck and some chopped up knuckles.

 

Thanks Grip. Here I am ready to get my new front end on, and POW, something unexpected happens as always. Murphey's law.

 

Many of those wires in that area come from the red + terminal on the RH shock tower. They would likely be those that have the fusible links on them. You are going to have to expose the harness in that area and find all the damage. Splice out the damage with the same gauge or larger wire using solder and protect the joints with heat shrink tubing (of which must slide on the wire first). Test the continuity of any of the damaged wires back to the red + terminal to be sure the fusible link is not fried. You will have to replace the fusible link portion, if it is. Never have had to replace one, but you can probably get them at NAPA or the dealer.

Look at it this way, if you had disconnected the battery, you still would have had some damage when the battery was reconnected.

 

sound like my luck.

 

So I just need to splice the wires to get rid of the damaged section and protect the solder good. I will replace the fuses as well. What is the fusable link you are talking about? Is it the area where all the wires merge to connect to the terminal? The wire harness itself is a enourmous pain in the rear to install, it runs through the firewall under the dash and many other spots. If I could avoid replacing the whole thing any more advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

These are the fusible links. The gray part is meant to act like a fuse and melt or burn up.

 

guess thats what you get for putting that ugly *** front-end on your car...maybe its trying to tell you somethin

 

 

LOL of the day

 

Sorry, I had to lol, too.

You ruthless people, you!