Fried Electric System

I was taking out my subs of my 2005 Tacoma and was removing the power wire that ran to the sub in the backseat. Stupid me, I forgot to disconnect the power wire from the battery first. While pulling the power wire out through the door jam and through the floorboards/dashboard, it was a live wire and touched everything on the way out of the truck. When I went to start up my truck, nothing. Now all the lights have gone haywire and when I step on the brakes, the gauge lights all flash on and off. When I turn on the flashers they struggle to work and a noise comes from the fuse box. I checked the fuses and disconnected the battery hoping this would reset something, but no luck.

What could have happened by pulling this live power wire out? What would have got fried by touching this live wire to the frame of the truck? Any suggestions?

 

Where exactly that wire was connected? to battery itself? Directly to positive ?

EDIT: Which fuse box is making noise? One in Engine bay or one under the dash? To answer the question anything could have burned down that got touched by wire.
But if fuses check out next most likely victim is one of the relays (hence your noise in fuse box) relays usually are powered by small voltage, so touching them with 12 V full amp would definitely fried them.

 

The wire was connected directly to the battery. The fuse box that the noise is coming from is the one inside the truck in the dashboard. Is there anyway to visually check a relay to see if it is fried or can I check with a voltmeter?

 

I checked the ignition fuses when I thought that the truck just wouldn't start. Then I realized the problem was bigger than a fuse (I think) due to the blinking dash lights and won't start. But I think I will go back and check all the fuses just to be safe. What else besides fuses and relays do you think could have happened? I don't know squat about vehicle wiring.

 

Ya you can check them with a voltmeter but test across the coil on ohms to see if the coil is still good then you need to find some 12 volts. Power them up and check across the contacts. See if it's zero ohms.

Actually where did the negative wire for that amp run? Cause if you shorted it out the negative run will be where the fault lies.

Anyway pin 85 of the relay is negative pin 86 is positive when you power it up. Pin 30 and 87 is the contacts. When it's powered up it should be zero ohms across the contacts.

Should have a measurable resistance across the coil.

Chances are you goofed the battery right up. I can't really see how a short on a directly connected wire would screw up the wiring on the truck. Fuses relays or otherwise.

 

x2
OP: You can try smelling them... to see if they smell as burned. I dont remember how many relays are there but I think its more then one. Your most likely culprit is main power one. So if AC is the same try swapping it.
Still use voltemeter on all fuses because one could be partially burned and it is just reducing voltage.

 

Ya really you have to pull fuses out to test them right. Arcing could have goofed up wires near that run.

Did you learn your lesson? Don't work on live shit. You had like a 1000 amps available on that run on a short if there was not a fuse.

 

I definately learned a lesson. It takes something stupid like this to really make yourself stop and think. I know better, but just wasn't thinking. Now it will hit me in the pocketbook and I will remember forever. Hoepfully this is something not too copmlex and won't need a trip to a repair shop b/c that is never cheap!

 

That really sucks.. Just be glad that you didn't acidentally grab the live wire bare handed.. That work give u a pretty bad shock I'm sure

 

You should always run a fuse between the battery and the amp or powerd sub.

 

The wire had a fuse between the battery and the sub. That is why I am so surprised that everything else is fried. Maybe the fuse was too large to get tripped. I am not at home but Ill have to check that tonight. If the fuse would have done its job correctly, none of this would have happened.

 

Under the hood are big fuses, 90 amp sized ones, make sure you check them too.

 

Hope you didn't cause a huge voltage spike that could have fried your computer or something.

 

Would there by any way to tell if the computer was fried either by the way the truck is acting or by visible inspection?

 

Is the truck still drivable? You might have to bite the bullet and take it to the dealer and have it diagnosed.

 

No, I can't get it to start. When I try to start the truck by turning the key, its like it loses all power, the dash guages go out. Then as soon as I turn the key back to the ACC key position, the lights come back on. Meanwhile, the battery has a full charge. Its like the truck is possessed.

 

It's just possible you have a bad connection in either your positive battery cable (at either end) or your ground cable (at either end). This would still look like a good battery and would read 12 volts but as soon as you put a load on it it would bog down everything. Hence the dash lights going out when you put a load on the battery via the brake light switch. Same for bogging down the starter.

 

X2^ Personally I can't see how it would have screwed anything up. The short would have been between the wire he pulled out and the grounded truck. It should not of effected anything. The only way it could have is if he pulled a bunch of wires out and that one live shorted to other wires and not to frame.