what-is-it

I have put in a new motor in my 98 ss. I cant get the car to start. Everything is hooked up, but I think somthing may be hooked up wrong. We tried to start the car today with a brand new optima battery. We clicked it to start and starter gave one click and that was all. So we tried a few more times and the same thing every time, and in the last time the key was held for a little longer than usual and the battery started smoking. Turned out it melted the negative terminal on the battery. So this tells me somthing is shorting out, probably on the starter. Does anyone have a starter wiring diagram? I used a multimeter to check for continuity between the positive and negative battery wire, and there was some continuity, so I know somthing isnt right. Any help would be awsome. Also if anyone has a diagram for the alternator connections as well that would be sweet.
Thanks

what-is-it

we pulled the starter and need to know where the positive and where the negetive goes, so if anyone knows or has a diagram please reply
Thanks

what-is-it

OK, so I was trying to figure out whare the short was, and I found nothing. All the wires are hooked up to the starter correctly, and everything is hooked up to the alternator correctly, power distribution ect..... Now what is weird is that when the starter is unbolted from the block yet still wired up I have no continuity between + and - battery leads, yet when I bolt the starter up I get a slight reading on the continuity tester. Needless to say there should be no continuity between the + and - leads. Anyone have any ideas? Also whare does the ground strap that is near the steering rack go? Is it an engine ground?
Thanks

BadLtBlu99TA

iTrader: (9)

on your starter you got your positive going from your battery to your starter , then you also go a purple wire going to your starter too . then the negitive goes from your battery to your alternator ... that should be it man .. then your got a copper wire that grounded out to the block , right around on the driver side of the block ...

what-is-it

So there is no negative that goes from the battery to the starter? Right now it is hooked up like so. Positive off of battery to starter, purple wire, and a negative off of the battery to the starter on the other big terminal. Is that not suposed to go there? Sorry if it seems like a stupid question, but it is my buddies car and it has been a year since I took it apart and really dont remember whare everything goes. Also I dont believe that the negative goes from the batt. to the alt. it should be a positive from the batt. to the alt.
Thanks

what-is-it

OK so i did a little searching and I found that the starter is only suposed to have 2 wires attached to it. And the 3rd wire i had attached to it (ground) Is an engine ground, ooooops. So the last thing I need to know is whare does the ground strap on the drivers side attach? Does it attach to the block? I read it is for the alternator, does it attach to a alt. mounting bolt?
Thanks alot

BadLtBlu99TA

iTrader: (9)

ok the starter is the positive off the batter terminal and the negitive is goin g from the battery terminal to the passenger side of the block ... thats right .. sorry i was wrong the first time