When I went to hook the alternator back up on my mustang I forgot to put the positive wire back on, and when I went to go and start up a big cloud of white smoke was coming up before I pulled the battery cable. I replaced the starter solenoid and the starter cable. What else could have went bad and make it smoke because now I am not getting any power period. No door lights or lights or sound when you turn the key.

 

I am not sure what exactly happened. If you shorted something out by not hooking up that wire, I would look at your ground cables. When I have screwed something up like this, the ground cables are usually what burns up. Check them. Are you getting voltage to the battery post on the solenoid? If so, do you get voltage to the starter post on the solenoid when you turn the key? If so, do you get voltage to the starter when you turn the key? If so, you may have torched the starter. Once the engine turns over, now you need to start checking the ignition system to see what may have fried there.

 

ya. i'm with that as well. the big positive cable going to alternator probably touched the block and you shorted it out.

first thing is check the battery, that might have died. once you have a good battery check the ground cables. do you have a voltmeter/multimeter?

 

you ran the car with the cable disconnected?? you probably fried the alternator because it goes to max load and will quickly overheat

 

We tried 3 different batteries and still got no power. Were going to see if theres power going through the battery cables and were gonna check the grounds with a light tester, we found a wire coming off of the starter solenoid that was burnt pretty bad.

 

Since you don't tell us anything about the car you are working on, is it safe to assume that it is the 76 that's in your profile? If so, that car is a late enough model that it probably has a fusible link. Do you have a factory service manual to check this out against?

 

Sorry yeah I forgot to mention its a 76 ford mustang with the 5.0, my buddies dad said it probably has a fusible link too

 

+1 on the fusible link, not being certain about a 76, but fusible links are usually near the battery and/or starter solenoid, probably the solenoid.

It will likely be in the end of the biggest wire on the solenoid other than the battery cable.

 

You might want to change the Voltage Regulator, give that atry