NO ELECTICAL EQUIPMENT WORKING except headlights

[nik_istinov]

Car started fine i the morning then shut off in a couple seconds and white smoke came out from under the hood, passenger side. Now there is no electrical equipment working except headlights and chime. There is nothing heppens when you turn the egnition key. Battery is charged and there is no blown fuses in the box on the side of the dashboard. Any sujections on what to troubleshoot?
Car is 93 Grand Am Ge 6 cyl

[GNXdreamin]

i could be wrong, nik.....But it sounds like a fried ECU to me......let me ask you something...did you smell anything funny? like burt electronics, or something?? i'm about as stumped as you. Check the ECU.....that's my advice. Good Luck........post back with any new developments.

[nik_istinov]

Appreciate the reply.
I talked to a few dealers and they all say even if computer is fried all lights will come on. They say if there is no power then there is a short somewhere. I suspect that smoke came from alternator but I assume that power would be working anyway in that scenario. I checked fuses and fusible links again and they are all fine. Any sujections to what troubleshoot and how? How to check if computer is working? Please reply.

[catback23]

If you suspect alternator then disconnect it and see if things work properly. The computer is inside the car on the passenger side, if it went up in smoke the smoke would appear inside the car but none the less it being broke wouldn't affect your electrical accessories and lighting.

[nik_istinov]

Greatly appreciate your replies guy! But I still need more help.

I disconnected the alternator (one havy wire and 3 wire plug), the dashboard lights still will not come on. In the other words when you turn the egnition switch nothing happens, no light, no sound, no clicking. I really suspect the alternator but would it realy affect egnition circuit? Let say if alternator shorted somewhere or caught the ground would the car shut off and all electrical would be dead? Any experience or sugestions with that?

I spent with car three days right now checking wires. So far I did not find any of them damaged. I inspected the computer as well. It did not smell smoke at all. I did not find any fuse boxes under the hood, is there any on Grand Am 93 6 cyl. I read the whole electrical section of Haynes Repair Manual - no hints on this problem. I am really getting desperate. Any sugestions on what to troubleshoot next? Please help.

[catback23]

If you have no power to the ignition switch then your going to have to back trace the feed (with a wiring diagram and volt meter) and find where the interruption in power is. You can also check the fuse panel to see if it is getting any power but it's basically the same troubleshooting method needs to be applied. I suspect a fusible link that supplies power to the ignition switch may have blown. It happened to a friend of mine in his S10. Drove him nuts troubleshooting it and he's an electrician.

[swalt]

The white smoke kind of has me stumped. I would still look to the battery. My wife had a cell short out intermittent in her battery last year on her 93 GT and the car would not start. Battery was showing 12.5v. All sorts of strange things started happening, lights would flash, chimes would go off, door locks locked and unlocked.....like the car was possessed. I pulled the battery out of my truck and put it in her car and everything was back to normal.

[nik_istinov]

Thank you all, I found it!
I started working with a voltmeter according to catback23 advice checking all wires from the battery all the way to egnition switch and found a dead wire. It burned out right where it is attached to starter but what's interesting nothing was done to fusible link which is located just a few inches down. That's what got me confused in the first place since I assumed if link is not melted - wire is fine. Wrong!!! My lesson now always check wires anyway.
Thank you again catback23 and all you guys for help. I am very happy I did not need to call tow truck and pay a few hundred dollars at the dealership.