Bad ground?

[Harlow727]

97 Grand Voyager.
Last week a fuse was blown when a radio was installed with either the key turned and/or the battery still connected. Fuse was replaced, problem solved. A couple days later it wouldn't start. Replaced the starter and corroded battery cables yesterday, it started. Then today it wouldn't start. Took starter out and had it tested, it is fine as are fuses and relays. A mechanic friend is thinking it is a bad ground, something shorted out when the radio was installed? Sound right? How much may I be looking at for repairs? We are having it towed to a shop on Monday. We would test for a ground ourselves, but do not have a test light.

Also, it sounds like the blower motor is cycling when you turn the key, I don't recall it doing that before all this started.The a/c is not on.

[yunvme]

Originally Posted by Harlow727

97 Grand Voyager.
Last week a fuse was blown when a radio was installed with either the key turned and/or the battery still connected. Fuse was replaced, problem solved. A couple days later it wouldn't start. Replaced the starter and corroded battery cables yesterday, it started. Then today it wouldn't start. Took starter out and had it tested, it is fine as are fuses and relays. A mechanic friend is thinking it is a bad ground, something shorted out when the radio was installed? Sound right? How much may I be looking at for repairs? We are having it towed to a shop on Monday. We would test for a ground ourselves, but do not have a test light.

Also, it sounds like the blower motor is cycling when you turn the key, I don't recall it doing that before all this started.The a/c is not on.

I wold also check your battery terminals, make sure they arnt dirty, and are night and tight, you can try taking Jumper cables and going from the ground post too the engin, or from the ground post too the car frame. Aftermarket Stereo's have a tendancy to find car electrical issues.

[Harlow727]

Originally Posted by yunvme

I wold also check your battery terminals, make sure they arnt dirty, and are night and tight, you can try taking Jumper cables and going from the ground post too the engin, or from the ground post too the car frame. Aftermarket Stereo's have a tendancy to find car electrical issues.

Shop found the problem, aftermarket ignition kill switch that had been deactivated before we got the van somehow came back to life. Apparently it had a short and was disarmed a long time ago, but not properly. When it was triggered to come back on, since it originally had a short, it would sometimes start and sometimes not. They removed it for me