I was driving my s2000 around one day, just having fun. I stopped at a parking lot to get some food, and turn off the car. Once I come to turn back on the car, something dont seem right, i hit the button, and only rapid click sounds. Thinking it was the alternator i just decided to do a quick clutch start and be on my way. The dash wasnt displaying anything afterwards, so I try to head back home to see what was wrong. A few miles down the road it starts rapidly backfiring and rpms dropping bad. I turn off the air conditioner and it worked again for a few more miles, before sounding like gunshots coming out of my car. Then it stalls and I'm stuck in the middle of the road, a clutch start wouldn't even work no more. After pushing it off the road, I open up the hood and see a large chunk of wires eaten off in the car. I need to know where they go so I can saunter them back, or replace the part.


heres the wires:


These wires are in front of the alternator.

 

Bump starting only works if its the battery thats dead, and alternator is working fine.

If battery is already so dead it can't start car, it also won't run ignition, injectors, and ecu properly for very long. If you're alternator were working, it could run those systems.

So if you suspected alternator, and knew battery was already dead, bump starting wasn't gonna work.

All your symptoms are consistent with not enough juice to run car. Battery being dead is likely because charging system isn't working.

I don't know what those wires are. Not the best photo to work with there. Bit don't assume issue is bad alternator. There are many reasons for a charging system to fail.

Unfortunately, you will need to troubleshoot to figure it out. And it seems the logic skills required to perform that aren't in your wheelhouse. Time to seek local help.

 

Thankfully your local auto parts chain can provide alternator diagnosis for free, if you can get the car to them.

 

I realized it wasnt the alternator because I was able to bump start it, everything started happening after I went down the road

 

I know it's not the alternator after a bump start, I'm thinking it has something g to do with all the wires hanging out of the car, I'll try to get a better pic

 

Appears that you have burnt wires, prolly from a short. You need to hunt down the source of the short --- soldering will not solve this issue.

Sorry.

 

does that mean a whole new wiring harness?

 

The wiring going to the alternator comes from the direction of the firewall, not in front of the engine. There is obviously a short somewhere in the system. The highest load on a battery is when starting the car. A dash not working and starting to backfire while driving is a dead give away that the alternator is not outputting and the car was pulling the last bit of voltage from the battery until it was completely discharged.

 

Looks like low load wires from electronic steering,
they would go to the dash & warning lights in the dash.

 

What's that roundish thing just laying in the bottom of the engine bay? Did the alternator fall off?

Wiring doesn't look OEM in the photo.

-- Chuck