Offroad-Express

Hey guys... I know the datsun nissan navara isn't strictly a 4x4 but it hopefully is close enough so you guys can help me. It's an SD23.

The car wasn't starting, I thought it was the starter motor. The AA came to give me a hand starting it, and found that it was just the dodgy terminals giving me grief. Bought 2 new ones from repco, at the same time sanded down the battery terminals on the actual battery, and charged it. After wiring in the new terminals, I installed the battery. Backwards.

Sparks starting flying on the terminals and smoke started pouring out from all the wires to the left side of the engine bay. Oh sh**

Now, the car is dead. No lights pop up on dash and there is nothing when you turn the key. I found the smaller connection to the starter blown off, the connector all melted and burnt. I crimped it off, and touched the wires to the starter. I got dash lights on, and got a few clicks from the starter before it all went dead again.

So, does it sound like I just need to re-wire the starter in? Or is there other damage I've probably done? The car has no in engine bay fuse box, and 2 from in the car were blown however they didn't affect it once I replaced them (whole lot is in pure japanese). Thanks for your help if any!!

if you need to just rewire the starter you have got off light

Check you earth wires to the engine, they usually melt first. There's not too much on the old nissans to damage, and you say that ignition lights came on briefly until you tried to turn it over (high resistance in a melted wire).
Anywhere you saw sparks and/or smoke will need checking and wires replaced. Also check that 2 or more wires aren't melted together, you may need to trace bunched wires back to the plugs to confirm where they come from/go to.

Older nissans had fusable link wire instead of main fuses.
These are special bits of wire just off the battery positive terminal and usually unplug. Check these out
You have most probably damaged the alternator as well. But need to get it going first then check it out

What he said. The fuse links will plug in and the easy solution if they are blown is to get some from a wrecker, Grab a test light and probe both sides to check them as they normally look ok, they are usually brown or green. There is a good chance you will have blown the diodes in the alternator.

Hey guys, thanks a bunch for the help. I can't seem to find this fusible link, however I did find a plug with white grease like stuff mixed in with some black covering the wires, going all the way through the plug. I cleaned this stuff up a little so the metal in the connections are actually visible (therefor actually touching??), I also found the starter ground melted and burnt, so I put a new connection on.

Car now starts! However, when the key is in the on position (with car off) the dash lights are not lit, however the battery one is and the light is extremely faint. Handbrake light, oil pressure light (which came on for 5 seconds after start up due to oil change) and high beam work, so at least some work.

What could this be a sign of? And what's the best way to figure out if the alternator is broken, without going for a drive and being stranded? Letting it idle perhaps. Thanks!

yeah- put the multimeter on the battery at idle. if it says 12volts, alternator probably not working. If it is working, it will read , say, 13.0-13.4 volts, and read a little higher when you rev it up(using your hand on the throttle body).