I have a 1992 dodge dakota with 318 2wd. i parked it 4 years ago and just got it out to rebuild. it only has 87k miles. well someone had cut the positive caple off. i wired in a new one and noticed that there was another bigger wire that had the fusable link in it. it was cut to close to splice in so i cut it out and ran a new wire. everything ive read says it goes to the relay box. well it fixed my no power problem. well i put the new battery on it today and started it for the first time and suddenly the grey and black wire going from the module under the igntion to the fuel sending unit burnt up and almost caught on fire. what caused this and how can i fix it?

 

You should get a Factory Service Manual they are avialable online pretty cheap ebay amazon etc. They have wiring diagrams in them. Or you may check you local library but I would be surprised of they had the FSM. IDK what caused that short but it struck me how you described what you did to ask; did you use fusible link when you cut out the wire and ran new wire?

 

I did not because I did not have one. But doesn't a fusable link basically just act as a connection and not much of a fuse given the amount of resistance it can handle?

 

A fusible link is actually weaker than a regular wire so that any over current melts it before harm can come to whatever system is being supplied.

 

That's good info! But if the problem was there wouldn't it have melted more that just that one wire? Such as the ignition wires? I also was just trying to find a PDF version of the manual but could not find any. The pin that this wire connects to in the ignition switch assembly also has the same colors that run somewhere else that I couldn't trace. But it is unharmed in anyway only the one going to the fuel sending unit. Being that that they are connected together shouldnt it have shorted to?