After changing starter, my car acts as if there is no battery.?

Question

Two days ago the car had trouble starting.. I'd turn the key and there would just be a clicking noise. After a few turns the car would start and be perfectly normal. Then, today, it wouldn't start at all... Same clicking noise but wouldn't start at all. So, I bought a new starter, installed it exactly how the old one was installed. I don't know if this matters but I initially forgot to unhook the battery before I installed the new starter and I did get a bit of a shock.. but I quickly got up and unhooked it then finished the job.

When I got back in, thinking everything would be fine... I turn the key and nothing! No lights, no noises... As if there was no battery hooked up at all. The battery is a brand new red-top, there's no way that it's dead. I took it down off the jack-stands and tried to start it again and it started with two tries. I let it sit for a few minutes then shut it off and tried to start it again and now.... it's back to no power at all.

Any ideas?

Car specs:

1996 Saturn SC2, 140K miles

Answer 1

Are you sure you didn't pop 1 of the 2 ign 30A fuses?  There are usually two power cables going to the battery lead that hooks to the starter, are you sure you haven't left one off by accident?

Answer 2

check the fusible links

Answer 3

It sounds like the battery or the cable is bad. Or the starter relay or solenoid it bad.

Answer 4

when you forgot to disconnect the battery and you got a spark, more than likely you blew  a fuse, or many. look through both fuse boxes and see if you can find a blown fuse and replace any that are bad. i had this happen to me when i was replacing my ignition switch. i blew a 40 amp fuse and had the same results. NOTHING worked.  

Answer 5

You have a bad ground. Check your black wire on the battery, check connection at battery and follow cable down till it stops. Connection on that wire is bad somewhere or your red wire is arcing somewhere.