Mitsubishi Repair: evo wont start, black boxes, question thanks

Question
QUESTION: hi,

i have a 97 evolution. the car sat for about two years.. i had to replace the fuel pump to get it started. once it started and i was test driving it, it just loss all electrical power and the car stopped. i figured, it might be the battery because its old and kinda small. i tried to jump start it but the battery overheated. steam coming out form it and the positve terminal got melted a little bit. so i bought a new battery and terminals. try to star the car and it wouldnt do anything. no power on the cluster to. checked the fuses and all of them seemed ok. what could it be? thank  you.

ANSWER: Patrick: Got to say you are lucky that battery did not blow up. But anyway, you might have blew a relay. These relays are in black boxes in with the engine. Some cars have three and others two, one should be up on the firewall on the driver side of the car. As you open up the hood look to the right of the engine up on the firewall, those boxes on the covers tell what relays and large fuses in them cover. Aother one should be on the left side of the car, and some have a small box on the battery or around it. If none of those relays or fuses are blew. Then I would say it is a sensor/s or the computer. By jumping the car, you might have cooked one or more sensors and/or the computer. I would start there and see where that will lead you. Hope this helps and good luck! Linda

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QUESTION: thanks for the advise.. i did try to change the battery relay but i dont thnk that its the one because it didnt make any difference. there are three wires that go to the positive terminal. for whatever reason one of them turned to be ground, thats why it has sparked when i try to connect the battery. havent check yet where it goes.. but i believe its from the alternator. i will check on monday. do you have any idea on how it could turn to ground? maybe a short? thanks again.

Answer
Patrick: Why would you think a wire is a ground? I mean if it sparked when hooking up the battery, that would be because there was some kind of power pulling power off the battery when you got it hooked up right. Like a dome light, glove box light or even a clock in the car. There is wires that run from the battery to the starter too. As you have to have power from the battery to turn that starter and the starter pulls a lot of power. The alternator just keeps the battery charged up. So yes there would be wires running to it too, how else would your alternator keep the battery charged? I don't understand why you think that wire is a ground. When you hook the wires up to the battery, you have red wire which are the power wire and then the black wire which is the ground. Again you would get a spark from the red power wire when hooking it to the battery if something was on in the car. Such as dome light, clock or something on that order. You should always hook up the red + side to the battery first and then the black - side. Then unhooking the battery, do the black first and then the red. If you really believe this wire has turned ground, then you need to get a voltmeter and it will explain things to you. As it will read the power going through that battery into or out of that battery. I hope this helps and good luck! Linda