serious issues.. need help.. pics included.. wiring? problems..?
 

this weekend my car sat for about 3 days without running .. when i went to get in it.. i noticed a few interior gauge lights were on... which is weird because the key isnt even in the ignition..

http://www.sirenonline.net/images/lights.jpg

well im guessing there are some shorts somewhere and it slowly drained the battery .. i tried to start it .. but all i got was click click clickety click.. so i took the battery out and took it to the nearest auto store..

they threw it in the tester.. and it charged for 60 minutes.. and said the battery was good. .. just drained..

so i take the battery home .. hook the cables back up and try to give it a start...

now the damn thing wont even give me a click...

and after trying to start it a few times ...there is a humming and vibration come from or underneath this fusebox:

http://www.sirenonline.net/images/noise.jpg

and then i also noticed smoke coming from this area around what i believe to be the starter:

http://www.sirenonline.net/images/smoke.jpg


im getting really frustrated with the 240 .. it seems everything falls apart at the same time.. my 93 mr2 turbo was a walk in the park to the problems ive had in the last 3 weeks with the 240


anyone have any advice short of a complete rewire?

i couldnt find any loose connections.. that were visible atleast...

my car is going to be towed to a shop more than likely next week for a new motor .. but i'd like to get this wiring / starting problem fixed before it goes..

Does your car have an alarm? The alarm unit may have shorted itself out.

If not, replace your ignition switch. It unbolts from the tumbler so there's no need for new keys or anything. You just need to take the cover off the steering column.

actually there was a unworking alarm system that was on the car when i bought it.. im guess from the looks... of the old wires that the previous owner did a horrible job wiring it up.. the alarm is not working and all the wires are cut up/off ..

possibly one of the old alarm wires is shorting out the system?

There has to be a selonoid on the car. I would bet money it has gone bad.

so i should be looking for the old alarm solenoid..

ive already removed alot of the old wiring .. but the previous owner left alot of the spliced in wires.. and just clipped them off.. so maybe they are shorting out somewhere as well..

Not an alarm selonoid. A selonoid peroid. Almost every car has one in one form or another from the factory. Most of the time the starters negative lead goes to it, as well as the batteries positive cable.

that seems to maybe be the area the smoke was coming from..

my new engine should be installed next week.. hopefully it is engine related wiring that is bad.. and not inside the car.. because i took the lower dash pieces ..and steering column plastics off and couldnt find any shorts or bare wires :(