First startup attempt, Melted wire....Help!
You did the right thing by disconnecting the power. That's the best way to stop an electrical fire or prevent one from developing in that situation.
Alternator and Battery
This is the trick to understanding the main circuit.
Current flows from whichever one has the highest voltage.
(Its like if your house had a well pump that could supply 20 gal/min of water at 15 psi and a storage tank with 500 gallons, but at 12 psi.)
The battery and alternator are connected together at a welded splice under the dash.
We can think of this splice as the primary power distribution point because from here, power can go to the other main circuits.
After the car is started, if everything is working correctly, the alternator will supply power to the ignition and recharge the battery.
The battery should draw 5 to 10 amps for a short while, and then less and less current. When its recharged it will draw zero even when available at 14 volts or so.
One of these two should be the alternator output and the other should be the battery output/recharge wire.
If you noticed which way the ammeter went after start, that will be a clue as to the wire melting.
Only a clue because we don't quite know how your new harness is different than stock...
You did the right thing by disconnecting the power. That's the best way to stop an electrical fire or prevent one from developing in that situation.
There are two power feeds because there two power sources.
Alternator and Battery
This is the trick to understanding the main circuit.
Current flows from whichever one has the highest voltage.
(Its like if your house had a well pump that could supply 20 gal/min of water at 15 psi and a storage tank with 500 gallons, but at 12 psi.)
The battery and alternator are connected together at a welded splice under the dash.
We can think of this splice as the primary power distribution point because from here, power can go to the other main circuits.
After the car is started, if everything is working correctly, the alternator will supply power to the ignition and recharge the battery.
The battery should draw 5 to 10 amps for a short while, and then less and less current. When its recharged it will draw zero even when available at 14 volts or so.
One of these two should be the alternator output and the other should be the battery output/recharge wire.
If you noticed which way the ammeter went after start, that will be a clue as to the wire melting.
Only a clue because we don't quite know how your new harness is different than stock...
