series 3 109 24v electrical issue

Me and my dad are trying to restore a series 3 109, ex-Dutch military 24v. When we bought it, it was running, not great but running, a lot needs to be done, we did the break but now the car won't start and it's causing the battery to spark. I tested it and I got a short when turning the key. I'm not an electrician nor a mechanic, I tested to see if any other button of the dashboard was when turning the center knob, which I think is related to light, and when turning the center knob, I tried to see if it was related to the fuse box, but no, I still get the short even though all the fuses were removed. I have no idea where to start diagnosing.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Get a multi meter. Then you can start looking for the problems. First. You do have 2 batteries, right?

I do have 2 new batteries and a multi meter but I'm lost to where to test, i already tried on some of the electrical but noting cause a short

Simple things first.

Disconnect the batteries, leaving only the cable between them. What voltage do you get across the two batteries?

After disconnecting I got 24.9 volt

Good, batteries wired correctly.

Now, your machine doesn't have standard Landrover wiring, it has lots of continental fuses, and this I can only assume lots of split out circuits on top of the Landrover loom.

However there is most likely to be two main paths into the circuits.

1) permanent live

2) switched live

Suggest you follow the positive wire from the battery all the way along. Draw the route on a piece of paper. Each time there's a connection, draw that connection, note the main colour and the tracer colour, and what is connected to.

Take it slow and photo as you go.

The wire should go to the starter, and have another wire from the starter to the ignition switch.

Find that and report back. With photos, please.

so I try to follow the wire, starting with the cable connect to the plus side on the batteries, it's leading under the car and connection to an intersection, there are 5 cables, 1 coming form the batteries 1 going to the starter, 1 going to some sort of plug inside the cabin, a small one going into some small motor or similar and a longer one passing the side of the engine going into the radiator or near it and on the way it's connected to a sort of fuse box itself connect to the side front wing.

the negative side of the batteries is a little weird, but maybe it normal, it start by splinting in two, the first half is going to some sort of valve form there the cable continue side by side to the plus side and going directly to the cabin plug . the second cable is again getting split 1 half is getting connect to the frame and the other half is going to the other side of the valve form there another cable is connect that lead to under the car, this cable is connect to nothing but I suppose it need to be grounded.

I will try and confuse help.

Your second pic looks like a starter solenoid (not a motor). From what you have said I will say it is negative earth car.
The wires to that solenoid look a bit on the "weedy" side, but that said.
Your two loose wires need to go somewhere.

uytter said:

the negative side of the batteries is a little weird, but maybe it normal, it start by splinting in two, the first half is going to some sort of valve form there the cable continue side by side to the plus side and going directly to the cabin plug . the second cable is again getting split 1 half is getting connect to the frame and the other half is going to the other side of the valve form there another cable is connect that lead to under the car, this cable is connect to nothing but I suppose it need to be grounded.

Click to expand...

Connecting to the frame tells me negative earth, But your description of where they go is a bit confusing.
Got any pics of the starter motor wiring. Maybe the loose lead needs to go to the gearbox (cant tell position from pic).

To get the starter to turn you need a simple curcuit. Usually its battery to solenoid, then to the starter, then to earth(chassis).
The small wires give a signal that switches the solenoid (from the starter switch)which connects the 2 big terminals.

More pics and investigation needed.

But I will say your solenoid (valve, motor) looks like it could do with a clean of all terminals and connections.

J