Car won't start/no electric

[psyonix]

So, I'll preface this with saying that I'm a total novice when it comes to mechanical maintenance of any kind. My car began overheating and a good Samaritan pulled over and helped me identify the cause as being an issue with the thermostat. As I began working on this issue, I, being the dummy I am sat a combo ratchet on the battery, and it touched both the positive and the negative, and subsequently i was treated to a little fireworks show. I removed the wrench as quickly as I set it down, but those were some pretty gnarly sparks. Fast forward to me reassembling everything (I still haven't replaced the thermostat, as the bolt across from the starter is stripped, and I don't have the proper tools/access to do anything about it). When I went to start the car, nothing. No electricity at all. The lights don't turn on, the dash doesn't light up when i turn the key, the overhead lights don't work; nothing. Except the car lighter/. i have a little usb adapter that lights up when I plug it in, and it still does. At first i thought it was the battery fuse (from what I have read), but I replaced it and I still get nothing. What might have I broken, and what can I do to fix it?

 

[psyonix]

Just an update: when I turn the key, nothing lights up, but there's a clicking sound from what I think is the seatbelt, so *something* is happening.

 

[Samurai_Blue]

did you replace the battery?

 

[flyinpotatoes]

First guess would be battery, shorting it like that is terrible for it and can cause it to fry a cell, I've seen an ecu get wrecked like that but that's rare in my experience


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[g6qwerty]

Did you check the fusees on the passenger side under the hood by the strut tower? Theirs a 40A or 50Amp fuse their for the battery.

I had once blown that fuse by putting in my battery backwards.

 

[Noneed2Hate]

My guess is when you closed the circuit (even for the brief moment you did) it fried the battery...