99 chevy tracker. Got in one morning and wouldn't start. Checked battery while car was off and it was running 13v. Changed starter and now it just clicks once and it burned up the battery wires.

I would replace the battery and buy all new battery cables. Check and clean your grounds also. Cables should not have burned up from just trying to start the car. Did you buy a new re-manufactured starter, or did you just replace the solenoid yourself?

Whole new starter and solenoid. I was thinking maybe it might be grounds or wires grounding out where they shouldn't but I don't know for sure yet, I haven't looked yet. I was turning the ignition to listen to the clicking then everything went dead. The wires at the battery actually got hot enough to melt the clamps holding them to the battery which hopefully saved the electrical because no fuses blew.

Yeah, I would say you have an exposed wire that is grounding out to the frame or the engine.

Going through the wires now. Walk me through. Pos goes on large stud on solenoid, small signal wire attaches to small stud, other large wire attaches to other large stud or fastened as a ground with the bolt to secure starter motor?

If I didn't tear it apart, I can't blindly tell you how it goes back together. Here's a pic.

Thanks just finished with it a little ago. The new starter I put in was supposed to be hooked differently than the one I took off was the problem. Because of that it was shorting out and cooking my wires.

Nice! So she fired up and is running?

Indeed. Blew a fuse and melted that terminal but that was all the damage. Replaced that, moved my neg to a ground on the starter, and fired right up.

Cool...good deal!

Thanks for the help