Can't install battery(question of the Year!) Disco trys to start! Disco💔

[discochai]

SALTY1244YA282492
2000 Land Rover Discovery 2
I've had her(2000 Land Rover Discovery 2)a few weeks(although a loose and corroded negative battery cable was under the hood)with no issues then Power went out(everything even hazard lights).Long story short I Took battery out cleaned frail and corroded wire(negative)replaced with New battery(reading 12.6-12.8),Connected positive cable then TRIED to connect Negative cable but it SPARKS and WELDS to terminal and She tries to Start-up (No key in)!?
I'm No mechanic at All.Im reporting every detail in hopes to aid someone¿ If key is turned and then you touch negative cable to negative terminal she starts right up(can't keep Neg to terminal cause sparks/welds!)but sounds like starter(or?)keeps running.Remember cable will fuse/melt/weld(scary)to battery terminal.
So I disconnected the starter wire from selanod(starter)then touch negative battery cable to battery terminal(No I don't have them crossed)and She STILL tries to start with no key in ignition & no starter wire on starter solenoid???!!Help!! Thanks to everyone for your Time & compassion!
°SE Georgia USA.(Golden Isles)
*could a faulty selonod cause such battery issues?
*ignition issues maybe? I'm learning the concept of "electrical grounds" right now. I've been on earth over 35 yr and learned more(auto stuff/electric)in the past week do to my always wanting a LR! "Live lazy or get a Land Rover" lol. And no I'm not lazy or stupid just never had a vehicle and been single father with disabled child for decades! Blessings & GoodVibes to All. 1💙 Disco Chai

[discochai]

Other misc.. No ac, no cruise control.
Loose key, kinda tricky to turn(No key fob).
Cracked rear plastic bumper cover meaning lights are kinda taped up but work. And
During Hurricane Matthew horn went off sporadically tap the button and it stopped week later while trying to figure out what happened(current issue) I noticed a fuse was blown don't know if this plays any part in anything just trying to say everything I know...1��

[o2batsea]

ignition switch

[discochai]

One of my worries! Is this a simple thing? You mean the actual component the Key goes in two or more down the line and wiring and such? Blessings & GoodVibes! 1💙

[discochai]

So a faulty ignition switch would cause you're NOT to be able to install your car battery because it will fuse together when you touch the negative battery cable to the negative battery terminal if so there should be a YouTube video on this which there isn't!! 😨

[stomper]

You might have better luck in the Discovery forum. Around here, we only know about Trucks made up until the 1980's.

[discochai]

Really?Dame now I got to learn the interweb fourm 101..if I'm placing in wrong spot well how DE hell do I place in the CORRECT one?like I said, single father with disabled child, that=no time to read the In's&out's of proper www/forum talk. I'll stick with G+
Thanks2every1 for the tuff love!

[mearstrae]

You're new to Land Rover so... Land Rover Series I-II-III are the old Land Rovers (before 1980). Discovery(Series)I -II are different animals altogether. Your ignition switch is actually on, in start mode just sitting there. The whole key barrel and switch need to be replaced,it's usually sold as a complete unit. Shop around (they are not cheap...)and look up how to change it out. The hardest part is coxing out the "Screw Rivets", that hold it in place, with a sharp center punch.

'99 Disco II
'95 R.R.C. Lwb (Gone...)
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 rover 3500S

[discochai]

(just now) I've disconnected pos battery wire(Battery is disconnected btw) and starter(little wire) wire. But I can't find the ground wire that supposedly it's supposed to attach to the starter housing and I tried to follow the negative battery cable and looks like it's connected to alternator or below nearby. Anyone familiar with this? I will try and upload pics... right now I'm just trying to clean stuff up reconnect see if that helps because I'm missing a few tools that I need to remove starter. Everything's closed today Thanksgiving!here is a picture of a starter solenoid that looks like mine there are two little clips for the starter switch does it matter which one I stick it on since they're right together? The other picture from the top is where I have traced the negative battery wire to ground kind of next to alternator? And there's one more picture of a little wire that branches off from the cables before the positive reaches starter solenoid I'm just not sure what it goes to and I'm interested to know. Thanks to Everyone!

[discochai]

Took off wires from solenoid put them back on making sure they didn't touch I was able to reconnect battery and she started right up drove about a mile got out looked under hood and looks to me like there's smoke coming from the oxygen sensor engine above is really hot as well remember I don't know what I'm doing so it might not have been coming from the oxygen sensor but that's where it looked like the smoke was coming out of. Need Help!