What did I break on my ceiling fan light fixture? Can it be fixed?

Question

I recently took down my perfectly working, yet dated ceiling fan to paint it. When I took it down, I noted which wires from the fixture were hooked to which wires in the junction box. After painting it, I decided to try and hook it up differently so that the fan could be on at all times, and the light would be controlled at the switch. In doing so, I hooked the fan to the always hot wire (red I'm thinking), and then the light fixture black to black on/off and whites to white. When I turned on the power at the breaker the fan started (good for me) with the switch off. When I turned on the light switch, I heard a pop, and had no light.

So I figured I would hook it up as it was originally installed before I took it down, and now the fan works off the light switch, but the lights still do not work. I've got the thing in pieces and don't see anything noticeably wrong ...

Any ideas? Are there little fuses inside the light fixture that somehow I fried?

As I've been waiting, I decided to do some experimenting ... it turns out, a wire that runs from the base of the fixture (where the light kit is attached) up through the downrod is shorted out. So time to find some more screwdrivers and take this sucker all the way apart ...

OK, here's what I broke ...

When putting the ceiling fan back together, apparently I mashed some of the not so new wires, or squished them when connecting the down rod to the fan motor. Doing so cracked the insulation of the wire, so when the power came on, "pop", I fried the wire. I cut a piece of 14/2 wire I had and ran a new black from top of the down rod to the bottom of the light fixture. Hooked it up, and again "pop". The neutral this time. Replaced that wire, inspected all others, and carefully put the entire stupid fan back together. Hooked it up, and presto, light and fan both working correctly. Now ... as long as the house doesn't burn down, I didn't juke anything up too bad.

Thanks

Answer 1

if there is a switch for the light you may have shorted it out.
your going to need some type of ohm meter to test it thoroughly.

Answer 2

Need more info, what wires are connected at the switch? Usually red is the controlled switch leg... usually could be a back fed 3 wire post your results