Chrysler Repair: 00 T & C: blowes engine fluse 17: codes 1282 , 1389

Question
hi roland my 2000 town and country 3.3v6(flex fuel)blew the 20amp engine fuse 3-4 times a couple of weeks ago while driving down the street. I took it my mechanic,and he said it had following codes p1389 and p1282.he also that,that meant the pcm(computer)needed to be replaced.i bought one from o'reileys drove it with no problems for 30 minutes,then the next morning I took it to the dealer to be programed and about 15 minutes after leaving the dealer after I stopped and got some gas it started doing the same thing again,after the 4th or 5th time it would blow the fuse soon as I tried to crank it.can you help me out?do I need to get another pcm or is there something else I need to look for or do?

Answer
Hi Cornelius,
Those fault code are merely saying that the automatic shutdown relay, which carries the output of fuse 17, is not putting out the voltage (which is obvious when the fuse blows).
That fuse does send current to the PCM but I don't think that is your issue. Rather it also provides 12V to the spark coil pack, the fuel injectors, and heated oxygen sensors. I would suspect that the harness connecting the plug of one of the oxygen sensors is broken and shorting the 12V to ground which then blows the fuse. The wires of those oxygen sensors are very thin and subject therefore to breaking apart and thus shorting to nearby metal or a ground wire. So set aside the PCM as the cause.
There are four oxygen sensors, 2 upstream mounted the exhaust manifold on each bank, and then downstream following the catalytic converter on each side. Inspect the four wires on each of the sensors to see if you can find one that is broken/shorted. If that isn't found, then check the resistance to ground of pin 2 of the coilpack (which has a brown/white wire that carries in the 12v from fuse 17 and similarly check a splice at the rear of the engine's cylinder heads where the same brown/white 12V wire connects to the wires for the injector banks. That splice has been know to overheat, melt its insulation and then short to ground as the result. The resistance reading to ground of any of the injector brown/white wires will be low ohms but not 0 if OK.
I hope this will solve the problem. If so it is too bad that you spent money for the pcm.
Roland