Chrysler Repair: 02 Sebring GTC:blows fuse #24, noise suppressors, spark coils


Question
QUESTION: My Sebring keeps blowing the 20A fuel relay fuse. Unlike many others I've read about, mine only happens while driving not while turning the key. Any ideas?

ANSWER: Hi Ken
The fuel pump uses two different fuses, one for the actuation coil, one supplies the current to the pump when the coil is actuated. Both are 20 amp and both have multiple other functions. Looking at the power box is the fues that blows in the front row (fuse 8) or the back row (fuse 23)? Let me know and I can give you some ideas.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer and where you see the question about 'volunteer of the month' consider giving me a 'yes'.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I dont have a manual so I was told it was the fuel relay fuse. It is fuse #24. Upon searching the net for answers I found that on a 2005 that it is the coil/injector fuse. I dont know if it is the same on a 2002.

ANSWER: Hi Ken,
That #24 is not the fuel pump relay fuse, but rather the fuse for the fuel injectors and the spark coils and the 2 noise suppressors, one mounted on each of the cylinder heads (look like capacitors, attached to the same wires as the spark coil on dark green/light green wire). You could put an ohmmeter on the 'cold' side of fuse 24 socket and try unplugging each of those items to see if the resistance reading jumps up as the result. It could either be a melted insulation on one of the wires that supplies all those items, or one of noise suppressors is shorting out when it gets hot. You could check each of their resistances when cold, and then when the fuse blows stop and check them again to see if one now shows a dead short to ground.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer and where you find the question about a nomination to be 'volunteer of the month' consider a 'yes' answer. Thanks

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have it taken apart now and have been checking the wiring for bad spots.  havent found any and no signs of arcing can be seen. I also checked the resistance on each coil and their repsective wires both across and to ground. they all read about the same. when you say use my meter on the nuetral side of fuse socket is the other lead going to ground or to the wires?

Answer
Hi Ken,
One side of the fuse socket will read very close to 0 ohms resistance to ground, the other side will show infinite resistance to ground as that is the side which later gets 12v when you crank it and when the engine is running. That nearly shorted to ground side is 'looking' through all the devices that are powered by the 12v, wired in parallel so they probably will read about 1 ohm or so normally as seen from the fuse socket. When the fuse blows it is because one of those devices shorts to ground (reads 0 ohms). And it appears to happen only when you are driving (warmed up?). So probably you will need to troubleshoot this on the road, just after the fuse blows, to see which one of the items has gone bad when heated. I suspect it is one of the noise suppression capacitors but only a test when it has just blown the fuse will tell.
Roland