QuestionQUESTION: FYI: These are the fuse designations in this 2001 Sebring
#01- 30a Blower Motor
#02- 10a Headlight Right High
#03- 10a Headlight Left High
#04- 15a Backup Lights
#05- 10a Interior Lamps/Power Mirrors
#06- 10a Heated Mirrors
#07- 20a Illum/Park Tail Lamps
#08- 20a Horns/Radio Amp
#09- 15a Power Door Lock
#10- 20a Daytime Run Lights
#11- 10a Gauges/PRNDL
#12- 10a Headlamp Left Low
#13- 10a Headlamp Right Low
#14- 10a Radio
#15- 10a Turn Sig-Wiper/Wash
#16- 10a Airbag
#17- 10a Airbag
#18- 20aCB #1 Power Seats
#19- 30aCB #2 Power Windows/Sunroof
Headlamp Delay Relay
Horn Relay
Rear Window Defroster Relay
Note that Fuse #4 is designated differently & there are 2 Airbag fuses
Does this change anything? I am going out now to buy some more fuses.
ANSWER: Hi Andy,
The assignment listing is identical...the listed 'purposes' are just incomplete.
I am suggesting that you check the resistance that each of the 4 circuits (1,4,16,cb2) presents to fuse #1 in the PDC. They will all be much less than 1 ohm, that is why you need a digital ohmmeter, and that you make sure first that you measure what it reads when directly shorted to a ground nearby the box, and that you then look for slight differences from that dead short reading so as to note which of the four is either a dead short or drawing the 'lion's share' of the 40 amps which blows the fuse. Check each socket to determine the hot contact and avoid using the ohm meter on that one. Only touch the 'cold' contact to measure that circuit's resistance.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Roland,
Written last Friday:
I ran the tests per your instructions but the problem was not apparent at this time:
1) Removed all 3 fuses & CB, put Ignition in run...did not blow Main Fuse...started car....no problem.
2) Repeated this procedure 4 more times, putting them back in 1 at a time, putting Ignition in Run & then starting the car....still no problem.
3) Repeated procedure 3 more times, adding 1 more fuse each time. 1st-2 fuses, 2nd-3 fuses, finally, 3 fuses & CB....still no problem.
4) Used car for errands....no problem again...everything working fine.
5) My buddy, Mike came to get the car & took it home....15 minutes later he went out & the Main fuse blew after he drove about 5 blocks. This is the first time it blew at any time besides startup. Apparently, something's loose.
btw: I did all those resistance checks at the beginning & saw no variations, but of course there was no problem apparent at this time.
Do you think I can perhaps induce the problem by checking various wiring points, starting from the Main fuse & working backward toward the individual circuits? Any suggestion is appreciated.
As Of Tuesday:
On Sat., the fuse blew several more times, even though Mike had the 30a Blower fuse out. On Sunday, I took out the 30aCB (Windows) & put the Blower fuse back in. He's driven the car at least 12 times since then & everything is good. Perhaps I should be looking at the Window ckt?
As of today:
The fuse is blowing whenever the 30aCB is in....and only then. (btw: bought a new Circuit Breaker) The ohm measurement never shows anything as it doesn't occur while I am looking at it. ??
ANSWER: Hi Andy,
That is great progress to isolate the issue down to the CB2. The current draw by the power windows should be minimal when you aren't actuating the switches from the master control, as the only items that are in use are the LEDs for the switch labels. It could be the case that one of the switches is stuck in the up or down position or intermittently connecting to a jammed motor. Another possibility is that due to a break in its insulation there is an intermittent short in the wire from the CB to the master switch. That tan CB output wire leaves on pin 5 of the black 8-pin plug at the fuse box and passes through a 12-pin blue connector on the left side of the instrument panel and then enters the door at the door hinge and goes to the master window switch at pin 1 of that switch. I believe there was a history of some problems with the power windows, or am I mistaken?
My suspicion is the tan wire is shorting to ground intermittently, or that there is a faulty window switch or motor for a switch which somehow is connected even though no switch is apparently not in the neutral positon. So see if you can trace the tan wire and find a short. Or unplug the master window switch and see if the CB still shorts out #1 fuse as a test of the latter possibility. By the way, I should mention that the CB also powers the sunroof if you happen to have that as a factory installation. And that opens another possible circuit for consideration.
But at least you are narrowing in on the problem.
Let me know how it works out, please. Good luck!
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Roland,
I haven't had the opportunity to check the actual wiring yet but have some small progress to report:
Nothing blows when the Window Lockout Switch is operated, so Mike's driving around that way for now. Prior to locking them out, I "exercised" all 3 passenger windows about 10 times each, using their individual switches...and, of course, they worked fine. My common sense tells me that the motors are likely fine & maybe the actual switches too. I think we have an intermittent short in the ckt that comes off that lockout switch. The fuse has not blown once with the windows locked out. Can you give me some points to disconnect/check this part of the circuit?
Thanks,
Andy
AnswerHi Andy,
The lock-out switch removes the power to operate the other three windows from those windows' local switches, but still allows the driver to operate them. However you couldn't provoke a short by using the switches locally in the normal 'unlocked' mode. Nonetheless driving in the lockout mode has prevented the fuse from blowing, so far.
The lockout circuit (it really is a lockin circuit, in that it provides an alternative path to the three motors) when it is closed sends current from the master switch back to the junction block via a yellow wire that leaves the door in the wire harness passes through the blue 12-wire disconnect at the left kick panel area goes to the junction block and then out on three separate wires going to the passenger, and the two rear door local switches. The fact that you couldn't make the fuse blow by testing the local switches leads me to believe that the vehicle has to be in motion for the short to occur. I am thinking that one of those three wires or even the yellow wire between one of the four door switches has a cut in its insulation such that the conductor is shorting to body metal as the result of motion of the vehicle. Otherwise I can't posit any other explanation for the dichotomy between the at rest test and the in motion experience.
The three wires from the juntion box to the doors and the wire from the master switch to the junction block all are on an 8-wire black plug on the back side of the junction block (pin 1 is the yellow wire, and pins 6,7,8 are the wires that go out to the door switches). The other wires on that plug supply the power to the master window switch and to the rear window defogger and power mirror circuit.
The only way I can see to find the short would be to pull that plug, which of course kills the power windows and defogger and power mirror if you have that function, and then monitor wires 1, 6, 7 and 8 pins of the plug while you shake the harnesses at the four door hinge areas. Pin 1 would be the driver door hinge, 6 the passenger door hinge, 7 the right rear door hinge, and 8 the left rear door hinge area harness. If that doesn't reveal a short, then you could try driving while monitoring each of the 4 wires in the hope that a short will pop-up on your meter while monitoring one of the them. Yellow is pin 1, 6 is yellow/violet, 7 is yellow/white, and 8 is yellow/tan.
That is my best suggestion based upon what you told me.
Roland
