QuestionRoland,
Thanks for your reply a couple of days ago. Had to wait to hook up computer away from work and get home to car in order to reply. Anyhow, the #8 fuse on my Sebring which continues to blow, turns the ignition, fuel starter, radio and operates the top! Now this is getting even wierder as after I have been through almost atwo boxes of fuses I decided to remove the #7 ignition switch fuse and just try another 20amp fuse-no luck; however I did at least get a click. Tried using a 10 amp for the # 8 and still just a click; however, the second time I put in a 25amp for the #8 fuse the car started right up. As a rule, the new fuse or second or thrid new fuse will allow the car to run for twenty or thirty or two or three starts before it blows again. This has just started occurring in the past 500 of 63,000 miles. I read with interest that one of the experts wrote that this problem could possibly be caused by water shorting out the wire under the back seat behind driver. Because I do frequently raise and lower the top and often times have water or morning dew falling down I took the back seat apart; however, did not locate any wiring back there. The only other difference is that about 2000 miles ago I did install a new radio as the old cd player had become non functional. Find it odd that it would take almost a year and over 2000 miles to begin shorting out though!
You inquired as to exactly when the fuse blows and it is when I put the key in the ignition. No radio, no operative top and no click from the ignition and obviously, NO START. I have just gone outside and started the car with NO PROBLEMS three times now. Raised the top and removed a cd from the radio. Will get a friend over this weekend to see if he can measure the charge each fuse may have on the battery and am certianly open to any further suggestions regarding this reoccuring problem. Cannot tell you how greatful I am for your knowledge. Dealership and other technicians have acted like this is a really unique problem which has never happened before!
No longer have the original manual with all the wiring diagrams. Any suggestions where I can require one at a resonable price?
Thanks for your support. Sunny
AnswerHi Sunny,
Happy New Year!
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Roland
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Hi Sunny,
I have gotten most of my manuals from eBay listings, but lately it appears to be from commercial seller rather than individuals. So avoid the 'buy it now' vendors who charge too much and wait for an actual auction for the 98 FSM for the convertible. I know that #8 powers so many things that it is going to be a challenge. You need at least 20 amp for that socket. The #7 by the way is not used for anything as far as I can tell from my copy of the FSM.
To assist in sorting out which circuit is the culprit, measure the resistance of each of the following fuses in the behind the dash box: 11, 14, 17 with the battery disconnected. Also, measure the resistance to ground from the front-most pin of the starter motor relay socket (which is located in the rear section of the fuse box under the hood). Those 4 locations are the drawing circuits for the #8 fuse when the battery is connected, and one of them must have a lower than normal resistance to ground for the fuse to blow.
I am reposting your original question and my answer, in case we need to go further:
History:
# 8 fuse (ignition) continues to blow: '98 Sebring
Question: Can't believe I may have finally found someone who knows about this problem. Have been reading your answers from almost two years back and am hoping that in a nutshell you can tell me why my 1998 Sebring with only 63,000 miles and good battery continues to blow the # 8 fuse which naturally starts the car. I do have a friend who could possibly check out the problem if I knew where to start. Would appreciate your help. Thanks, Sunny
Answer: Hi Sunny,
I assume you have the convertible Sebring and that you are speaking of the #8 fuse in the power distribution box under the hood (Cirrus/Stratus also share the wiring diagram). It is 20 amp and is often described as the 'igniton' fuse.
It provides current to the starter motor relay (to operate the solenoid switch on the starter), the fuel pump relay (to power the fuel pump), and to 3 sections of the ignition switch (which actuate the starter motor relay, the fuel pump module, body control module, air bag control module, fan relays, a/c compressor relay, radio, combo light flasher, seat belt module, wiper relays).
Now to figure out what is causing the fuse to blow I would want to know if it blows when you simply turn the switch to the 'run' position or does it blow when you try the 'start' position or does it happen at some later point after the engine has started (and if so what might be assocciated with the blow at that time)?
To move ahead you have remove the relays and some of the plugs at the related devices that aren't controlled by the relays, possibly all at once and but them back in one at a time and measure the resistance to ground as 'seen' from fuse 8 (or plug the fuse in and see if it blows, or a combination of these techniques) or as seen from the 3 sections of the ignition switch which it powers (measure at the ignition switch's plug).
Do you have any specific history of when this began or any indication of which of all those systems might be the source of the excess current draw which causes the fuse to blow?
So I will await further information from you along these lines. If you no specific history to the problem or any indirect indication as to a cause, then disassembling the components/plugs while doing resistance measurement is probably the only way to isolate what is drawing too much current (i.e. has a too low resistance to 'ground').
Roland
