Chrysler Repair: 00 minivan no start, bells and whistles, fuel pump relay

Question
QUESTION: Hi.
I got a freaky problem.
Sometimes the car, Grand Voyager AWD 2000, won't start.
When i turn on the ignition, the temp and fuel gauge are dead.
Engine may start, but fuel is cut off so it stops.
After "some" troubleshooting i found out that it is problems with the wires that comes into the "center console", the heatingm fan speed, ac....
One of the cables is almost melted. If i takeaway the cables and put them back, the car starts.
Now it will work for a week or two.
So my question is, where can i find a wireing diagram for the cables ? I don't remember the color of it.

ANSWER: Hi Krister,
I have the '98 wiring diagrams that are probably applicable to your '00 model. I assume this is not an electronic style automatic temp control ac/heater control panel(as used in some of the cars), though it does have LED's and other bells and whistles. I checked the diagrams and only find one curcuit for that unit that is shared with the fuel pump relay and powertrain controller and several relays for other systems. Its wire is black/white but it doesn't go to the control panel so I doubt it is in the harness that you describe; it is used to actuate the ac compressor. So if you can tell me the wire's color and verify that it indeed goes to the ac/heater control then I can tell you what it does. I can also xerox copy the wiring diagrams for the system (8 pages) and postal mail them to you. If they are useful you can send me back a couple of 42 stamps to cover my costs.
Use the "thank/rate" tab to get back to me with the wire colors and if you want the pages tell me a postal address. There is a space for comments.
I wonder if your problem might be related as well to the theft alarm system as starting but dieing after a couple of seconds is a symptom of an armed situation. The gauge dead symptom suggests some issue with the digital communications which are involved everywhere including the starting/running, theft system.
Roland

Hi, thanks. The color is black/brown. It is in the big connector, down to the right (if you look at the panels backside). I have pics if you want to see.


Hi Krister,
My '98 manual shows at the heater/ac control a 21-pin plug but no black/brown wires and a 10-pin plug and also no black/brown wires.
So either the wiring was changed for '00 or the color has faded due to heat. Can you tell me which pin and which plug this wire is attached to, assuming we have a 21-pin plug?
Roland

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

QUESTION: Hi again.
When this happens, the gauges are dead. The "Alarm set" blinks and so does the Brake. I think the ABS is lit up all the time. And there is this "ding ding" sound all the time.
Another thing i've noticed is that the "thing" you control the heat with, gets very very hot sometimes. If you put your fingers at the red/blue you almost burn the fingers. Well maybe not burn, but it gets very hot.

The panel has 3 connetors.
One for the rear fan, one for the "front" fan, and then this big connetor.
If you look at the PANEL, the connetor has 2 rows of pins.
The burnes cable connects at the lower row, at the right end, if you look at the PANEL.

//Krister

Answer
Hi Krister,
The alarm 'set' blinking and the ding-ding has the characteristics of your having an alarmed theft system. I would try to lock/unlock the other front door so as to disarm the system (assuming that when you last shut down the van you used either the door key, the power door locks, or the remote to lock the doors which sets the alarm). The key lock on the side you normally use to enter the van may have a broken wire so that you aren't disarming the system, which when you then try to start it causes the engine to die after a couple of seconds. If you want to avoid the whole problem, when you exit the van, only use the mechanical push-buttons to secure the doors. Then the alarm won't be armed. It is possible to correct the problem but this will avoid it for now.
On the heater/ac, it is not shown how the plug is oriented in the chassis, but the two end wires of the 10-pin side are white/red (rear window defogger relay control), brown/pink (ignition feed to rear wiper), and the ends of the 11-pin side are orange (panel lamps) and black/light green (ground). The left temp knob gets hot because it is attached to a variable resistor as is the right temp knob, but I can't be sure whether that is normal or not.
See if any of the above is useful to you. I doubt that the heater/ac panel is related to your no start situation.
Recall that I have to work from a '98 manual.
Roland