Chrysler Repair: 1996 Chrysler T&C code 42, no start, inner fender, engine compartment

Question
QUESTION: Hello!!  Quick question, as I haven't had time to look into it much yet (Is WAY too cold out, and dark).  My son was driving our van and it just died.  His own description compared it to a fuel pump failure on a previous vehicle.  Once it was towed back home I checked the codes and it is reading a 42. I have NOT checked for fuel or spark in any way yet.  I have a neighbors that could likely just fix it, and both have readers, but both are out of town.  However, one called back and just happens to have a 1996 T&C in his garage he is working on for someone else, and to feel free to swap relays to see if it's the problem.

So, to make a long story a "little" shorter...  Where are the ASD and fuel pump relays?

If that doesn't do it, and one of them return home to help troubleshoot I may have more questions, but with spare parts 80 yards away would like to swap the relays and see if any progress.  Will I need to clear the code for it to start even if it was a relay?

Thanks for any direction you have!!!

ANSWER: Hi Scott,
I have a '95 and a '98 manual so I can't be sure which power distribution center is in the engine compartment of the '96.
But for '95 the box is on the left inner fender proper, and it has 4 relays inboard and 5 relays outboard in the box. The ASD is the frontmost inboard relay. On the '98, the pdc is long and narrow, on the left side also, but not on the fender but rather separated from the inner fender by the pcm. It has 10 relay sockets outboard and 5 inboard,  and the ASD is the rearmost outboard relay. So with that description I hope that you can proceed. Please let me know which type of pdc you find to be present in the '96 model by means of the 'thank and rate' tab wher there is a space to enter a comment.
Thanks,
Roland

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QUESTION: Roland,

It matched the '98 exactly.  Some were spots for spares, but the count and position an exact match.  It is also well marcked on the bottom of the cover.

When looking, I found the ASD relay, fuel pump relay, and EATX Shutdown relay all partially worked out of the socket.  The ASD relay felt VERY close to not being in at all.  I reseated them all, pushed down on all others, and still wouldn't start.

On a second inspection, in the third row away from the fender is all fuses.  The one marked "Engine" was blown.  I found in one of your previous posts... "Yes that fuse is for the automatic engine shutdown relay. It is drawn on by the exhaust sensor, coil pack, injectors, and generator (for the field coils) so any of those system could be shorting to ground and thus blowing the fuse."

However, I HOPE the relay itself being loose could have caused the fuse to blow.  Is that likely?  I had no spare fuse on hand, and unable to run out for one at the moment (work from home).  However, I found the wiper fuse in my '97 Ram matched.  I put it in the van and it starts again, without the fuse blowing right off anyway.  I did not want to risk driving, turning, braking and break down when only taking a lunch break.

Thanks for the help, a '96 matches a '98, and now just wondering the odds on the loose relay being the root cause and culprit, or if I'm just biding time until something else shorts and blows it again.

Answer
Hi Scott,
That is good news. And thanks for clarifying the type of PDC. I don't have any strong opinion about the fuse blowing again due to the loose relays, but why not carry a spare fuse to be ready. The intermittent connection caused by a loose relay might have induced some current spikes that blows the fuse.
Roland