Chrysler Repair: #8fuse and starter motor, starter solenoid, backyard mechanic

Question
As A follow up on my 2000 chrysler sebring JXI convertible,
I'm not a mechanic I'm a builder of new homes, A friend of mine installed a used starter on my vehicle thinking it was a starter problem and not the battery. Upon turning the ignition switch the #8 fuse blows. please note battery was later checked and the battery was very bad, and new one was installed. This morning I disconnected the wires to the starter and the solienoid. I turned on the ignition switch, and this time the fuse didnot blow. Did I buy a bad used starter? Will anyway I'm going to try and put back my oringinal starter myself, can't find my backyard mechanic, Thanks Markis

Answer
Hi Markis,
The fuse #8 indeed sends current to the starter solenoid along a brown wire from the starter relay socket pin that is closest to the outside of the box. So unless the wire is grounded due to a short circuit between the pin and the solenoid, the solenoid must be no good. I would try disconnecting the brown wire at the solenoid of the starter motor and then try the ignition switch with the relay in its socket and see if the fuse still doesn't blow. If it doesn't then the solenoid is bad. If it does, then the wire itself is shorted to ground.
The fuse also powers the fuel pump relay, and a couple of other low current devices, so that is a bit of a wrinkle in this analysis, but unless one of those is drawing just a bit too much current it points to the solenoid.
Roland