Chrysler Repair: 1996 Plymouth Neon: short in fuel pump power supply circuit, fuel pump relay, plymouth neon

Question
I took my neon to a repair shop because it kept blowing the fuel pump fuse. they put in a breaker fuse so it would not blow and it would reset itself. but it keeps cutting out on me and they said i need to spend 2000.00 to put in new wiring harness.is this true i like the car so is there anything else i could try.

Answer
Hi Jim,
You didn't mention which fuse has been modified to a circuit breaker, but I suspect it is #21 in the power distribution center under the hood. Please verify that for me if you need to write back.
That fuse seems to be decicated to only the fuel pump, and its current goes throught the fuel pump relay to the pump on a darj green/white wire. My inclination would be first to try with a meter on that wire (after unplugging the fuel pump) to find out where the short to ground is happening by flexing the harness from the relay all the way back to the fuel pump. Then if found it could be repaired. An alternative would be to run a new wire along the harness (and protect it with a harness wrap) from the relay to the pump. That should cost about $5. It may be the pump is intermittently faulty, but you would find that out pretty quick if you provided an alternative wire to the pump after disconnecting the existing wire at the relay.
If it ran well with the new wire then the pump is ok.
That would be how I would suggest you do it. Let me know if you need more information or it I have the wrong fuse in mind. A new harness is a rediculous proposal.
Roland