Chrysler Repair: Starter fuse blows (#8 in PDC):Breeze/Cirrus/Stratus, solenoid switch, starter solenoid

Question
Hello Roland,
I own a 97 Breeze with 2.4L engine
I'm a Land Rover tech with limited Chrysler experience.The 20 A fuse # 8 in the pdc always blows when I try to start the engine. I have swapped the relay
without any luck. To me this means that either I have a short cicuit between the relay or the starter is defective.
I was wondering if you have ever came across something like this. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer
Hi Yann,
That fuse is doing two things (two pathways to the starting system), related to the starter motor relay and starter motor solenoid. One branch goes thru the relay's switch contacts and on to the starter motor solenoid on the brown wire. The other branch goes to the ignition switch and in the start position of that switch goes to the activation coil of the starter relay, and the bottom end of that coil is then grounded when the trans is in neurtral or park.
You could check if the problem is with the starter solenoid switch by simply pulling the brown wire off at the solenoid and then trying to start the car. If it doesn't blow then the solenoid is your problem. If it blows then I would check the brown wire from the relay spocket (79) to the solenoid for a short and if nothing is found pull the starter relay and try it again. If it doesn't blow then I would replace the relay, which you already have done so forget that alternative. If it blows then I would check the yellow/orange wire (which is solid yellow when it leaves the ignition switch but changes color at a 16-wire black disconnect at the front of the juntion block under the dash, pin 8) that runs from the ignition switch (10) to the relay socket (81) via the junction block, looking for a short to ground along that wire.
That should troubleshoot the problem.
Roland