Chrysler Repair: 04 Chrysler Sebring: fuse #8 blows, chrysler sebring, blown fuse

Question
I have a 2004 Chrysler Sebring Touring convertable. I believe it's a V6. Yesterday, my car wouldn't start. It made no noise at all when I turned the key in the ignition. I had headlights but not turn signals, air conditioning but no radio. A mechanically inclined friend of mine found out that the fuse was blown, I think he said the starter fuse. It's a yellow fuse with a 20 on top. He replaced it and the car started just fine. He shut the car off and then tried to start it again a few minutes later but the new fuse had blown. Was it possible it was just a bad fuse or do I have a serious problem? Please help!

Answer
Hi Carly,
That #8 fuse is a real 'work horse'. It is involved with the starter motor, fuel pump, and 2 sections of the ignition switch which themselves supply 4 other fuses and the body control module.
Anyone of those or a combination could blow it if they were overloaded beyond the design basis. One thing to try that doesn't require a voltmeter and dismantling would be to open the fuse box in the engine compartment (where your friend found the blown fuse) and remove the starter relay and the fuel pump relay which are two of three in the front of the box (the one in the corner and the one in the midlle of the three). Then replace the fuse and see if it blows again. If not then we have to figure out which of the two relays is blowing it by putting them back individually and seeing which one causes the fuse to blow. Let me know which if that is the case. I think it is reasonable to expect that one or the other relay when put back in and the key tried will cause a #8 blow out.
If it blows with both relays removed, then we have to remove the 4 other fuses (14, 15, 17, 23 located in the box behind the left endcap of the dash) and likewise see which one(s) causes #8 to blow. If you have an volt-ohm meter you can measure the resistance of each fuse 'cold' side to ground as an indication of whether it is the cause of the blow out of #8, without having to buy so many fuses to replace after one blows. I doubt it is a serious problem, though someone thing has gone bad, but we have to find it.
Roland