Chrysler Repair: 00 Cirrus blowing fuse #5 behind the dash, fuse blows, fuse box

Question
Roland,

Last November I discussed with you the situation on our 2000 Chrysler Cirrus constantly blowing fuse #5.  You suggested some things for me to do however at that time the outside temps lowered and the fuse wasn't blowing.
So I decided to see if it would through Winter.  It didn't
until it got warmer this Spring.  Originally you suggested it might be an intermittent short or ground.  I'm thinking the intermittent ground/short wouldn't be the case anymore considering it is temp related.  Please consider this new piece of information if it may change the diagnosis.
Thanks,
Dave

Answer
Hi David,
When the fuse blows and you have a digital ohmmmeter on board I would go through the list of wires on the fuse box plugs, and do this immediately after the fuse blew so as to catch it "in the act". I know of nothing that would be electrically temperature dependent on that fuse.
Here is the list:
The plugs are on the back side of the fuse box. The front of the fuse box is accessible from the left side end cap of the dash, but I believe you will have to remove some of the dash to get them from under the dash*.  This is slightly revised from my earlier answer:

pin 12 pink/orange wire and pin 7 pink on the white 12-pin plug;
pin 11 pink/tan, pin 12 pink/white, pin 13 pink on the 16-pin gray plug;
pin 2 pink on the 8-pin black plug
pin 6 pink on the natural color 6 pin-plug

I would remove the plugs from their sockets to make these measurements.
*Remove the end cap, remove center bezel-4 clips (surrounds heater controls), remove cluster hood (tilt steering column down to lowest position, remove 3 screws under the central bezel,remove screw at left end of panel, pull on hood to disengage 8 clips). Remove left side knee bolster/silencer (remove 2 screws, slip silence off of outboard attaching formation) . Then you should be able to get at the various plugs.

Measure the resistance if each pin to a shiny metal chassis ground of each of the pins and tell me what they are. The closer to 0 ohms the reading is the more I would suspect that pin/wire.
I don't believe there is any short cut to figuring out which of all those wires is the one that is shorting the fuse out, and you will have to make the measurement at exactly the time when it has blown because it appears to be intermittent.
Roland