1999 town and country

Question

QUESTION: I have a 1999 town and country. a few weeks ago the van was driving wierd and then all the lights started flickeriing and then the battery light came on and van died. had to get it towed home. we found out that the wiring harness was melted and had broken wires. we fixed the wires and van started up. it ran for about 2 weeks before it happened again. in that 2 week period it ran very rough and used alot of gas. i have fixed the wires again but now the fuel pump fuse keeps blowing out. the key isnt even in the igniation and it blows. i have found that the harness to the o2 sensor is melted can that be the problem causeing the fuse to constantly blow?

ANSWER: Hi Kathy, The oxygen sensors and the fuel pump are on separate fuses: the former are on fuse 17 while the latter is on fuse 16. However, if fuse 17 is also blowing out that also takes out the ignition coil pack, the injectors, generator and one source of power to the pcm. Beside the fuel pump relay that draws on fuse 16 when the relay is closed (so it shouldn't be the cause of the fuse blowing when the ignition is off), there is a red/white wire that comes out of pin 9 of the light green colored 10-pin plug of the power distribution box and goes to pin 46 of the pcm. That wire might be shorted to ground and blow the fuse 16 when the ignition is off. Otherwise the only way 16 would blow is if there is a short to ground inside the power box beteen fuse 16 and pin 30 of the fuel pump relay itself or the relay points could be melted shut and then the wire from the relay pin 87 to the fuel pump would have to be shorted to ground. Pin 30 is the inboard pin of the relay socket and 87 is adjacent to it. So check out all those possibilities. I trust that when you speak of the fuel pump fuse you mean fuse 16,correct? Please count the fuses and identify them by number if you have a follow-up question as that is how I show them in the wiring diagrams.

Thanks, for rating my answer. Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: can u tell me if anything else is on the circuit with the fuel pump

ANSWER: Hi Kathy, No, just the fuel pump motor proper (when the fuel pump relay is 'closed') and that red/white wire I described to the pcm which is connected to the fuse all the time. Roland If you would care to rate/nominate me again I would be most appreciative.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you but it is actually fuse number 4 in the fuse box under the hood. can the short be caused cause the wiring to the o2 sensor is not hooked up?

Answer

Hi Kathy,

What you called Fuse 4, counting the smaller fuses from the rear of the box, is actually fuse 15 and is exclusively for the electronic transaxle. True fuse 4 (counting from the front of the box) is for headlamps. Neither has nothing to do with the oxygen sensors which I said were on fuse 17 (counting from the front) and are unrelated to fuse 15 or 16. 

Roland