Yes, I replaced it with an identical fuse. I’m not sure which fuse blew, since the owner’s manual says that it’s for the horn, but the horn works fine.
When pulling the fuses this past Friday, I dropped one of the bigger ones and I’m not 100% certain that I put it back in the right place. Yesterday the car was running but the rear window defroster wasn’t. Or at least, the light on the button that indicates it is working didn’t work.
The mechanics have it now. They said that when they got the car yesterday, they put a new fuse in, and it started up right away. Since then they haven’t been able to recreate the problem.
The owner’s manual says that it’s for the horn, but the horn works fine.
Fuse #8 in the interior fuse box is for the horn, Fuse #8 in the PDC (under hood fuse box) is for the starter solenoid. I have replaced a few starters on Stratus/Sebrings for blowing this fuse.
Sedan, convertible or coupe?
Convertible
Hmm. Any idea what I should do now? The mechanics can’t recreate the problem, although the fuse was blown when the car was towed to them yesterday. It just won’t… you know… blow again. They haven’t charged much so far because they haven’t reached the point of pulling out wires and trying to track the short (since, basically, the problem doesn’t exist right now).
These guys are usually pretty good and reliable. Should I take it to a different mechanic? Is this a sort of job I might be able to work through on my own? Like, I mean, if I just take the car back and the fuse blows again while I have it. I’m not a trained mechanic, but I do know how to follow instructions.
Unless the trouble happens again and it stays bad then finding the trouble area can be hard to do. Even though there may just be one area labeled for the fuse like, ‘Horn’, fuses usually tie to a number of other circuits also. You need to find out what other places that fuse ties to in order to be able to find the problem area. If you want to work on this yourself then I suggest you purchase a wiring manual for the car to have as a reference guide. It is huge help in finding problems like this. I assume you already have some spare fuses in the car in case the trouble happens again. The trouble could be due to a problem under the dash but if there is a circuit in the engine area I would suspect that first. Perhaps a wire is touching the exhaust system or is being pinched somewhere.
Hey i have the same problem but my car is an 1987 dodge diplomat 5.2L 318 automatic transmition any help???
What have you tried?
Thanks for all the discussion here! I have a 2001 Sebring convertible with the exact same symptoms (full battery etc.). I have changed out ignition switches and starters on other family cars before and while it is not too hard I am not looking forward to spending any real time or money on this car right now. It has blown several interior fuses over the years but I have never had it impact starting before so I will take a look at the fuses under the hood. Even if I have to keep replacing the fuses (treating symptoms not the problem) I would much rather do that then spend money on a new car right now. Fuses are cheap and fairly easy to change!
Sure enough - looked at the fuses under my hood and a small 20amp yellow fuse was burned out. 30 minutes and a couple dollars later I popped in a fresh fuse and it started right up. Thanks again all!
(I found this youtube clip to be informative too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IvrmOJLjaY)
I had trouble with my 2000 Town and Country not starting. A few weeks ago my son called me at work to tell me the car would not start. When I got home, I was able to start the car on the first attempt. However, a few days later when I went into town, the car would not start when I was leaving the store. No starter noise whatsoever. Thinking that it was the ignition switch, I replace it. The car at first would still not start. Then after my 10th try it started. I got it home and parked it. Once I turned it off, it would not start again. Hmmm…what next! After several days of investigation, I come to find out that the ignition switch was slightly out of alinment. The switch was designed with only one screw to hold it in place. I tilted the back end of the switch and the car started when I turned the key. I took some zip ties and secured the switch in place. So far so good. I can only imagine I was having the same problem with the original switch before I changed it out.
Ugh my car does the same thing. Like today I drove it at 5pm…by 10 the car wouldn’t start. Battery is new. Alternator is good. So Idk any suggestions?
Did you look at the fuse #8 under the hood, as suggested in the previous postings?
Yup. I must have a parasitic draw. But I had a bunch of wiring already removed. It was working fine until it got cold. Now I have to put it on a charger every morning. Most irritating thing ever.
It could be a bad battery. New batteries can go bad, which i why they carry warranties. Have it load-tested, preferably where you purchased it.
I know that but that’s the 3rd battery I bought thinking the problem is the battery. The problem is still always there. Push Pontiacs…
How old is the starter? Toyotas are know for an ‘intermittent no-start’ caused by worn starter solenoid contacts.
The trouble you are having may be due to a bad connection to the battery and not the battery itself. See if the headlights work when this problem happens. If they light up okay then the trouble most likely is within the starting circuit. If the headlights don’t work and there is a high current draw on the battery then you need to hunt the trouble down. Pulling fuses one at a time in the panel under the hood while monitoring the current drain on the battery is the usual method to start the hunt. You need to be aware of things that need to go into the sleep mode for later model cars.
I have a similar problem the lights and dashboard lights work on my Honda 95 accord I checked the relays in the fuse box under the hood and they are clicking I heard the relays that run the fan to the battery should be 70 to 80 ampage and I have I believe 30 or 40 ampage one of the cases to The relays is warped like if it is melting I found the switch and it looks like it has some sort of a build up inside but I don’t think enough 2 be a problem at the moment the battery is not charged as it should be but when it was it still was not turning on I tried turning it on in neutral and it worked the first couple of times yet it would struggle to start a bit. Now it doesnt even make a clicking noise when I turn the key. Can anyone help me out with this? Im a teenage girl in college with only an aunt n grandma and neither of them would have any idea how to do this so im watching youtube and forums n dont want to waste too much money on repairs if its not neccesary.
@ProjectHonda, you really need to start a separate thread on your car problem. It would likely generate more response and keep things a bit clearer.
You’re in a bit of a spot here and it’s unknown how far you can go with any self-diagnosis. There’s not enough details known to make an accurate guess.
To get the ball rolling, you might turn on the headlamps, note if they appear to be bright or not, and then turn the key to the START position. Note if the lamps dim considerably. If so, there’s a battery or battery cable issue more than likely; assuming the starter solenoid engages.
How old is the battery?
Regarding the relay case appearing melted, that would more than likely be due to age and a worn fan motor drawing excessive current; assuming the relay in question is tied to the fan.