2002 Pt Cruiser Touring Edition Won't Start

For the second time to the day in as many weeks my Cruiser has fialed to
start. Stone dead. It ran beautiful up to this point. Last week the dealer
towed and found and replaced a blown ignition fuse in the engine
compartment fuse block. No cause was found and came back to me as a fluke.
Now a second time. Something is casuing it for the life of me. No
symptoms. no flash, noises, smell, strane behavior but yet it happens
after I shut it off and went to start it again. Nothing at all from
ignition since the fuse blew apparently on shut off or during the last
engine run. What can be the possible casue and what should dealer be
looking for if anyone knows. I would suspect the ignition interlock on
steering column or faulty starter but remember there is no prior symptoms
suggesting either. Nick

 

These are very difficult. The dealer should start by putting an ammeter in
series with the fuse and looking at the current being used by the circuit.
If it is not excessive (ie: 19 amps on a 20 amp fuse, etc) then it's
intermittent,
and it could be any electrical part on that circuit. Obviously a visual
exam of
the wiring harness that this circuit passes through is in order. if that is
OK then
they can try shotgunning it by replacing all ignition parts fed by this
circuit,
or they could splice in lower-amperage fuses into each part fed by this
circuit
and seeing which one of those blows. If none of them blows but the main
fuse still is blowing, then the wiring harness is at fault.

My guess is you have a pinched wire in the harness somewhere. Most of
these automakers have a hell of a lot to learn about proper routing of
wires,
they seem to take great delight in designing the harnesses so they are
inches from hot exhaust manifolds, are tightly bound over parts like valve
covers that need to be periodically removed, etc.

Ted

 

040724 2240 - var posted:

If you have the installed alarm system, maybe the key you are using does not
activate the sensor for ignition. If you have another key, try that and see
if it will fix the problem.

 

Which fuse is it? Our previous 95 Stratus 2.4L had a similar problem where
fuse 8 in the underhood fuse block (20A) would blow when starting. This
particular fuse controlled the starter. The starter was going south and the
increased load would blow the fuse. Initially, it would happen in maybe 1 in
30 starts. Subsituting a 25A fuse (not recommended) stopped the fuse from
blowing and helped me determine the starter was bad (one could then bang on
the starter and get the thing to engage without blowing the fuse). Replacing
the starter fixed the problem.

Good luck.

Bob

 

if you find another blown ing. fuse then the starter is drawwing too much
jui8ce and needs replacing