So here is my story. I have a 1997 Sebring convertible and I took out my back seats and passenger seat to clean out the interior. With all of those out and all of the trash removed, I tried to turn on the car and see what it felt like without all of that extra weight in it, but to my surprise, the car didn't turn at all. The radio wouldn't turn on and the windshield wipers don't work either! The headlights do work though. What could this be? The car ran perfectly fine right before this. Could the removing the seats have anything to do with this?

 

Probably not.

The radio, ignition and wipers all require turning the key to work. The headlights do not. That should be a clue. You might want to start by checking the ignition switch.

 

How do I go by checking the ignition switch? Should I go buy a new one and replace it and see if the problem is fixed, or is there another way to see if that's the problem or not?

 

If you have access to a wiring diagram and a voltmeter, you can check to see if it's working properly. If not, then you could hire some one who has the tools and expertise or you could just buy a new switch and see if that cures the problem. Buying the new part might be the cheapest alternative. You might want to buy a manual, either a Chrysler shop manual or maybe a Haynes or a Chilton's to see what's involved and decide whether you and your toolbox are up to the task. A good repair manual will pay for itself in one repair job.

 

I have a Chrysler repair manual. I was looking through my fuse box and realized my Ign. fuel starter fuse had gone out, so after going to the store and buying new fuses, I had a friend try to jump start my car and the while trying to start the engine, it turned once and then blew the fuse again. I decided to try with the passenger seat in the car with the seat belt wire thing plugged in and jump started the car and it works perfectly. I guess without the passenger seat in the car, that open wire shorts out and blows the fuse. The car now runs and is being trickle charged since the battery had completely died while trying to figure out the problem. Thanks for the advise! Luckily it wasn't the ignition switch as that would have costed me around $25, and this fix costed me $3.45 for the fuses.