Hello,

I have a problem w/ my Sebring LXI; the Ignition SW fuse keeps blowing as soon as I turn the key...

I did have it started yesterday, but then drove it to the bottom of the driveway where it shut off again, and the fuse blown...

The way i got it started, I disconnected the negative battery terminal, replaced the blown fuse, re-connected the terminal, then it started... but since i drove it to the bottom of the driveway, it doesn't do that anymore...

Any suggestions before taking it to the garage and end up w/ a huge bill??

Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Could be lots of things. Exactly which fuse is blowing? You have stated 'ignition switch', but many things go through the ignition switch, and many of them have their own fuses. If the fuse that blew is for the ignition, then a bad coil is possibly the cause, but it could be bad wiring leading to the coil.
That's the problem with these things. There are many possibilities. If you don't want to pay somebody to track this down, you should consider investing in a shop manual for your car which will have the necessary wiring diagrams. You'll also need a decent volt-ohm meter and a maybe a test lamp or two, and lots of patience.

 

Well, it really can't be lots of things... Cuz that is the ONLY fuse that's blowing... and here's the kicker... It started last night, I didn't do anything except for disconnecting the battery, replacing the blown fuse, and re-connecting the battery... Yet, that didn't work on Saturday when I had it started, and drove it down the driveway for it to stall on me again...

It's the Ignition SW MOD Fuse under the hood, Fusible Link #5; I have a book, bought it Sunday...

This sux very much... I can't re-create this at any given time, something happens that trips the fuse, and i'm not sure what that something is... What could it be, can you give me some options??

 

I have a book for the convertible and sedan, a regular shop manual. I assume your 2000 LXi is a coupe, which is a very different animal. You say you have a book for your car. Is it a shop manual or Haynes? If it's a shop manual, look in Chapter 8 for information on the Power Distribution Center (PDC). That's the fuse box under the hood. The fuses are numbered. It'll take a little digging to find the one that's blowing but you should be able to figure it out once you understand the way information is organized. Trace through the wiring diagrams to see what stuff is controlled by that fuse. Then you'll need to start checking the components and wiring on the car with the meter. You are looking for proper resistance for the components and an absence of shorts in the wiring.
If you bought a Haynes manual, it has some wiring diagrams but not complete because it tries to cover so many different models and years. It has fairly good coverage for the coupe. You might get lucky.
To be sure of the diagrams, you'll need the right shop manual for your car and year as published by Chrysler. You can order one here:

https://techauthority.gltghosting.co...atalogId=10051

 

Yes, I do have a "Haynes" book... It is a Coupe, and it's Fusible Link # 5.

I'm not very mechanically inclined, most of my work is done on the computer.

I went to advanced auto yesterday, and ordered a part for my ignition switch, not the tumbler itself, but the electronic part of that... might be called ignition module?!? not sure, it was $38.00 plus 9.00 for expedited shipping... If that's not the problem, oh well, it's $47.00, not that expensive...

It isn't many components that is controlled by that fuse, b/c most of those have their own fuses and they aren't blowing.

 

Wait a minute here. A "fusible link" is not a "fuse". A fusible link is a short length of wire that will melt if asked to carry too much current. You don't pop it out like a fuse. You normally need to cut it out and solder in a replacement. Fusible links generally blow at a fairly high current.
I assume you are referring to the "Fusible link 5" shown in Haynes on page 12-52. Among other things, it appears to feed the generator field coil. If it pops, you would have no power to your engine control computer either, thus no start.
On the other hand, if you are replacing fuses rather than fusible links, the the whole discussion of fusible link 5 is irrelevant.

 

NO, we are talking about a "Fuse"

But under the hood, on the fuse box itself, you know how it's labeled and what not... there's a big box outlining some fuses, named "Fusible Links" on the fuse box, and I'm going to have to check the manual tomorrow, a friend took it home to look at...

But please don't misunderstand me when I say it's Fusible Link 5, that's what the book called it... it doesn't call it the "Ignition SW" fuse...

But to reiterate, It's my Ignition SW fuse under the hood that keeps blowing... My battery died when I tried to start it on Friday, it started for a second but then stalled, b/c of not being ran for 3 weeks... So i tried to start it again, it cranked very slowly and i knew it wasn't going to start then I tried it again, just for kicks and giggles, and the fuse blew...

So, just trying to add as much as possible to diagnose this problem more efficiently.