Keep blowing engine fuse #13, 20 amp fuse

[TJC]

I have the same exact symptoms that was happening to Danger DANJ here https://thegalantcenter.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=57280 I don't know what's causing the short because replacing fuse #13 in the engine bay when the car is cold lets it start up and run for 5 minutes or more then it blows the fuse while the engine is running or when trying to restart after the engine is warmed up.

I've replaced the cap and rotor last and also all the spark plugs. I think was causing this is because I sprayed the air intake plenum with tons of engine cleaner and didn't wait for all that oil residue and engine cleaner to dry up or drain out. I've realized this when I reinstalled the air intake manifold and saw the stuff leaking out of the throttle body. I wipe what I could see and thinking that if I running the engine for 5-10 minutes that all that stuff would flush out. Well, it's obvious either messed up a sensor somewhere or there's a coincidence of a frayed/melted/exposed wire causing a short somewhere.

I've even tried leaving the sensor on top of the air intake manifold, the one on the throttle body, and the plug under the throttle body unplugged to see if that might be the cause of the short. Unfortunately, after the car is warmed up and it blows the first fuse, unplugging these did not stop subsequent fuses from blowing.

Can someone tell me what exactly would cause fuse #13 to blow?

Thanks.

[fliegendaffe]

what is the label of fuse #13?

[TJC]

what is the label of fuse #13?

Engine.

[TJC]

UPDATE:

I bought a box full of fuses to test, LOL. Anyway, this time warming up the engine smoke rises out of the Engine bay. Shut off the engine and find out the fuse 13 is starting to melt but didn't blow yet. Inspect smoke and find that it's a wire that was really heating up and maybe melted but can't tell underneath wire jacket. Trace wire and find that it's one that leads to one of the O2 sensors on right side of engine (Calif. spec) so many O2 sensors =(

I unplugged the hot O2 sensor and engine starts and continues running but now more smoke from driver side. Stop engine again and inspect. Old brittle cracked water hose leaking... thank god only steam this time, LOL. Looks like a trip to the autopart store for water hose. Small 5/8" water hose was spraying water on the wire harness that goes to the distributor (that can't be good, LOL).

So can a fouled up O2 sensor blow engine fuse 13?

Will give you more updates as more is done....

[QnzMostWanted]

I beleive DANJ's solution was a bad o2 as well

[TJC]

Okay, was just under the car to traced the hot O2 wire down to the O2 Sensor and found the wire cover was moved up and away from where it used to cover the strands of wire all the way down to the O2 sensor itself. And right near the sensor, there is a metal tab that you can pinch down to hold the wire in place; well this is where the wire strands to the O2 sensor was exposed. I used to have headers (many years ago) so the O2 sensor wires are not entirely factory and have been extended and left that way (now just coiled up). Anyway, that O2 sensor was also lose in it's socket so the vibrations from it being lose must have also attributed to the wires rubbing against this metal tab wire holder. When I have more time, I'll take out the whole length of wire and inspect it thoroughly and test and replace as necessary.

[TJC]

Tested car for 15 minutes with everything plugged in except for the suspecting O2 sensor and everything is okay. Did several restarts and that's fine too. Ordered new OE O2 sensor for right rear Calif. spec. and that should do it. Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. :mrgreen:

[Rastus]

It happened to me. The wires to the crank position sensor rubbed on a pulley and shorted out and blowing the fuse. There was a recall on that. Sometimes it will give you a code PO335 or 340.


I just realized this is an old post. Did you fix it yet?