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No start, starter fuse 59 blows whenever I try. Help!?
Ok so my problem started yesterday at work car wouldn't start. Traced it down to the starter relay fuse 59. Started right up and multiple times after that so went on with my day. Go to leave for work today and same fuse is blown except when I replace it I blow another one and another. I went up to 25a fuse and it blew that. Checked codes and there were tons but the ones that stuck out the most are in the pictures. I removed my battery control module for inspection... (Side note I was having batter consumer malfunction so I took a lil wire brush to them a few days ago.) In my inspection I see I bent one of the pins down and there were some small wires that fell off the brush down in there too so that must have caused a short circuit in the bcm... I bent the pin back up and it goes in the plug fine again but still blowing a fuse. I removed the power to the starter to see if it was the starter that short circuted but even then it blew the fuse when I tried to start it. I'm wondering if a short circuit in the bcm would cause the ecm, canbus, or voltage regulator to go bad or if my problem stayed isolated in the bcm. Any help would be much appreciated I've been reading all day and trying multiple (small things) to try and fix it with no avail. I don't want to start tearing up the seats to follow the wires if my problem is in the bcm,ecu, or somewhere else.
You said that you removed power from starter, I assume you're talking about the smaller wire from the relay, that goes to starter solenoid? If so, and fuse still blows, wire is grounded somewhere.
However, if you removed battery cable from the starter, you have a defective starter solenoid.
You said that you removed power from starter, I assume you're talking about the smaller wire from the relay, that goes to starter solenoid? If so, and fuse still blows, wire is grounded somewhere.
However, if you removed battery cable from the starter, you have a defective starter solenoid.
What engine and year, how many miles/kilometers?
Ok so I did remove the battery cable directly from the starter (I removed both of the cables) and it still blew the fuse. So I'd love to have it just be the solenoid but I can't find sense in your diagnosis, how is the solenoid blowing a fuse when it's not even connected? Especially with how I botched the bcm pins and all the sparadic codes?
You said that you removed power from starter, I assume you're talking about the smaller wire from the relay, that goes to starter solenoid? If so, and fuse still blows, wire is grounded somewhere.
However, if you removed battery cable from the starter, you have a defective starter solenoid.
What engine and year, how many miles/kilometers?
Ok so I did remove the battery cable directly from the starter (I removed both of the cables) and it still blew the fuse. So I'd love to have it just be the solenoid but I can't find sense in your diagnosis, how is the solenoid blowing a fuse when it's not even connected? Especially with how I botched the bcm pins and all the sparadic codes?
Like I said, if the cable between the solenoid and relay is disconnected from the solenoid and the fuse blows, it's grounding somewhere. Use multimeter to verify this, measure between the engine and the relay pin going to the starter (solenoid end removed), if grounded, you'll see continuity with the multimeter.
Ok so just figured I'd update after finding the issue. So after removing the solenoid wiring from the starter I didn't have contentedly so I was confused and started looking else where. Turns out the wire runs threw the engine (behind the alternator) and when I disconnected it the wire moved just enough not to be rubbing the engine anymore.... So I threw some electrical tape on it (also redid the ring connector because it didn't look the greatest and probably would be causing me issues down the road if I didn't) and boom problemo solved.!
and the pin I bent in the bcm is probably what was throwing all the codes but had nothing to do with my starter problem. I guess it was just a coincidence that it all happened at once and it just overwhelmed me. Lesson learned, always stick with the basics and don't over complicate things like I did.
Thank you for the help!
Last edited by Elijohn; Jul 30, 2023 at 02:42 PM.
Reason: Spelling
Great you found the the trigger of the short . However, you might not have solved the root cause of the problem.
Why? That wire should have never been rubbing against anything, even less the engine. Taping the wire has restored the wire protection, but it may rub again, and the short may be back. Perhaps worth looking for a broken snap, tie wrap, strap alomg its path and try to fix it so the wire is in its correct path again.
Tape will last long enough for me to get some more of that plastic wire tubing for extra protection. I'll definitely inspect it more and make sure everything is buttoned up safe and sound. I was just happy when I found it and it was a huge relief I didn't have to keep looking and now I can go to work tomorrow yay lol. But definitely realized I have lots to learn when it comes to diagnosing electronics.
So after I thought I solved my problem my car was starting up and driving fine for 2 days.... Go to start it this morning and BAM ANOTHER BLOWN FUSE! i thought no way did the tape wear off but started digging around anyway. Everything checked out fine with the continuity test. No beak in the line and no short to ground. So maybe it's inside the starter and it just decides to work after I banged it around a bit taking to lines off and putting them back on. (At least I'm hoping). I guess I'll be replacing the starter tomorrow. I have a warranty on it so if that's not it than no harm no fowl but then I have to start looking else where. Ugh. What a head ache.
Be careful of noticing what you touch, and what you move around since that may help find the offender. Is it still blowing the fuse 59?
If you take a DVM
1 - Remove the offending fuse, and with the ignition ON, you should be able to measure @12V on one of the fuse box pin/latch for 59, and nothing on the other.
2 - Once you have identified the non-voltage side, you can put your DVM in continuity mode (with the annoying and helpful beep),
3 - Connect one of the wire to the non-voltage leg and the other to a good ground on the body/engine and it should beep, correct? it is shorted.
4 - With patience and beep ON, you can start moving, disconnecting wire as you move from the fuse box to the starter
5 - When the BEEP goes OFF, Stop and review what you just did. The offender is nearby.
Be careful of noticing what you touch, and what you move around since that may help find the offender. Is it still blowing the fuse 59?
If you take a DVM
1 - Remove the offending fuse, and with the ignition ON, you should be able to measure @12V on one of the fuse box pin/latch for 59, and nothing on the other.
2 - Once you have identified the non-voltage side, you can put your DVM in continuity mode (with the annoying and helpful beep),
3 - Connect one of the wire to the non-voltage leg and the other to a good ground on the body/engine and it should beep, correct? it is shorted.
4 - With patience and beep ON, you can start moving, disconnecting wire as you move from the fuse box to the starter
5 - When the BEEP goes OFF, Stop and review what you just did. The offender is nearby.
with a broken fuse in #59 the right side has voltage left does not (hey in third position). With volt meter on ohms when touching one lead to shock bolt and other to right side of blown fuse it has continuity (0.00 ohms. Full circuit. Is it supposed to be a full circuit?) Now when touchin left side (non voltage) it's overloaded, therefore not short circuited correct? So my problem is elsewhere.i checked relay. Looked fine. Also switched out with two other identical ones and fuse still blew everytime. I'm really leaning toward starter and or battery. I bought the battery new around November but it dropped from 12v to around 9 when testing the starter. Also starter solenoid spun but did not engage (move up). Could be the bad battery. But my battery was barely at 12v when I did this test. It was at 12.4 this morning when I started messing with it trying to get it to run so I could go to work.. I could have taken my bike but it's supposed to rain tomorrow and wanted to get it done now. Also thought my problem would be right where it was last time and I just didn't do a good enough patch job but that wasn't it.
Bad battery won't blow the fuse. Also, you can't find the short using multimeter on the fuse, because fuse is before the starter relay. You'll have to pull the relay, and measure from the relay pin 3 to the engine block. Using spade terminal on the relay socket helps (picture). From the relay pin 3, wire goes to the connector I9 pin 3, which is located right under the starter relay on the SAM.
Bad battery won't blow the fuse. Also, you can't find the short using multimeter on the fuse, because fuse is before the starter relay. You'll have to pull the relay, and measure from the relay pin 3 to the engine block. Using spade terminal on the relay socket helps (picture). From the relay pin 3, wire goes to the connector I9 pin 3, which is located right under the starter relay on the SAM.
makes sense. I will get one of those connectors or rig something up. I'm no electrician so I don't have all this stuff just handy. But I will try it. Could be a faulty from pin to connector? I located the solenoid wire where it plugs into the SAM (connector I9, pin 3?; The purple wire) tand everything tested fine from there.
New starter.. still wouldn't start but it stopped blowing a fuse. Figured battery was too low. So I tried jumping it. Still didn't crank. So I started wiggling the jumper and all the wires around all ***** nilly like and tried again, it started right up.... bad connection on my positive battery terminal, it was tight on the terminal but the wires going in weren't tight enough I guess. (I always unhook the neg terminal so don't mess with the pos too much).so I guess I don't know if my starter was ever bad or it was a slightly loose connection on the battery the whole time! Lol crazy how much I over complicated a damn starting issue ugh smdh 😖. You live you learn 🤷.
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. However, you might not have solved the root cause of the problem.
