Electrical Gremlins - short IN fusebox?

[Hoffman Anthony J A1C 552 CMS/MXMVC]

Dave Kase wrote:
>>>>After getting my 1990 Coupe back on the road after a fender bender, I am
having some electrical problems.

>>>>I drove the car for about a week after being repaired and painted when
the #12 fuse blew.  I replaced it and it blew again after about 5 minutes.
Now it blows >>>>immediately when the car is turned on.

I recently helped a friend troubleshoot a similar problem in the fuel pump
circuit.

>>>>This fuse controls many things like the instruments and auto-check
items.  While troubleshooting the problem I unplugged the connector from the
bottom of the fuse >>>>box.  When I did this, I found that the non-hot side
contact in the fuse box was grounded!  It did have about 150 ohms resistance
but it still has continuity.

>>>>Any suggestions?  Anyone ever hear of a fuse box going bad internally?

Sounds like you are on the right track. The next step is to "backtrack" and
check the circuits that plug into the fusebox and are run off that fuse. The
manual will give you exact connector numbers (A6, E14, for example) that run
off that fuse if you follow the wire runs. You want to unplug the
connector(s), and check each "leg" that comes off that circuit. If for some
reason it is intermittent (doesn't sound like yours is) you can fuse each
leg seperately. Whichever one blows with the car running, or driving if
necessary, is the bad one.