Blowing the main fuse to ECU everytime I turn the key

[douglas vincent]

1990 Legacy.

So I pulled the motor out and replaced a piston this weekend.

Reinstalled the motor Sunday. Fired it up about 10-15 times with it still on jack stands until today, when I set it down, AND CLOSED THE HOOD.

Then I turned the key and the 30 amp fuse popped. Scrounged another and stuck it in. Made it down the block. pop. pulled it out, replaced it. pop.

Went and found some more fuses (they are $3.99 each!). Replaced fuse.

Drove about 40 blocks, and 1.5 blocks from the shop, pop. Replaced fuse. pop.

I am out of fuses. :rolleyes:

So.....This is the fuse for the power to the ECU. I must have a short somewhere, but when i use the multi-meter, nothing shows up...

Any ideas?

and yeah, I am going to have to tear out the underside and ECU to check ALL the wires.

[evolutionmovement]

30 Amp. Eesh. Look for any damage on the motor side first. That's the likely problem with all the engine pullings possibly abrading or cutting a wire. Not likely to be anything under the dash unless you were messing around under there. This is probably nothing you haven't thought of.

As an aside - I usually grab a few handfuls of fuses whenever I go to JYs. Now I have more than I'll hopefully ever need. Then again, we'll see after I wire up the new car.

[douglas vincent]

Tore apart the entire fuse holder to figure out what goes where. ie I need a new one now.

Still havent tracked it down. I suspect this is going to take a LONG time. I prefer blown pistions.

[evolutionmovement]

I hear you. I hate electrical issues almost as much as body work. Good luck finding the problem.

[douglas vincent]

It was a injector wire. They are hot hot hot off of the ignition relay. But before I figured it out, I fried the ignition relay, so off the to the junkyard to salvage an ECU, and the three main relays that are situated up there.

It runs again.