Read this before installing an aftermarket header.

[93legacylsleeper]

So i was driving along today and my car completely died on the highway. The check engine light did not come on and I pulled over. The car will turn over but not start and the E/G IGN SRS airbag fuse keeps breaking. I replaced the fuse and got the car to start and dive once but only for about 30 feet. I know a wire is obviously shorting out because every time i turn the key to the on position the fuse breaks. Any ideas for where to start looking??? Has anyone encountered this before??? Thanks in advance for any Info...

[ericem]

Have anything aftermarket like a alarm?? Make sure nothing is tied into that circuit.

[93legacylsleeper]

No alarm. The fuse controls the check engine light. If I replace the fuse and turn the key on it breaks the fuse and the car will not start. This is a total bummer cause my baby is sitting in a random parking lot on the shit side of town...Nightmare.

[asotwavb]

If you own a DVOM or similar you can start by doing voltage drops on the circuit you beilive is shorting out

[93legacylsleeper]

Unfortunatly I dont own anything like that. To be honest I wouldn't know how to use it if I did. Still trying to think of what it could be....The fuse is related to the check engine light for sure, if the fuse is out the CEL won't even come on. The car will crank and everything just not fire.

[SubyFusion]

Put foil across the fuse bottom and drive the car home!

[93legacylsleeper]

Wait... how do I do this? Put foil around the contacts for the fuse?

[SubyFusion]

Ya just wrap it around the bottom contacts, and see if you can at least make it home, to do some diagnostics lol

[asotwavb]

Careful with that though....fuses usually blow for a reason....

[93legacylsleeper]

Is this safe? Won't this cause wherever I'm getting a short to get worse? I just don't want this car to burn down its my baby...

[93legacylsleeper]

Yeah I think I'm just gonna try to get it towed and take things from there I was just trying to avoid the $175 tow charge... I wish I could just figure out whats causing this... Im guessing its a wire that must have shorted out on my exhaust or something. I Just got done re-installing my aftermarket Header, Up-pipe, down pipe, TD04 and TMIC. I had the MBC set to 11 PSI...

[magicmike]

Yeah I think I'm just gonna try to get it towed and take things from there I was just trying to avoid the $175 tow charge... I wish I could just figure out whats causing this... Im guessing its a wire that must have shorted out on my exhaust or something. I Just got done re-installing my aftermarket Header, Up-pipe, down pipe, TD04 and TMIC. I had the MBC set to 11 PSI...

There is a harness that runs very close to aftermarket headers. its on the front passenger side just behind the radiator on the very bottom. Mine looked to be a little melted from when I had my aftermarket header on. Also, put your stock header back on if you want any torque at all.

[93legacylsleeper]

Yeah thats exactly what happened. The wire that connects the fans grounded on my header. I actually added a bunch of other stuff but i really like the top end difference. I see what your saying about the torque though. Would just the header make a big difference? It definitely sounds a lot more mean!!

[magicmike]

Damn I'm good. Seriously come on give me some props people. diagnosing a melted wire from 3000 miles away! ok I'm impressed at least

And yes, after having an after market header on for a couple of years and then going back to stock (when the header broke) I noticed a difference right away. Also, many say to never install aftermarket header in the first place.

[ericem]

Your the man Mike!

[93legacylsleeper]

Yeah Props for sure...Ok so I fixed the wire that melted but the E/G IGN fuse under the dash still pops every time I turn the key to the on position... Usually I have to wiggle my key in the ignition while trying to start it. Could it be the ignition where the key plugs in be shorting out??? Should i just replace the whole relay? Is there any way to test this? This is a total bummer as this is my DD. Thanks for all the help guys I really appreciate it!

[magicmike]

A blown fuse is usually only caused by a direct short to ground. I'd trace every circuit that is on that fuse by looking at the schematic. I doubt its a relay and I don.t recall ever seeing a faulty key cylinder blowing fuses. Did you see if maybe more than one wire got melted on that harness? Maybe a couple of wires got melted together?

[93legacylsleeper]

Cool well it looks like I found it, A couple of the wires going to the coil had some copper showing... They're were some other connectors in the same bundle from the harness. I re-wrapped everything in electrical tape individually and then all together and it seems like the problem could be fixed. The only issue now is that only my drivers side fan turns on. Is this fan sufficient for cooling needs? I've read that the smaller fan is for when the A/C is run which I never use. Once again Props to Mike...

[Legacy777]

Did both fans come on at the same time before?

They should. There's a little connector near/below the passenger headlight. It's called the sub-fan short connector and is used to tie the main fan to the a/c fan and have both on at the same time. See if you can find that connector. It's supposed to be "jumpered"

[93legacylsleeper]

Yeah both fans used to come on at the same time. Either way only one fan comes on now and the temp has never been too hot on the gauge. I still have to check for the connection your talking about. I also switched back to a stock WRX exhaust manifold and MagicMike Was Correct again. The Stock Exhaust manifold is WAY better than the Aftermarket UEL header. Plus it is no where near the wiring anymore. BIG plus. So between this and the Group-N engine mounts I just installed I'm pretty happy with the car again. Seems like the electrical problem is gone.