The wire that feeds the fuse box is already a jump from the battery - it's only like a foot long., much to my dismay at the number of times I've nearly shocked myself having that big live positive so close to the ground terminal on the battery... eek - not much room for my big hands whenever I remove/replace the fuse for my amp in the little confined space.
-N

 

even if it was the starter he would at least see interior lights come on

 

I was more thinking the feed to the interior fuse box

 

Some people have no sense of humor... do people even read emoticons anymore?
-N

 

i'm just an ***.

 

I think I have it pinpointed, and I don't like where it's pointing to! News at 10.

 

Ok, so I finally had a chance to work today. I tested wires individually, and, long story short, it came down to the area of the 60 amp fuse in the engine fuse box. The post that connects the 12 power wire (the "dead" one) to the 60 amp fuse also seems to take power to the whole fuse box itself from looking at the underside of the stupid thing. Anyway, I connected the power wires bypassing the engine fuse box and got normal voltage, but when I connected them THROUGH the fuse box I got nothing. Tested for resistance and got some ridiculously high numbers (something in the 30's or 40's). Apparently something connected through this particular point is touching ground from the looks of things, because as I understand it I should not get resistance in any power wires. Anyone got any tips or suggestions for narrowing down the culprit further?

 

sounds like a ground. no ground = no nothing.

If you have some power, something would have lit up.

 

So you've found resistance between what two points? Is it from the 12V input to the fuse box and then to the 12V backplane in the fuse box or something else? I wonder how hard it would be to replace the fusebox itself, in case perhaps a backplane in it got cracked or something...

Is there much custom wiring around that fuse box for whatever your mods/electronics are that may be the culprit? If you pull the fuses, do they mostly all have a solid +12V side and a ground side or are most of them apparently broken in that respect?
-N

 

I pulled all the fuses and they all looked pristine. The resistance was between (bear with me here) the post in the engine fuse box that connects the power wire to a 60amp fuse, right before it leaves the fuse box for the interior of the car. It's the foremost fuse (yellow with tabs on the side and a bead in a window in the middle) when you're looking at the engine fuse box. I wish I had my digital camera. It'd really help. I lost the little bastard though.

 

Is there any particular fuse in the engine box that supplies all the power to the interior lead? Perhaps that's the one that is giving a resistance then? I imagine without one going to the interior at all to power the ignition wires and all, the entire car would appear as electronically dead as yours does... and it would explain the resistance... Try seeing if any of the big fuses actually have a resistance. Fuses shouldn't have any resistance but maybe one of them is just really bad or something... if not, then the box somewhere has got a fault and needs replacement. I'm not sure how you break a fusebox, but I don't really see another explanation.
-N

 

I intend to replace the fuse, but I think there's actually resistance coming from somewhere in the fuse box. I'll pull em and test em all again as soon as I can. It seems like a fuse broke without breaking if such a thing is possible.

 

Hobie,
Sorry dude the yellow fuse is a wild goose chase. That fuse is the number one fuse; it only supplies power to the blower motor relay, the defogger relay and the OBD2 connector.

“The post that connects the 12 power wire (the "dead" one) to the 60 amp fuse also seems to take power to the whole fuse box itself from looking at the underside of the stupid thing”

Umm, it does!!
Are you saying that the power lead (in the vinyl tubing from the battery terminal block) is “dead”?! So no 12V at the stud end of the “yellow fuse”? If so, check the power lead resistance, from that stud to battery terminal block. You can unbolt it from the battery terminal (it looks like you can unbolt it) and unbolt it from the stud on the fuse box for a better inspection (make sure your battery is disconnected before you unbolt anything).
If you do have 12V at the stud, your problem is in the fuse box and most likely spot is (but not confined to) the joint between the stud and the bus bar underneath.
Good luck.

 

Awesome. Well, sucky, but awesome that we're getting somewhere, and as usual I appreciate all the input. I passed out yesterday after classes so hopefully today I can keep my lazy *** awake and spend some quality time with the Lancer. I'll try to test more tonight.

 

damn Andrew...there always a problem with your car. I'm not really good at expaining electrical problems, i'm better at just trying to fix them (actually extreamly good). If you can't figure it out and you got some free time I can stop by if you want and take a look at it. I think i've had more electrical problems with this car then anyone else.

If me or no one can figure it out you might have to narrow it down as much as possible and just say f' it and run in new power wires. There might be a break, pinch, corrosion, short, whatever that you can't see and they only way to get around that is to just jump one wire at a time with a new piece and see if that brings power the the system.

Also you said that the engine did crank a few times then just died. That means that there must have been very high resistance somewhere, and when that happens you have very low current. You might want to try a voltage drop test from your battery to any power wire end when you have the car off, on, and when you try to crank the engine. If your voltage is greater then .5v across that power wire then it is NO good (too much resistance) and must be replaced.

IM or give me a call if you can't figure it out 732-801-3671