Yup. Proper testing may help!! The ignition coil fuse protects a rather nasty circuit - the fuel pump relay, alternator, ignition coil, instrument panel gauges and lights, main relay, noise suppressor condenser, o2 heater, warning alarm controller, stoplamp switch in the auto tranny and daytime running lights, if you have them. Be happy that your short is not intermittent, which is a real nightmare. The circuit runs off the black/white wire. You may be lucky and find that your o2 heater is shorting out on the hood of the car. Or may be unlucky in that the break in insulation/short is something quite hidden.

 

The alternator is roughly a year old and currently, if I leave the battery connected, it drains rather quickly even with the fuse blown & ignition switch disconnected. I don't have daylights & it's a 5 speed. One other thing, the girl that I bought it from says that she had a diagnostic done on it (it's been about 2 years now) for the engine light being on. She said that it was the O2 sensors which she didn't have the money to replace. For the length of time I've had the car, the engine light has been on the whole time, and hasn't seemed to effect the way the car has ran.
I'm trying to narrow down the possibilities as I don't know much about the newer car like this (my '85 Jeep is easier to figure out) and I live in the country so there's not much help around.

 

Try disconnecting the O2 sensors, you may have a shorted heater. You can do a diagnostic yourself by pulling codes using a jumper in the monitor coupler:

Check Engine Light

 

Just tried the unplug & play method with the O2 sensor. Turned the key & the fuse blew again. So, there's another item marked off the list.
I don't believe that it's a short in the wiring for the simple aspect that the car was parked when it did it the first time. However, this thing has proven me wrong before.
I'll pick up some more fuses & continue the unplug & play and see if I can narrow it down further. Having a list of components that run off that circuit is a big help. Now it's a matter of find those connectors.

 

Made the circuit your chasing clearer (same on 8v or 16v)

 

Thank you! I'll put it to use my next day off & it hasn't been easy finding a good wiring diagram.

 

Use a test light, instead of a box of fuses. See post 2 here:
http://www.suzuki-forums.com/suzuki...idekick-escudo-vitara-geo-tracker/153833-fi-fuse-blowing-ignition-key-turn.html

 

Thank you, Bex. I already have one made, but, unfortunately, it didn't dawn on me to use a test light. It'll still be a couple of days before I can get back to it though.
I appreciate all the help you guys have given me, the locals don't seem to know much about it.
I'll let you know how it goes on Tuesday.

 

I appreciate all the help you guys have given me tracing down this problem. I feel like an idiot right now since I've had the part before & didn't think that it was the problem on hand at the time (the slow start issue) so I sent it back. Low and behold, it is the clutch switch. I started looking for any black & white wire, saw that, & disconnected it. The key has been on for almost 20 minutes and the fuse is still intact. New part will be here later this afternoon.

 

I didn't realize that there were 2 clutch switches for this. I disconnected the lower one & no more blowing fuses. So curiosity got the best of me & I took the switch apart. Didn't see anything burnt, put it back together, & hooked it back up, but didn't put it back in. Pressed the clutch & she started like she never went down. Is it the lower switch, the upper switch, or the oil-like substance that I drained out of the alternator plug? I'm clueless on this one....

 

I didn't realize that there were 2 clutch switches for this. I disconnected the lower one & no more blowing fuses. So curiosity got the best of me & I took the switch apart. Didn't see anything burnt, put it back together, & hooked it back up, but didn't put it back in. Pressed the clutch & she started like she never went down. Is it the lower switch, the upper switch, or the oil-like substance that I drained out of the alternator plug? I'm clueless on this one....

 

Where are the two clutch switches? I am only aware of one, on the firewall that is depressed when you depress the clutch pedal. Interestingly, it is not on the ig-coil circuit....????

 

Bex, this one is a Japanese JLX model, it has local automotive electricians baffled. There's one at the top of the clutch pedal up behind the dash that has to be closed & one lower and more visible that has to open for it to start. The lower one has a black & white wire going to it. I don't understand it either. If I can figure out how to upload the picture, I will in a bit.

 

Interesting. We all have the clutch safety switch at the top of the footwell, that needs to be depressed by the pedal - but the lower one that needs to be opened is interesting. Would like to see a photo - if you go into reply, as though you were writing a post, and go halfway down the page, you will see 'manage attachments'. Click on that button, and a page will open that will allow you to browse through your computer, pick the photo, and upload it to the forum.

 

My model employs two clutch switches...one for start safety, the other dictates Cruise Control interaction.

 

Armed with this info I've revised the diagram:thumbsup:

 

My car uses the Fred Flintstone cruise control program, made much easier now that I have no floorpans.....

 

Well, I forgot to get the promised picture before I decided to take off into town earlier. Made it 25 miles & the fuse blew again. She's now currently sitting at the shop that put put the alternator in last year due to the oil INSIDE the plug. Baffling since there's no oil leaks over there.

I will get the promised picture when I get it back & I will let everybody know what the actual problem was for future reference.

 

For what it's worth, and while I don't ascribe much to anecdotal information, I had an intermittent ig-coil fuse problem a few years ago. The black/white wire running to the alternator, while looking great from above, had the slightest break in the insulation underneath. It was close to, but not touching any metal, but during humid/rainy days, the slightest bit of moisture would close that circuit between the wire and the metal underneath, and blow the fuse. Intermittents are a pia, and you really need to do the 'wiggle test' on each circuit to try to find the problem. Sorry that your problem remains...

 

I'm hoping that it has to do with the oil getting inside that clip, just a matter of finding out *how* the oil got there.

 

Well, some good & bad news on my Sidekick.... Most likely it's the pickup coil (ignitor) but finding just that piece without having to buy the whole distributor is where I'm having problems now.

 

Ignition coil & relay, there are after-market parts for. The pickup coil in the distributor itself seems to be the problem & the only way to get it is with the entire distributor. I finally found a part number. (not the one I was looking for) and going to call for a cross reference to see what other vehicles may have used that particular distributor (which happens to be a Mitsubishi part).

 

Something like this......

 

Yes! That's the critter causing me headaches right now! Finding just that here in the states, even at scrap yards, has proven to be highly improbable. Everybody wants to sell me the whole distributor and some places have even suggested that once this part goes out, typically something else will go wrong with the distributor itself (which is not the case with Chevy or Fords). What's the US dollar amount? Where do I need to go to get that? Will they ship international? And how quick can I get it?

 

Excuse my ignorance, but from the above, it appears that this part is the same as what is connected on the firewall of the 8v models. My igniter is not in my distributor, but is just under the ignition coil. The above seems to indicate that the 8v and 16v part for this is the same. Suzuki still sells this (for about $500) but, if it is the case that the 8v part is compatible, you should be able to find this on an 8v in a junkyard, sitting right on the firewall, without having to deal with the distributor at all.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but from the above, it appears that this part is the same as what is connected on the firewall of the 8v models. My igniter is not in my distributor, but is just under the ignition coil.

On your 97 both the igniter and coil will be built into the distributer.

 

Just Google for J811 ignition module, there is one on eBay:

j811 ignition | eBay