To preface this, my 22 y/o daughter called me Saturday morning @ about 8am (was hoping to sleep in). Said her 02 Hyundai Accent died. So I drove the 25 miles to where she was, and discovered the fuse for the ECM had blown (10 amp fuse). Replaced the fuse, car started right up. She drove it home, and around that day, no problems.

This morning @ 7am, get ANOTHER call. Yep. Car died. Asked her if she checked the fuse. Yep, blown. BOYFRIEND swapped it with the cig lighter fuse. 20 amp. Yep, that one blew too. So the @#%^#&^ rocket scientist wrapped the @#%$^&# fuse in foil and plugged it back in.

Well you guessed it. I show up after ANOTHER 25 minute ride - after searching through 2 truck stops to find a pack of micro fuses. Fortunately, Genius boy has departed just prior to my arrival. Just about every $^#&^ fuse in the car is blown, he must have tried them all. Replaced ALL the fuses with the correct ones. Turn the key on.........Nothing.

Checked the underhood fuses & relays, they looked good, battery had plenty of power.

Told my daughter that the purpose of the .02c fuse is to protect a $600 car computer. She's gonna learn an expensive lesson on that one.

Anyone in Hartford County MD know of a good shop????

No, but I know a good Hit-man...:) J/K

Sounds like it's time to let the kid have it and tell him you'll break his fingers off if he does something stupid like that again.

Tempted Dave, sorely tempted.

I feel for ya...but hey, you have a chevelle! That's awesome!

Something along those line happened to my 17yr. old sister's Pathfinder. My brother and I are 16 and 17yrs older than her. She looks to us for help with mechanical issues on her vehicle. So her truck won't start on day after school and she ask my brother for help. He checks it out and calls me. We discover over the phone the battery is old an no longer any good. He then goes to buy her a new one. Please keep in mind he's not a real mechanic and at times a little ass backward. So he hooks the battery terminals up on the 92 pathfinder "Backwards" and see's a spark, well you guessed it blew some fuses. Now he has to call my Dad to explain. MY poor sister! Well long story short it took a $75 dollar tow to fix a $10 problem with fuses. My father has asked us to no longer touch her vehicle. LOL!! Can't beat the guy for trying!!

Sid,
Give Peter a call on Monday AM. He is a regular on the iATN ( www.iatn.net ) forums and sounds like he runs a good shop. Tell him a fellow iATN member referred you.
http://www.iatn.net/dir/page/i/m/118450/t/b/index.aspx

Will do Bill, thanks!! Happy Easter!

"Son, it's time for you to find a new girlfriend" LOL

Just buy her another car, seems the $600 for a computer is more than the car is worth. ;)

I remember in the early 80's, my best friend bought a 72 Chevelle SS with an aftermarket 8 track player. Short time later, he had electrical fire due to the previous owner putting a bolt in for a blown fuse.

I remember in the early 80's, my best friend bought a 72 Chevelle SS with an aftermarket 8 track player. Short time later, he had electrical fire due to the previous owner putting a bolt in for a blown fuse.LMAO, That reminds me I bought a truck many years ago and all the fuses were gone from the truck and replaced with .22 long rifle loaded bullets:yes::clonk:

Guy sounds like a real class A bonehead. Make sure to leave him off the list of family functions for sure. I may get grilled for that and so be it. Guy never learns, I wouldnt want an idiot like that at my home.

Sorry, but this is how kids learn. Chances are more than a few of us did similar things long ago...

Too bad he didn't learn on his own car though. Even as a child I tried not to break other kid's stuff...

Having a firm talk with this kid while cleaning a 12ga. That would get him to listen. :D :yes: