Wiring Harness Melted. Is it replaceable. . .?

[pmheart6]

I have an 03 Saturn ION 2. The wires leading to the front poweroutlet melted, and the fuse failed to blow. It finally melted along with half a dozen other wires who's fuses did blow.

I have pulled the battery, and am debating what to do. I don't know if this section of the harness is separate and replaceable?

Ideally I don't want a bunch of crimped replacements (if there is even room to have all those extra connections).

I don't know if it ended up shorting out some electronics elsewhere.

The wires burned are in the smaller bundle along the gear selector, and continues up to and a couple of inches above where it meets the wires coming from the fuse box along the drivers feet. (It also follows those wires into the box)

At that point it disappears under the dash.

I am considering purchasing the FSM, but is it worth it.

Worth it: To have it done, to do it, or to scrap it.

Can you even purchase a harness?

[2006 ion2]

a couple of questions, what did you do to fry it? what does and what doesn't work? you can buy and replace any wiring harness, determining what you have to buy is going to be difficult, my advice (this is my profession) is to start disassembling the interior and make a list of what did and didn't work and what wires are and aren't fried leading up to important and expensive items (like the BCM, the IP, the radio, ect) anything with burnt wires leading right to it are probably toast.

[pmheart6]

Used a power inverter with the vehicle not running. It didn't beep or blow the fuse. It didn't blow till the plastic holding the filament (the fuse plastic) melted off and away.

Luckily it didn't burn the whole car.

I have not had a chance to pull the dash.

[2006 ion2]

wow, how big was the inverter? sounds like improper fuses were installed depending on the extent of the damage you may get away with grafting in new wire between the outlet and the source, but only if it's one or two wires.

[pmheart6]

I can't replace just a few wires. the melted ones snake through 2 parts of the harness, and it melted wires along it at one spot its multiple down to the wire. and some just a little through the insulators.

I have most of my dash apart, but there is an inner plastic layer under that that most of the pieces screw to. its bolted down, and appears to be rivited.

I was able to get most of the harness out without popping/drilling the rivits, but the passenger side seems to be in a tighter area. Is there a trick or do you have to drill out the rivets. I just don't want the metal shards around, and I don't have a rivet gun/popper.

[pmheart6]

It was the right size fuse. In fact the fuse casing (the little fuse itself) melted before the metal inside. I don't think the fuse is designed to melt before the link inside melts

[2006 ion2]

a pop riveter is $10-$30, and the rivets are cheap, you should be able to get one from home depot. the fuse did not perform as advertised, and I would be concerned other fuses will do the same thing. did any wires leading up to anything important burn?

[pmheart6]

I don't have them isolated, so I am not exactialy sure what is where, but the computer(?) under the parking break is in the same bundle and about half a dozen wires (less than half?) were melted I see metal, but don't know if they shorted.

But the line going into the fuse box only melted the power outlet line and slightly the other ones around it.

The fuse was one I got at a store so it was not stock.

It had blown because, as I said the amps go up as the voltage goes down due to using it without the car running. This time the unit didn't beep as usual, and the fuse didn't blow either. So I didn't get warn'ed and the protection didn't kick in either. I didn't leave the car running since gas was still double what it is today. I was cycling the car every 5-10 minutes.

And I am guessing I may have to train the security system since the resistance going to the ignition it learned may change slightly.

[2006 ion2]

I am unsure what that unit you speak of is, if no one on here can enlighten you, ask your dealership and check it first thing once you get the car back together. I think your inverter failed you a much as the fuse did, I've used one for hours before without the car on with no negative side effects (I have a 65W max laptop) then again my inverter beeps to warn me. A low battery doesn't melt wires, too much wattage fries wires, so I'm thinking you were drawing too much.

[jeepinwi]

You can get a complete under hood wiring harness for about $150. Call around to some of your local salvage yards or check on www.car-part.com