NHTSA Complaint #10346531 — 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE

I AM THE TECHNICIAN WHO REPAIRED THIS DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS A NO START, NO CRANK COMPLAINT. ALSO VEHICLE HAD NO DASH OR ACCESSORY POWER. THE MAIN IGNITION FEED FROM THE UNDERHOOD FUSEBOX HAD NO POWER AT THE IGNITION SWITCH & TESTING PROVED IT WAS SHORTED TO GROUND. THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL OTHER COMPONENTS WITH NO POWER SUCH AS PIN 16 AT DLC, STARTER & ANTI-THEFT RELAYS. THESE CIRCUITS ARE HOT AT ALL TIMES. AFTER EXTENSIVE TROUBLESHOOTING I FOUND A SEVERELY BURNED AND SHORTED WIRE HARNESS THAT RUBBED THROUGH THE INSULATION FROM CONTACTING THE SHARP EDGES OF THE FENDER SHEET METAL. THIS HARNESS RUNS FROM THE UNDER HOOD FUSEBOX THROUGH THE FENDER WELL TO THE JUNCTION BLOCK UNDER THE DASH. THERE WERE NO BLOWN FUSES FOUND AS A RESULT OF THIS WHICH IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL WITH THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT ON THESE CIRCUITS. THE FIX WAS TO SPLICE/REPAIR THE DAMAGED HARNESS AND RELOCATE THE HARNESS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM THE FENDER SHEET METAL. THIS IS A HUGE FIRE HAZARD. *TR