This is a continuation of my earlier thread Are there any Mitsu techs in the house?
the diagrams that Vigo linked in the other thread were helpful, but the problem seems to be outside of those diagrams.
The 30 amp "fusible link" in between the battery and key switch keeps blowing somewhat randomly. I thought that it was the starter solenoid, since the first 2 failures that I witnessed happened while it was cranking (but a few times in between it cranked and started just fine). I replaced the starter, but that didn't solve the problem. The last time the fuse blew the key switch was in the run position, not start. I need to know what else goes through that fusible link that doesn't have a fuse or relay of it's own.
I'm suspicious of the voltage regulator in the alternator, but I like to avoid another expensive guess, with a good diagram I could do some meaningful testing first.
$20 per year or so, I think.
https://www.alldatadiy.com/
wae
HalfDork
1/9/15 10:34 p.m.
I sent you a PM (or at least I tried to =) ). Let me know if that helps.
In reply to wae: Thanks, I got it. Based on those diagrams, it seems like the VR and fuel pump are the most likely culprits. Why on earth would they give the pump a relay, but not it's own fuse? Stupid Mitsubishi junk.
I know I won't shed a tear when they leave the auto business.
If it turns out to be the pump, you can bet that it will be getting its own fuse.
wae
HalfDork
1/10/15 9:18 a.m.
Glad that was helpful!
Maybe they figured that if something went wrong with the pump, the over-amperage would fry the relay. Or they were hoping for some awesome YouTube videos of electrical fires in the gas tank causing massive fireballs.
Its not looking good for this one.
It seems to have a short buried somewhere in the main harness. With everything that could possibly be connected to that fusible link (and not having it's own fuse) disconnected, it still pulls huge amps. I don't like this car anywhere near enough to start pulling out the dashboard and fenders to look for chaffed wires.
Put a solid wire in place of the fusible link and watch for the smoke. 
PS: I'm kidding...kinda.
In reply to Streetwiseguy: believe me, the thought has occurred to me.
There has been a possible development in this saga. Is it possible that a short in the ECT sensor, or one of its wires could happen without it throwing a CEL? It tried to run the cooling fan when the engine was nowhere near warm enough, and its definitely not a bad relay, pulling the relay did not effect the short, nor did unplugging the fan motor. It looks like the fan is controlled by the ECM, and only has one temp sensor that feeds the temp info to it.
I'm pretty sure I've got this stupid awful thing fixed. I found a couple of spots where the corrugated plastic wire harness covering had worn through from rubbing on the engine. The sub harness for the oxygen sensor had bare wires touching the cylinder head, and the main trunk had wires shorting to a bolt head on the thermostat housing.
Misery the Mitsubishi is back up and running, but it may have been more merciful to let her die.
