Electrical problem in 2001 Astro Van

[yewluvme]

Help! For the last year, my interior lights will not work. I have replaced the fuse, but every time I do, It blows again. Also, my CD player overheats and stops working. The radio will work, but it will not play CD's in hot weather or after being on for a while.
Yesterday, my stereo was flickering on and off as well as the warning lights on my dash. Then my battery went dead. I had the alternator tested, and it is not working. I replaced the alternator within the past couple of years. Is there another electrical problem that could be the cause of all of these problems, or are they separate problems?
I don't want to replace the alternator again if there is something in the electrical system that is actually causing the alternator problems as well as the other problems.
I am a single mom, not wanting to take the van in to a local shop and get ripped off or taken advantage of.
Please advise!!

[jemch72]

Hi, it sound like something is in short, any way, if fuse blow every time dont just replace, You have to find what is blowing the fuse, if interior lights do so, is posible that one of the switch on the doors is making a short, or the wires on the lamps, even a light bulb set wrong can do it, there are many posible things...but for sure you have a short circuit ....
If you can, go step by step, remove the lights fuse, any way you need an alternator....also..I dont know but you said alternator fails often..?? probably the regulator went dead on the alternator since normally the alternator is about 100 amps....so test the batery, and then insulate the lights problem, not runing the car so the alternator dont over charge...and test battery again..if you can, use a amp meter to check amps consuption......if all work ok, then the problem is for sure in the interior lights...now to find it could be as easy as hard...you never know...

[drew300]

Alternator: I've had the regulators go when there's a bad ground in the system, like rusty bolts attaching the alternator to the block.
I find intermittent (or continuous) shorts in the electrical system with a lamp replacing the fuse. This will give a visual indication, glowing very bright with the short, glowing dimly when all is right, and off when the load (short) is removed. For the interior lights, a turn signal lamp should work well.
Take a blowen fuse, and wire a lamp across the terminals.