Fuel Relay Problem
 

Hey guys, My car is still not running, Im asking this in regards to a friend.
Hes got a 96 SL2 auto, which he got for free, it has 177K on it. Hes burnt out 2 relays for the fuel pump, and when i say burnt out, it literally started melting the plastic and where it meets the fuse panel. I was thinking there's a short somewhere, but he said hes checked behind the fuse panel and everything is all good. After 5 minutes of idling the relay was already hot. Could it be anything with the actual fuel pump or should I tell him to drop the tank and check those wires?

i did poke about the forum and found 2 topics related - ill use those as some info wondering if you guys had any other ideas

First off:
im assuming that the melted relay has been changed out, if not, replace it
Second:
Is the correct fuse in place for the fuel system? sounds like there is an over sized fuse in place.

If the fuel pump has been changed or the tank has been dropped recently, I would suggest to check the wires back there. maybe they have been pinched upon re-assembly of everything.

Its possible the first relay shorted internally and cause wires to partially fuse together resulting in a small but constant short. Check to see if the fuel (electrical portion) is drawing any power when the vehicle is turned off.

Excuse my simplicity here - but there appears to be one gosh-awful load on that circuit if he's burning up relays....

Bad problem about electrical circuits and parts, if they have been overheated enough to "nearly melt", I would be suspicious of any portion of the circuit that hasn't been replaced, AND THAT INCLUDES THE JUNCTION BLOCK WHERE THE FUEL RELAY HOOKS UP. Warped/damaged/over-heated relay plug-in contacts can quickly cause repeat failures.