Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Diagnosing why I keep blowing fuse 34

I had the exact same problem as you. Somewhere in your electrical system, a wire is stripped and touching metal. When you shift, for some reason i cannot explain, you blow your fuse. Mine was in the trunk. I had taken out my subs once for more space and stripped one of the wires. It took me a long time to figure out which wire it was, but as soon as i put some electrical tape back on the exposed wire, problem solved. Hope this helps..

I have seen a few cases where the shift release solonoid or the wiring near it have shorted out. Pull the consol up and have a look.Try disconnecting the shift solonoid and see if it quits blowing fuses.

The post by projectSHO89 gives an excellent overview of the dilemma presented by a short.
Fuse 34 circuits are in pass compartment (including under console) and ignition switch involved. Starter circuitry involved with your short is in engine compartment but ignition switch also involved. My guess on diodes was based on ease of testing and possiblity problems were related. No such luck.
Have to assume problem is coincidental and unrelated and BigJim's post outlines the most likely location of a component failure that would cause the problem. You could visibly check the brake switches and their wiring located beside the brake pedal arm before starting with console removal, but the clicking does tend to confirm they are ok. Wiring from console runs to a 16 pin connector behind right kick panel. Unfortunately removal of console not an easy task with atx due in part to difficulties removing the switches/wiring associated with shift lever. I'll add a link re handle removal that I saw recently, for your info.

shift handle removal

Post again if you need any more guidance.

You might also check out the following post:
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=243345&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=7&fpart=1

There are wires under the battery that can get bare and create a short from +12 to ground. They run between the pos battery terminal and the fuse box next to the battery. These can become corroded with battery acid and if they touch ground, watch out.

This probably won't cause the problem with fuse 34, since the wires in question are unfused where they route under the battery, but it IS something you should watch out for...