97 Camry 6 cyl

"Heater" fuse keeps blowing when I turn the ac on. The ac fuse is fine. Blower seems fine, blower resistor isn't burnt up. I'm not sure where to go, I don't have any ac experience.

When it first happened my wife said there was a bad smell outside the car, but I couldn't trace it anywhere, and nothing in the engine compartment looks burnt up or anything.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Heater fuse powers A/C and heater system, rear window defogger and mirror heater (if the car has this).

The fuse powers the heater relay solenoid coil, the A/C relay solenoid coil, A/C magnetic clutch on the compressor and defogger relays.

If a bad smell outside the car might check for magnetic clutch or wiring problems at the compressor.

To narrow down the problem, obtain a box of fuses then one at time remove the above relays and operate the various systems determining if the removal of a relay now keeps the fuse from blowing.

The blower motor itself is powered by a 50A fusible link circuit. The 10A Heater fuse powers the relay solenoid for the blower (heater relay).