I think I'm into to something much worse than a simple battery...

I was checking fuses and I came across the "FANHI" 30A fuse blown in the fuse box under the hood. I didn't do anything with that fuse as I didn't have one of that style fuse on hand. I did continue to go through all the other fuses there and they checked out ok.

I then went to the fuse box inside the driver's side door and started checking all of those fuses. I there found the 15A "EMS1" fuse blown. So, I replaced the fuse. I immediately went in and tried to remove the key from the ignition and ing around to see if there were any changes. There I noticed a little smoke coming from under the hood. I quickly yanked the fuse I just put in (which was blown and the plastic was hot, soft and warped) and then ran to the front of the car to disconnect the battery.

The smoke was seen coming from within the fuse box under the hood. Pulled cover off the box. One of the wires, orange, that goes to the 35A "ACC/RAP RELAY" was apparently the wire that got hot as the insulation started to bubble. I also saw a little smoke coming from under the ECOTEC cover, where the spark plugs are... I pulled the over from there and the plug had questionable wire, that may have gotten hot too or maybe the smoke just travel up the protective wrap around the bundled wires and that was the highest point where the smoke escape.

I don't have a schematic so not really sure what EMS1 fuse all covers or what the orange wire goes to and how that connects to the plugs...

Seems to me though, I've got a bad short somewhere and considering I smoked something, I'm afraid what that damage could be...

I will say, I do think I smelled a similar smell when I popped the hood when I was stranded on the side of the highway the other day, just not nearly as strong as what I just smelled.

This is turning into an f'n mess. Any ideas would be appreciated. Time for some research and start tracing wires for shorts I think. I love wrenching, not as much of a fan of electrical though...capable but not a fan.