I am new to this forum, and would really appreciate some help...

I just bought a 2007 Yale Veracitor 60VX and knew that it wasn't working. I was hoping it would be something simple and would be a somewhat easy fix or something I could at least do myself. I did find a blow fuse, a 25a fuse in the F8 location inside the PDM. Upon replacing this fuse I noticed smoke coming from the VSM, which is located under the front cover to the right of the steering column. Fuse blew again, I know this can't be good. I can unplug the CPS1 white plug at the lower left side of the VSM, put in a good fuse and it won't blow, but as soon as I put the plug into the VSM, the fuse blows, even with every single electrical plug disconnected on the truck it still blows once I plug that in. On one side of the F8 fuse is 12v + but the other side is ground, unless I unplug that white plug that I mentioned from the VSM. The two wires on that fuse is a 12v+ wire and the other side of the fuse is the red 004 wire that runs directly to the VSM and also has a TVS transorb between that 004 wire and ground. The red 004 + wire is in the #7 pin location on the white plug that goes into the VSM. The #10 pin location wire is a black 120 which is ground. For whatever reason, if I unplug the CPS1 white plug from the VSM and check for continuity between the #7 and #10 pins on the VSM with every plug disconnected, there is continuity between them inside the VSM, which is what is causing the F8 fuse to blow.
It seems like the VSM is bad, but I am not certain. I am also concerned if there might be another problem which cause the VSM to go out.

If anybody can offer me some assistance, I would truly appreciate it.
I have talked with the local Yale dealer, 1.5 hours away, and they said that even if I bought a new VSM from them they would still have to come out and program it. I guess I am at their mercy in that regard, but I can't afford to have them out multiple times, so I am trying my best to diagnose as much as I can.

Thanks so much.

JR