Happy Sunday Morning to you all

[Useless]

Originally Posted by Cleo

Oh yeah… I discovered that the installers didn't connect the lead that senses that it's night and I have my headlights on so the new Alpine head unit doesn't dim at night and is fucking blinding it's so bright. I wonder how long they are going to need my car to fix this? I guess I could just stick a big piece of duct tape over it…

I was just telling MML the other night about my little car stereo disaster story. Back in like '90 while I was stationed at beautiful Fort Hood, Texas. I purchased a pretty nice '79 Datsun 280ZX. I loved that fucking car. Great 2-seater, new black paint, louvers on the rear windows and hatch, and deep tinted windows. Anyway, it didn't have a stereo. I mean none at all. So, I drove her over to a stereo shop in Killeen and ordered a new $1200 system with cd player, amp, and big fucking speakers in the rear. I dropped it off one morning, picked it up the next day.

Leaving the stereo shop, I noticed that my guages weren't reading. I thought, no biggie, probably just a blown fuse. So I went home. I searched the fuses, couldn't find anything wrong. Went out in the evening, no lights - none - nada - zip. No headlights, no parking lights, no brake lights, no reverse lights, no directionals, no dashboard lights, no dome light. NOTHING!

I took it back to the shop the next day. They looked it over and couldn't find anything that they could have possible have done that would cause that and sent me on my way.

Now, the only electrical components of my car that were working were the stereo, which sounded fabulous, and the car's starter. No one I talked to could figure it out. The car sat, the inspection lapsed, the registration lapsed, and Fort Hood threatened to impound it. So, I decided to take it upon myself. Inside of a few hours, I had the dashboard and steering wheel in my barracks room. I dug as deeply into that car as I possibly could with my few tools.

I went an auto parts store to find some replacement doo-hickeys for shit I was breaking along the way. The counter dude asked me what I was doing, so I explained the whole story. He laughed at me - yes laughed - and told me to check my fusible links. I said, "huh?". He explained that fusible links are short wires that perform the same function as a fuse, but on a larger scale.

I went home, searched under the hood for the little circuit box containing the links. Opened it up and low and behold - ONE MOTHERFUCKING TWO INCH PIECE OF BURNED SHIT WIRE HAD RENDERED MY CAR INOPERABLE FOR MONTHS.

I put the car back together, replaced the piece of wire and all was good again. Happy days.