Stupid Mistakes?

How about this one...'98 Saab 900 doing an FM Modulated changer.  Idiot salesman sells customer changer that doesn't play burnt CDs because "it's the only one in stock." Other salesman corrects that mistake and suggests that the first salesman drive to another store 10 minutes away to get the right product, but he refuses to do it unless given store cash for gas.  The two of them get in a heated argument in front of another customer(the argument later cost one his job.)  This is before I actually touch the car. 

When I went to install the FM Modulator, I shorted the constant power wire, which blew the fuse and caused the radio to ask for an antitheft code.  Not a huge problem, except that I entered the wrong code into it, and locked the radio up entirely.  I went back to the install, and finally got the modulator box behind the climate controls where I thought it would be out of the way, until while sitting in the car with the customer afterwards, I tried to turn the temperature control knob and snapped it off because the cable was stuck on the box.  So now he has a car with a broken temperature control knob and an inoperable radio, and did I mention he was making a 12 hour drive home the next day?  It's totally grace that I didn't get fired over that one.

This is a good one...

Back when I was first learning about car audio/electronics, wait... I take that back... before I knew ANYTHING about car audio electronics I was doing an install in my car with 2 12" Rockford Punch HE2s that were already blown all to hell and a cheap ass Jensen 200w amp... I know, all sh*tty, but you can't be the free price tag and I was broke so in it went.  Since my car is a 98 Taurus it is a pain in the @$$ to install a head unit (all of the console controls are in one big oval unit... replacement with the DIN slot was $100 at Elite audio, and remember, I was pretty broke, so I saved up for a 6 disk OEM changer instead...  Since I didn't have a head unit with a remote wire I had to manually switch the amp on and off... now here's the good part:

I had no clue what amperage was at the time and didn't really know anything about fuses, or what they are for.

I originally had the remote wire ran patched from the constant wire for the amp (a small piece of wire ran from the 12V source on the amp to the remote

The power wire coming from the battery (with around 50A on it) was switched using an everyday interior light switch and a lot of electrical tape

I eventually got tired of replacing the light switches after playing my system for any length of time... I think they actually kept melting the insides of them... pretty cool if ya think about it

I decided I was going to use a remote control to work my amp so I went to Advance and picked up a $30 wiring kit for remote foglights.  I adapted this to my amp and hooked everything up.  As soon as I connected it, the 15A fuse blew... went through a whole box of fuses and couldn't figure out what was wrong... the next day I went back to Advance and got a 60A fuse (this was on maybe 28 ga wire... really stupid, but I didn't know better)

I was sitting in the drivers switch and hit the button... IT WORKED!!!  then three seconds later I smelled smoke.... needless to say, by the time I got back to my trunk to see what was going on (I had already turned it back off) everything was kinda laying in a molten mess in my trunk.  Believe it or not the electronics for the remote control switch survived... still works if used correctly ;) but all of the wires were completely shot....

I guess if nothing else it was a learning experience ;)

oh, TeeRizo, did you see the latest issue of Car Audio and Electonics?  They have one of Juwan Howard's cars in there... don't remember right off what it is... 360 Maybe?  I know there were a couple of those in there....

Aaron

Finished up a install in a F250 super duty, and was ready to back out the truck. Looked under the truck for any tools none. Got in looked in the rear view mirror saw the bay door open, backed up, CRASH. Come to find out one of the salesmen had been smokeing and left the bay door half open. After a trip to the body shop and about a grand later the customer was happy again. Oh well chalk a nother one up for the "Oh s%it rember the time......" conversations.

my cuz works at a dealership in the service dept and when he first started workin there he had to bring in a customers car to get worked on but it was blocked in by another persons car and they didn't have the key to that car, well they didn't feel like takin the time to put the car on dollys to move it, they used one ofthose jacks with wheels to lift it up and pull the car out of the way, well as they moved the car it slipped off the jack and busted up the radiator and fan and whole bunch of stuff... the lesson here folks i beleive is the easy way is not always thebest way

Scenario: Hood open on a standard transmission vehicle inside the shop on a cold day with the overhang door closed. Installer on the floor hanging in the driver's side with the seat out routing wires to mount all security components minus sensors under the seat.

Stupid Mistake: Installer accidental applies ground to the remote start trigger wire with inhibits not properly in place. 

Results: Vehicle drags installer as it crashes through overhang door, bends hood over windshield, takes out overhang door. Installer must replace overhang door, hood, windshield, and shorts :) Absolutely priceless for spectators (other installers) and fortunately no one was hurt.

Holy Crap, I just remember something He did.. using a Router in his lap once doing something on his door panels in the VW he had.. bit grabbed his shorts and almost cut off his... well.. just imagine a router bit wrapping as much of your shorts as it posibably can WITHOUT losing your manhood.. Think he went home early that day!

Here's a good one that I think everyone can learn from or at least laugh at......

I was in my first semester of technical school when a friend show me how to install my first amp.  Not knowing anything I went to Radio Shack and got 12gauge wires for the power and ground (no fuse). I had everything working nicely for around a week when my dad decided to take the family out in my car (2 door)  driving down the road the car starts to smoke and I mean smoke badly.   In short I didn't use a fuse for the power wire and with the amp hidden under the seat the power wire must have gotten stripped  when my dad slid the seat forward to let my brother and sister in the back.  The family got out of the car alright but the car smelled like burnt plastic for at least 6 months.  So the lesson learnt is always use a fuse.