Colour coding of car wiring looms


OK. This is a quick and simple one.

What fucking dick decided to use BLACK for positive and BROWN for negative?

That one fact must be responsible for more fucked car stereos than any other single thing. Or possibly than all other things put together. Though it must be admitted that the responsibility is shared with a large number of other fucking dicks who design stereos with "reverse polarity protection diodes" in shunt instead of in series. Yes, the fuse does blow. Eventually. After the diode has melted and there is a charred mess around the remains of the PCB tracks leading to it. And since we're often talking about brand new stereos here, that fuse is the manufacturer's specified rating, not a piece of foil out of a fag packet. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen this.

I wonder how many people have powered up the new stereo, panicked at the smoke billowing from the dashboard, and ruined the interior of their car with a fire extinguisher?

I wonder how many people have had the whole car catch fire?

Perhaps the originator of that colour code and the stereo manufacturers would like to contribute towards the cost of repairs/replacements?

Of course, this is much less scary than one which thank the Lord we don't see any more... the old German colour code for mains leads. White for live, blue for neutral - and... RED for earth... Ooo err missus, if you sit on that washing machine it'll give you a right buzz...

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