5kcs #12 fuse

[isham-research.freeserve.co.uk at pop.pol.net.uk]

> this problem is driving me nuts! I cant start the car with out blowing the
> #12 fuse. cant even turn the ignition key on. checked the wires coming out
> of the trunk tube, and fixed some cracked coating, but still blowing the
> fuse as soon as the key gets to the on position.

This is known as a 'Stephen Problem'.  One of the worst electrical bugs
on an ur-quattro or a Type 44.

Why Stephen?  It's time the story was told.  A well-known (obscene)
'Rugby Song' entitled "Mary in a mountain glen":

    Mary in a mountain glen
    Seduced herself with a fountain pen
    The pen nib broke
    The ink went wild
    She gave birth to a blue-black child

    [Refrain]
    They called the bastard Stephen
    They called the bastard Stephen
    They called the bastard Stephen
    'Cos that was the name of the ink

Now - Stephens is a famous UK brand of blue-black ink, well known to
UK schoolkids.  The wire that proceeds from fuse 12 is blue-black and
is also a bastard.  It is therefore referred to as 'Stephen' and any
problem involving fuse 12 is a 'Stephen Problem'.

The problem is that so many unrelated small current consumers throughout
the car are connected to Stephen.  My own worst problem was a
chafed-through Stephen at the reversing light switch on the gearbox.

There are two ways to tackle a 'Stephen Problem'.  One is using a
resettable contact breaker such as Farnell's 597-727 in place of the
fuse.  It just plugs in to a blade fuse socket.  A second and (IMO) much
better way is to make up a lead with a crocodile clip for the battery
positive, a small (5W) bulb, and a spade connector to go into the output
slot of fuse 12.  If you have a short in Stephen, it will immediately
glow.  Your mission is to make it go out.  If you put the bulb on a
longish lead that you can take around the car with you, it helps
enormously.  You'll find the most bizarre things around the car on this
circuit.

--
 Phil Payne
 http://www.isham-research.freeserve.co.uk/quattro
 Phone +44 7785 302803   Fax: +44 7785 309674