Xoutpost.com - interesting electrical gremlins

I thought I would share some funny story:

I had my mechanic install the factory hitch onto the newly acquired 4.8iS... the whole thing went fine, except for a broken tab on the rear PDC sensor's housing (ordered replacement, $8)...

For the installation I disconnected the battery, like a good boy... After the whole thing was done, battery got reconnected, I started the engine, no extra lights on the dash, except for 4x4/DSC symbol... cool... but the radio and the monitor are dead!!! what the heck??!!! went through the fuses, blown 5A fuse in the trunk... replaced fuse, radio and monitor are back... as i am backing out of driveway, to drive around to see if the 4x4 light will reset, and I don't hear PDC engaging... and the radio is dead again... along with the monitor... ok... drive around the neighborhood, the turn signals don't work - nothing on the dash, no clicking sound... the emergency flashers flash on the button on the central console, but nothing on the dash and no clicking sound... hmmm... tried to flash high beams - nothing ion the dash.. fog lights... none... what the heck???!!!

pulled back to driveway, checked the 5A fuse - blown... pulled it out, stuck a fresh one in - blown on contact... ok... something is short in nav cables... but the lights... checked fuses in the glove compartment - everything is cool... checked the emergency flashers - working fine... turned the flashers off - they kept on blinking... then shut off... like a delayed someting... checked the turn signals - working but very strange operation - i pull it once, as if in passing, the light blinks 13 times... the fogs are working...

took the car around the block once more, again, nothing works... but... i noticed, that the turn signals on the outside are still working even though on the inside there is no indication... the high beams, the fog lights - everything is working but the cluster does not show it... what the heck??!!

so, i get back into the trunk, and completely disconnect the TV module, as that cable might have a kink, replace the fuse (6th fuse by now, as i tried various possibilities), restart the car - everything is totally as it is supposed to be!!!

so, a blown 5A fuse in the trunk for the NAV computer has such an effect on the rest of the electronics in the car - i guess, when elecvtricity does not have a proper path though the fuse, it finds it way through other components into the system, creating some weird symptoms...

That is one weird car!!!!