current, voltage, ampers issue

I know that a 0 gauge short is not a 15 amp cigarette short, but the basic laws of electricity still applies.  I completely understand and agree that this condition could potentially cause a problem with the in-car electronics.  However, I beleive that the failure of the 0 gauge would not necessarily automatically cause a catastrophic failure of all the in-car computer systems.

The shorted 0 gauge would do a few things, and yes I do agree that the effect would be monumentaly long lasting because of the fuse not blowing instantaneously.  The voltage to the supplied electronics would drop.  The circuit capacitance would be discharged, but at a rate the circuit was designed to charge.  If the circuit was forced to discharge at a higher current than it was designed the fuse protecting the circuit would pop. 

The only thing I would see that could cause a problem would be if the discharge of the circuit's capacitance, is the reverse current flow that could destroy any transistors or diodes.

So I agree and disagree that a 0 gauge short is a bad thing.  No one should deny that, but I think that the integrity of the cars electronics and thier survivability is essentaily a crap shoot.

That's why I said "chances are" instead of saying you will be.  It's possible that a 10 second short out won't damage anything, but it's also possible that it will destroy one or more component.  Every device in the car SHOULD be able to withstand a shorted out power supply for a certain amount of time - however there is no way to test these protection circuits before they are put in to cars and they may turn out to be "one time use" protection circuits that take the power supply out but save the more expensive (but non servicable) parts of the device.  It is, as you put it, a crapshoot as to what will survive and what won't.  But, my point was why take the chance with a 350A fuse if an 80A fuse is all you need?