Installers, whats your fav vehicle?
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=42793
Printed Date: May 10, 2024 at 7:34 AM
Topic: Installers, whats your fav vehicle?
Posted By: Justaguy
Subject: Installers, whats your fav vehicle?
Date Posted: November 11, 2004 at 9:18 PM
Whats your favorite or least favorite to do starters/alarms etc? Mine is mostly any domestic truck, I can do most starters in under an hour. Least favorite... 94-98(I believe those are the years) Intepids. I freaking hate them! ...and most VWs too. Anybody else? -------------
Replies:
Posted By: extreme1
Date Posted: November 11, 2004 at 9:25 PM
Any year of GM truck. any Chrysler Truck (except the 04/05 durango and 05 dakota) and any year sebring, intrepid etc.
Least favorite? Anything German (although probably my favorite vehicles)
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Shaughn Murley
Install Manager, Dealer Services
Visions Electronics
Red Deer, Alberta
Posted By: Justaguy
Date Posted: November 11, 2004 at 9:35 PM
Ya, nothing german(or anything European ) is ever nice to work on. Gotta love doing Getta-diesel-standards... Yuk. Thats almost an all day job! -------------
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: November 11, 2004 at 9:48 PM
Fav : Any vehicle without transponder keys Least Fav : Any newer vehicle without a keyless bypass or door lock databus module  ------------- Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: Justaguy
Date Posted: November 11, 2004 at 11:14 PM
Velocity Motors wrote:
Fav : Any vehicle without transponder keys Least Fav : Any newer vehicle without a keyless bypass or door lock databus module
Really, but thats where i make my money... Gravy jobs Basics r ok cause they don't take much time, but i got to do 5 or 6 a day to make money. I'm greedy i guess. -------------
Posted By: daniel2002p
Date Posted: November 11, 2004 at 11:16 PM
FAV: any truck, import or domestic LEAST FAV: anything smaller than a truck. I am a big guy and there just is not a lot of room for me in those Kia and so on. ------------- 2005 Toyota Corolla S
1.8L VVT-i I-4
Always double check your wires with a DMM!!!
Do Not Use A Test Light!!!
MECP Certified Installer!
Best Buy 665 - IN IT TO WIN IT! TEAM MOBLE!
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: November 11, 2004 at 11:50 PM
I hate wasting time on jobs that I know would go faster with a module, but instead I'm sitting there soldering relays wires and grabbing 12 volts off the RS unit and ground from the chassis and so on. With the modules it's so easy to prep a unit and your done within a couple of hours on vehicles that would normally take you 4 + hours. In the end the customer pays for the modules, but who's gonna pay for your time when you don't charge by the hour for remote starts ? I charge by the job so if I can get 6+ cars out a day instead of 3 in a day, I'll make a little less per job to get more jobs in a day to compensate for the difference.
-------------
Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: sroth140
Date Posted: November 11, 2004 at 11:56 PM
hmm favorite... id say chevy trucks along the silverado/sierra 99+. grab the tach behind the dash and wire everything at the bcm. 555L is no problem and theres good room to hide the brain. least favorite... toyota avalons 2000+ DEI document 1070 i think (same for sequoia and highlander) where you have to add the interface inside the door. that just sucks. also i hate the late model bonneville. you have to run the 12v+ to the battery/jumper post and do the lock/unlock/disarm wire in the door. some have a molex plug coming out of the body to the door and that hinge suck to work in. ------------- MECP certified installer
Posted By: profuse007
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 12:15 AM
-i love honda/acura. havent seen any difficulty.
-i really dont like the newer toyota/lexus doorlock system liek sroth140 stated above.
-not a big fan of domestic, newer models.
-------------
Houston,TX
"The two most common elements in the universe are H+ and stupidity" (Ellison).
Posted By: Justaguy
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 12:50 AM
profuse007 wrote:
-i love honda/acura. havent seen any difficulty.
-i really dont like the newer toyota/lexus doorlock system liek sroth140 stated above.
-not a big fan of domestic, newer models.
Interesting, quite a bit different then most installers i know, not really crazy about hondas especially acura - molex plugs, tach at the bcm, keys that don't start when cold...etc most toyotas r pretty easy especially camrys and corollas domestic vehicles r so easy, for me anyways, more so chevys though -------------
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 2:30 AM
Favorites include 96-01 GM Trucks, pre-01 Civics, Toyota pickups, and a couple others.
Least favorite- VOLKSWAGON!!!!!!!!!!! I hate them with a passion, whether it is deck, speakers, amps, alarms, or anything else THEY SUCK!!! I would take a benz, ferrari(but they are one of the easiest out of the european cars), bmw, or an audi over a damn VW.
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Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.
I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 3:50 AM
I like doing Honda's and Chevy trucks..I know those wires by heart.
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~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: jimmeezgolfvr6
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 4:24 AM
heyheyhey....what's with all the vw/german hatred?! i love them! especially with most of them not having molexes in the doors. e36 bmw's gotta be one of the easiest cars of all time to work on! same with the mk3 golf/jettas. i also love just about any japanese product. not a fan at all on domestics though.
just my $0.02
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all problems can be resolved with a hammer
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 9:02 AM
I've done a hand full of VW's and I didn't like them at the time but now I don't mind them. I can get one out within 3-4 hours but I tell the customer that it costs more for a VW than a Dodge or Honda because of the time involved. BTW: Jimmy-- I got that VW Diesel going with the tach generator. Works like a charm ------------- Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 10:13 AM
Favorite is Probally Hyundai Santa Fe like 2002-2003. I can do the damn things with locks in about 40 minutes or so. Least Favorite is gonna be the VW's and new BMW's. I also hate Intrepids when I have to do door locks because like someone else already said when your big (6 foot 2 and 270 pounds) Trying to reach the damn lock wires behind the fuse box is a real pain in the ass.
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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
Posted By: gus1
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 10:14 AM
Meh.... call me a freak.... I enjoy doing VW's... they aren't easy to say the least, however, they are all the same as far as 99.5 and newer, which is a plus. However, Give me a Montana/Venture, 1993+ Chevy trucks, Mazdas, hell, even the Colorado isnt too bad. After doing this for 10 plus years, I find there aren't many overly hard vehicles per se..... once you do one or two of a new platform and "figure" it out, it becomes rather second nature. I am, however, a starter guy. I detest audio for the most part. I love how my income literally doubles in the winter, and I'm doing less work. (IE: rear speakers in a Sunfire takes the same amount of time as a full remote start with keyless. I'll take the remote start for the simple fact that there is 3x the labour in it, and it takes all of an hour and a half tops)
Gus
Whoo hoo
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Wherever I go, that is where I end up......
Posted By: extreme1
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 11:00 PM
It takes me 20 minutes to do rear speakers in a sunfire/cavalier, what's taking you so long??
So I've added mercedes to my hate/love list, 1992 190e the other day, pulled it apart, went bleh, then found the entire ign harness at the bottom of the fuse panel.
------------- Shaughn Murley
Install Manager, Dealer Services
Visions Electronics
Red Deer, Alberta
Posted By: nava94
Date Posted: November 12, 2004 at 11:38 PM
fav. cars to work on are toyotas, fords, nissan except running wires inside the door thru that small door boot. hondas are easy. Older vehicles like el caminos. least fav. vw, & benz
Posted By: flynntech
Date Posted: November 13, 2004 at 3:54 AM
20 minutes? did you pop the factory speakers out through the bottom? I did the rears in my sisters cavalier, I basically removed the rear deck cover and loosened other pieces. It was an inconvenience but the end result was good. I installed braces and used 6.5s instead of 6x9s, basically because that was all we had.
Posted By: Justaguy
Date Posted: November 13, 2004 at 9:44 AM
On Sunfires and Cavaliers, I pull the speakers out from under the deck lid. takes under 20min. Grand am's too. -------------
Posted By: gus1
Date Posted: November 13, 2004 at 11:29 AM
Call me old fashioned.... I just take the back end of the car apart. I've tried the pull 'em out from under trick, but... ahh, my aggrivation factor is less when I pull the back end of the car apart... plus, it really freaks out the sales guys, which is another bonus!
Gus
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Wherever I go, that is where I end up......
Posted By: s7726
Date Posted: November 13, 2004 at 12:43 PM
Older volvo's are nice, except getting into the doors through the boot, that sucks, you have to remove the fuse panel in the drivers kick to get at the hole. 97 cavaleir door panels are relatively easy to get off, that's always nice. Getting ready to dig into a 97 volvo 850 sedan, to install the volvo CD changed to the stock head unit, anything i should know about taking apart the interior? I have to run the controler cable, but is there already power i can hook into in the trunk? ------------- Gavin
SWEDISH RICE!
Posted By: dfiddy
Date Posted: November 13, 2004 at 8:35 PM
I just finished a 02 Jetta. Wasnt all that hard. When you have the right guys showing you little tricks along the way and finding out some of your own, it makes working on the car interesting.
Posted By: extreme1
Date Posted: November 13, 2004 at 9:31 PM
nope, 2 minutes to remove rear deck cover, 30 seconds to remove rear speakers, 10 minutes to swap with new speakers (using factory brackets) 5 minutes to wire connectors to factory wiring, 2 minutes to reinstall rear deck cover. 30 seconds to extract body from back of small car.
-------------
Shaughn Murley
Install Manager, Dealer Services
Visions Electronics
Red Deer, Alberta
Posted By: lathan
Date Posted: November 13, 2004 at 11:40 PM
personally the 95-99 eclipses. maybe just cuz for some reason I've done around 35 of em in the last couple years... lol.
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Lathan Hites
"I'm sorry, without a credit card I'll be requiring a stool sample"
Posted By: tbirdman74
Date Posted: November 14, 2004 at 7:14 AM
Never had a least favorite until yesterday. 01 Firebird Ram-Air convertible with WS7 option package. Remote start/Alarm and windows up and down. Oh yeah, it was a 6 speed. I was 10-15 seconds away from commiting Hari Kari for almost 9 hours. But the look on this guys face when he saw his pride and joy's interior stripped like a chop shop was priceless.
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If it don't fit, Force it.
If it breaks, You needed a new one anyway!
Posted By: mo12v
Date Posted: November 14, 2004 at 11:11 AM
I don't have a Favorite...I HATE them all.........That's why I've been doing this for 30+ years
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MO
Don't Learn from Others Mistakes
You Might Be the One That Knows.
Posted By: lathan
Date Posted: November 14, 2004 at 1:20 PM
oh as far as a least favorite... cadillacs. late 90's. satan himself designed em. bastard. lol.
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Lathan Hites
"I'm sorry, without a credit card I'll be requiring a stool sample"
Posted By: dfiddy
Date Posted: November 14, 2004 at 4:30 PM
too funny, and oh so true.
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: November 14, 2004 at 6:17 PM
I found another favorite today, I dont know if its cause I wa on or what but I had a 2000 Blazer in for alarm/starter/locks/factory disarm/passlock bypass/ Battery Back up Siren and had the whole thing done in a hour and twenty minutes. Total Labour bill 380.00 dollars, to bad I dont work on commision
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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
Posted By: Justaguy
Date Posted: November 15, 2004 at 12:16 AM
My all time favorite is prob envoy, trailblazer & rainier, cause i do get paid on labour. Easiest to do 88-94 cavaliers, all the wires in the column, already a hole for the hood pin, did one in 35 min once. Don't get paid on labour, eh? That sucks...sounds like a new topic to post for discussion. Do you think i can get away with it in the security catagory? -------------
Posted By: CutDog504
Date Posted: November 15, 2004 at 1:21 AM
My favorite is any GM car or truck. I know the wiring off my head, they almost all use the same color wires. Also, I prefer using a PLDATA over a 555L, Its much easier, takes less than 2 minutes. I did a viper 791 on a 2000 Tahoe the other day and start to finish was maybe an hour and a half tops. I hate doing remote starts on Malibus and Intrigues, getting to the wires is a PITA. And I hate just about any car with a transponder key. My new NON-favorite is Jaguar. The wiring is hell! Negative ignition wires, a "bulb failure module" on each tail and parking light, plus you cant do trunk pop. The damn trunk is like a 5th door, it has a handle to open it and it locks and unlocks like a door.
Posted By: s7726
Date Posted: November 15, 2004 at 1:29 AM
CutDog - Do the trunk pop like you would a shaved door handle
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Gavin
SWEDISH RICE!
Posted By: CutDog504
Date Posted: November 15, 2004 at 6:30 AM
Yeah, I did consider that. But Another thing I noticed was that the trunk lid doesn't pop up at all when released. You actually have to pull up on it when you use the handle to open it. Maybe I can use some spring loaded door poppers as well???? 
Posted By: Jediknight1274
Date Posted: November 15, 2004 at 8:38 AM
Honda/Acura cake job, easiest ever is Suzuki Grand Vitara..comes pre wired from factory for keyless/factory alarm tons of room to work under the dash. And the Pontiac Aztec, almost all the wires can be accessed in a knock out panel in the center console. HATE: Anything GERMAN BAHHH!, Concord/Intrepids....old Eclpise 5 speeds, have fun getting wires out under the hood. ------------- SMCinMD
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