learn to install people!
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=39097
Printed Date: April 25, 2024 at 9:57 AM
Topic: learn to install people!
Posted By: xtreamcc
Subject: learn to install people!
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 8:50 PM
Ok, this is my vent. Here's the deal, if anyones looked at my site recently you'll note that my boys celica that we were going to rebuilt has been flooded out and is now scrap metal. Anyway, this dude with a MX-6 we've worked on wants to sell it with the stereo he and his cousin installed but the stereo quit working so they asked myself and my boy check it out. The only reson we did this is because were geting this car so we dont want it to be anymore screwed up than it is. Now, I've seen a bad install or two in my day, but this one just was the worst I've ever seen hands on (this is topped only by that RSX scary install on Hzemall.com).
To start, I'm just gona point out the major F Ups.
1) The power wire. This is just WRONG. They ran 10 AWG wire, nothing wrong with that, you'll get enough power to run a small amp. Anyway, they decided to hook 2 amps up (this is event more screwed up as I'll explain later) so they spliced and steped up to 8 AWG wiring from the 10 AWG..... need I say more? To top it all off they used a glass fuse, not a big AGU fuse, a little tiny, OLD ASS Toyota glass fuse. This was scary.
2) The ground. Ok, all I have to say about this is 10 AWG, steped up into 8 AWG, at least the were consistant there, but the placement was just a little off, u know, since the wire was just wrapped around this bolt on the rear deck, YEAH! Lets just say I know why that fuse blew.
3) The RCA's, AHHHHH, at this point I was ready to cry. This dude, instead of buying a pair of y-splitters for $5 cut up 2 pairs of $10 RCA's and spliced them together. Thats all I'm saying, this was too f**ked up for me.
4) The speaker wire. Yeah, OMG is all I could say. The box was 2 8 ohm JL w0's wired in parellel to get a 4 Ohm load. These guys had a 2 Ch and a 4 Ch amp..... all 3 available bridging options, BRIDGED TOGETHER. Humm, why does it cut off??? UHHHHHHHHHH, yeah, someone's been smokin crack.
Ok, thats all I'm going to cover, there was more. Anyway, this guy said it took him and his cousin all of friday after noon, like around 5-6 hours to do it. Me and my boy dropped in 4 AWG wiring, stepped it down to 8 awg into the amps using, OMG!?! a distribution block! Put connectors on EVERYTHING, got a new set of RCA's and some Y-Splitters, properly wired the entire factory highs to the 4 ch amp, wired the subs properly and numberous other things in under 2 hours.
The moral of this story is this. If you dont know WTF ur doing, u dont have any right what so ever to install stereos. If u are an ameture and u want to learn, ASK A PROFESSIONAL. People like me are always willing to explain ANYTHING to do with installation.
GRRRRRRRR, ok, I'm done venting.
-------------
"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"
02 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Monster System on its way.
Replies:
Posted By: flynntech
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 9:03 PM
I've seen a 4 channel amp with the left front and rear to the rear deck speakers and the right to the subs...now that' smoking some crack! I've seen some horrid vidio and security installs, I don't even want to think about it, I might have nightmares tonight. I say let the youngsters screw things up all they want, it's good entertainment. As long as they can evacuate the vehicle safely while it burns to the ground...no harm done.
Posted By: Alpine Guy
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 9:05 PM
Gota love those installs! I had one guy come in with his rca's comming out of a hole he drilled in his dash kit, , straight back to the top of his rear seat, then into his trunk. The rca's were so tight you could pluck them like a guitar. They were litterally eye level for the passengers in the back seat haha.
-------------
2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.
Posted By: xtreamcc
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 9:08 PM
Alpine Guy wrote:
Gota love those installs! I had one guy come in with his rca's comming out of a hole he drilled in his dash kit, , straight back to the top of his rear seat, then into his trunk. The rca's were so tight you could pluck them like a guitar. They were litterally eye level for the passengers in the back seat haha.
And this dude, he's dead now right? haha ------------- "Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"
02 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Monster System on its way.
Posted By: Charles_R_H
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 9:46 PM
I love doing deck installs where there is already an aftermarket deck and amp and whoever ran the rca's started at the deck and pulled all the slack out it's great!!! go's right along with no slack in the led wiring when you're trying to remove a dash piece God help us all ------------- ELECTRONICS RUN OFF OF SMOKE, WHEN YOU LET THE SMOKE OUT THEY STOP WORKING
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 9:53 PM
I know all of you have had this one before.............. taking out an aftermarket deck to see all the wires twisted together and either duct tape or that clear tape you use for posters holding them together. Now that's a fire waiting to happen.
-------------
Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: Charles_R_H
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 10:18 PM
one guy i use to work with said he saw ALL of the wires twisted togeter in a big ball and then taped over LOL must have been multiplexed LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------- ELECTRONICS RUN OFF OF SMOKE, WHEN YOU LET THE SMOKE OUT THEY STOP WORKING
Posted By: rallysport
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 10:38 PM
calling that ghetto install is being to nice i had a guy come in asking why his fuse to his amp kept blowing. he had a 3rd gen camaro and for his ground he just through the wire into some crevice by the rear hatch, not screwed down to the metal not even wrapped around a bolt, just thrown there. he said "whenever i go arounda turn the amp cuts out" -------------
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 10:38 PM
Either multiplexed or common ground & power  ------------- Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: Charles_R_H
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 10:44 PM
yeah LOL that amp must of had what we call a floating ground!!!! LOL I love when the 1979 caddy rolls in with the foil fuses!!!!!!!!! LOL And then the guy accuses you of being racist when you tell him that you can't work on the car because it is a fire hazard ------------- ELECTRONICS RUN OFF OF SMOKE, WHEN YOU LET THE SMOKE OUT THEY STOP WORKING
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 10:51 PM
Velocity Motors wrote:
I know all of you have had this one before.............. taking out an aftermarket deck to see all the wires twisted together and either duct tape or that clear tape you use for posters holding them together. Now that's a fire waiting to happen.
This is so true. This weekend I was fixing a close female freinds car. Her ex boyfriend had blown the constant fuse for the radio. He then twisted and taped the constant, switched, and the dimmer/illumination wire for both the radio and the adapter harness together. ------------- 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: dBDevil
Date Posted: September 13, 2004 at 11:38 PM
I love it when you do a perfectly good install and then some moron goes behind it and tried to bridge the amp, but does it wrong. Customer came in with the amp cutting off. I found that the guy's moron son had wire the positive and negative of one sub to both the positive outs on the amp. And the two off the other sub to the negative outs on the amp. Fried one of the subs.
Posted By: Wiseguy
Date Posted: September 14, 2004 at 12:12 AM
Velocity Motors wrote:
I know all of you have had this one before.............. taking out an aftermarket deck to see all the wires twisted together and either duct tape or that clear tape you use for posters holding them together. Now that's a fire waiting to happen.
yeah i hate those idiots who cut off the factory harness just because they are to lazy or dont have enough money to go buy a foward harness, and then bring their car to me because they dont know how to wire the hu's harness colors to the car's colors, even though its real simple to rewire a reverse harness its a waste of my energy because some ass didnt know what he was doin.
Posted By: SoundFX411
Date Posted: September 14, 2004 at 3:28 PM
I had a customer come in not too long ago and asked if I could install a new HU because the old one went bad. I said not a problem. When I removed the HU from the dash, all I saw was electrical wire nuts and duct tape being used for his connections. Then afer undoing all these horrific connections, I found that the constant 12V wire ( fuse removed and replaced with a piece of 12ga solid electrical wire ) and ground wire were touching eachother after the wire nuts feel off. I guess that's why the HU blew.
Posted By: xtreamcc
Date Posted: September 14, 2004 at 7:07 PM
wow, scary installs guys. I didn't event tell u about this dudes head unit. Lets just say it had been cut and installed about 6 times before this, I didn't have the time to goto a store and buy a new on so I used my solder gun and soldered all the connections, extended out the wires and reconnected everything. If we get this car, THE WHOLE factory wiring is getting an overhaul, its gona need it from what I can see.
Oh, and as for that there floating ground, hahahahaha, thats the best one yet. I'd heard of people doing what I saw, but I've never heard of someone just tossing the ground any old place. Thats classic hahaha
-------------
"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"
02 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Monster System on its way.
Posted By: 94legend
Date Posted: September 14, 2004 at 8:33 PM
LOL We started out like that. you guys are mean.Ok, this is my vent. Here's the deal, if anyones looked at my site recently you'll note that my boys celica that we were going to rebuilt has been flooded out and is now scrap metal. Anyway, this dude with a MX-6 we've worked on wants to sell it with the stereo he and his cousin installed but the stereo quit working so they asked myself and my boy check it out. The only reson we did this is because were geting this car so we dont want it to be anymore screwed up than it is. Now, I've seen a bad install or two in my day, but this one just was the worst I've ever seen hands on (this is topped only by that RSX scary install on Hzemall.com).
To start, I'm just gona point out the major F Ups.
1) The power wire. This is just WRONG. They ran 10 AWG wire, nothing wrong with that, you'll get enough power to run a small amp. Anyway, they decided to hook 2 amps up (this is event more screwed up as I'll explain later) so they spliced and steped up to 8 AWG wiring from the 10 AWG..... need I say more? To top it all off they used a glass fuse, not a big AGU fuse, a little tiny, OLD ASS Toyota glass fuse. This was scary.
2) The ground. Ok, all I have to say about this is 10 AWG, steped up into 8 AWG, at least the were consistant there, but the placement was just a little off, u know, since the wire was just wrapped around this bolt on the rear deck, YEAH! Lets just say I know why that fuse blew.
3) The RCA's, AHHHHH, at this point I was ready to cry. This dude, instead of buying a pair of y-splitters for $5 cut up 2 pairs of $10 RCA's and spliced them together. Thats all I'm saying, this was too f**ked up for me.
4) The speaker wire. Yeah, OMG is all I could say. The box was 2 8 ohm JL w0's wired in parellel to get a 4 Ohm load. These guys had a 2 Ch and a 4 Ch amp..... all 3 available bridging options, BRIDGED TOGETHER. Humm, why does it cut off??? UHHHHHHHHHH, yeah, someone's been smokin crack.
Ok, thats all I'm going to cover, there was more. Anyway, this guy said it took him and his cousin all of friday after noon, like around 5-6 hours to do it. Me and my boy dropped in 4 AWG wiring, stepped it down to 8 awg into the amps using, OMG!?! a distribution block! Put connectors on EVERYTHING, got a new set of RCA's and some Y-Splitters, properly wired the entire factory highs to the 4 ch amp, wired the subs properly and numberous other things in under 2 hours.
The moral of this story is this. If you dont know WTF ur doing, u dont have any right what so ever to install stereos. If u are an ameture and u want to learn, ASK A PROFESSIONAL. People like me are always willing to explain ANYTHING to do with installation.
GRRRRRRRR, ok, I'm done venting.
Posted By: robb420in323
Date Posted: September 14, 2004 at 9:07 PM
Our pizza guy asked us to look at his system.. He got installed in the late 90's but only worked for a year. TIll this day everythings in there and in good condition never used.. He said when it stopped working he tried something. it didnt work and ge gave up.. it was just funny The Postive Battery Cable was Connected to the Negative post. He did that when he tried to fix it. The reason his stereo stopped working in the first place is because his remote wire was severd at the deck. ------------- Hunter S. Thompson for sheriff
Posted By: thapimpfromchi
Date Posted: September 14, 2004 at 9:44 PM
i've probably seen the worst. A buddy of mine had a nice little system, or so it sounded. the install was absolutely horrible. 1000 watt amp, power wire? or should i say wires. about 12-15 18ga wires, all wrapped around the batt, with no fuse, ran to the trunk of the car. the ground wire was taped to a bolt. TAPED. anyways, it sounded fine, i never saw the install, until i saw him one day on the side of the road with smoke pouring outta the hood and the cops there. turned out, you really do need those fuses. his car set on fire cuz of sparks, almost blew up. He's not much better now, either, and he think he knows more than me. oh well.
-------------
1990 Honda Civic HB:
Clarion DXZ545MP H.U.
2- 6.5" Power Acoustik interiors
Diamond Audio 600.1 amp
Diamond Audio 15" M6MKII
Pyramid PB881X 4 CH. Amp
Posted By: xtreamcc
Date Posted: September 15, 2004 at 11:06 AM
what? little 18 awg wires? This dude was what.. a crack dealer that used a little too much of his own product? I'd heard of running like 4 10 AWG wires together but not a bunch of little ittty bittty wires, now thats a pretty crazy install. And the fact that the ground was just taped to a bolt, thats just funny.
-------------
"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"
02 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Monster System on its way.
Posted By: 94legend
Date Posted: September 15, 2004 at 5:13 PM
Was wondering if i may be able to tell a story of this one guys car system that we saw at a meet.?
Posted By: Alpine Guy
Date Posted: September 15, 2004 at 7:57 PM
uhh yeah, , thats the idea, , as long as theres something to poke fun at
-------------
2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.
Posted By: xtreamcc
Date Posted: September 15, 2004 at 8:34 PM
yeah, jeeze, why u think I started this? To promote bad installs so we have something to make fun of!!!! WOHOOOO!!!!
-------------
"Shiny chrome when used in conjunction with bikini models is particularly effective in inducing brain deficit disorder"
02 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Monster System on its way.
Posted By: padawan
Date Posted: September 16, 2004 at 10:52 AM
92 Cadillac Seville, guy comes by saying his amp fuses keep blowing and he gets a horrible whining noise in the subs and speakers...
Nice head unit, Alpine 9833, no dash kit, just shoved in there, literally....I hangs out about 3 inches by the way...
4 guage power wire from batt, no fuse whatsoever! Wire was stripped and "shoved" into the battery terminal! I never saw anything like that before.
4 guage to distro block in the trunk, here's the kicker, 16 guage speaker wire from distro block to amps for power, same speaker wire wrapped around a flimsy bolt behind the rear seat, no paint scraped off or anything....I do believe the wires from amps to subs were thicker speaker wires than his power and ground...Two 12s in a single chamber box that was waaaay too big, sitting on top of the 2 amps, yes on top of them....Funny thing, he had all his RCA wires ran properly and installed, good wires too...Has a 4-channel powering all interiors and monoblock powering subs.
Oh and he didn't know how to take out the rear seat and rear bench to remove his stock 6X9s so he he just propped the new 6X9s on the rear deck, they slide around and all that...
Took me the better part of a day, bout 6 hours to clean all that up and re-do EVERYTHING...
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