Hey guys,

So tonight I was wiring up a sony xplod system for my gf with the help of her brother, get around to snipping some wires and I find the result of a "professional" installation.

Basically they haven't even cut the old connectors off and just soldered all over the place, there was lecky tape everywhere and it was an absolute mess.

Anyways, my final point is... if you want something done properly, do it yourself!

See the attached for the horrible mess the "Professional" created.

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/4710/30052008hq2.th.jpg (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=30052008hq2.jpg)

Edit: The professional install was from her previous HU, some phillips pos.

Old plugs left attached so original head unit can be reattached by resoldering the old wires back together again... Other than that, install is ****ing ugly, I'm hoping that those exposed solder wires were insulated at one stage...

yeah they normally tap in just behind the orginal harness that plugs into the stock h/u
normally do it so you can swap the decks over easy when it comes to selling your car
but apart from that, that "professional" install looks pretty rough

The original HU was scrapped at time of install - installer was lazy. it was all lecky taped in to a big inch-wide roll, very bad installation.

If I wanted to swap the stock HU back over, I'd cut the harness at about 5" back for ease of access to re-solder the wires. Leaving them there just makes it very messy.

Were those soldered joints insulated? As long as they are insulated and soldered firmly then I don't see a problem in a technical respect.

Only with lecky tape, no heatshrink. And really it *worked* however it was just a very very messy and rushed job.

Also, I discovered the 12v wire did not work, had been soldered at one stage and broke off, found it about 6 inches away hanging there.

I was wiring up a sony xplod system for my gf... if you want something done properly, do it yourself!



Lol? Anyway, suck it up, lets see you do 10/20 installs a day and still keep that neat. Also I always leave the plug dangling on the end, helps if you ever want to put the old one back in/need ro reference the wires if you ever put another head unit in.

Lol? Anyway, suck it up, lets see you do 10/20 installs a day and still keep that neat. Also I always leave the plug dangling on the end, helps if you ever want to put the old one back in/need ro reference the wires if you ever put another head unit in.

I see your point, however when you pay someone to do a job, you expect it to be done properly as he states.
It only takes a few minutes to neaten stuff like this up so i don't think theres an excuse for his crappy install - If someone was paying me to do that i would be pretty pissed off that that was my work.

True, but all he did was move the problem about 5CM further down the line :P

I dnt really see a problem with that at all apart from if there was no tape on the joins...

Im a qualified installer and ive never worked anywhere that uses heat shrink, everywhere uses tape apart from tonkins who use connectors. also the origional plug is left there for ease of returning to stock if need be, if you cut the plug off you could lose it etc...

-Daniel

Just seems very messy imo, if I was to leave the plug I'd face the wire downwards so both plugs were at even length and there were no wires looping around.

ie.

|
|\
| |
| |
x x

Instead of like above:

|
|
| / - \
| |....|
|/.....|
|......|
[x]..[x]

I love how you always say installing a "Sony Xplod" system like its any different or better to any other brand lol

Personally I don't think thats all that bad, just messy. The pioneer headunit in my car when I bought it had both power wires joined and connected to constant 12v and accessories 12v connected to remote in, now that was bad.

Good god. and by saying xplod, people won't ask what you were installing, its the logical thing to add imo.

Good god. and by saying xplod, people won't ask what you were installing, its the logical thing to add imo.
So what were you installing then, speakers, an amplifier, headunit?

You get my point.

So what were you installing then, speakers, an amplifier, headunit?

You get my point.

Speakers, amp, HU, and sub. That is what I define as "system" :)

Car audio installers don't need to be licensed or have any training!

Anyone who knows how to solder (or crimp wires) can be employed. Suprised at the quality of the installation? :nuts:

If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Simple. The number of cars that the local autoelectrician has to fix after someone has fried a wiring harness, or put a tek screw through a brake line, or a fuel line or a hydraulic clutch line or any number of dumb fsk things that these installers manage to do belies belief.

The speed at which the stores try to get these installed is the problem - no-one can do a good (or even acceptable) quality install under these conditions.

I have had to fix a number of 'professional' installations, which is why the only thing I will let them do know is the fibre glassing as I don't know how to do that. I even paid for an system tune once and the sub came back soooo exaggerated around the $70Hz range that I immediately changed it all myself and am much happier. Waste of $35.

Car audio installers don't need to be licensed or have any training!

Anyone who knows how to solder (or crimp wires) can be employed. Suprised at the quality of the installation? :nuts:

If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Simple. The number of cars that the local autoelectrician has to fix after someone has fried a wiring harness, or put a tek screw through a brake line, or a fuel line or a hydraulic clutch line or any number of dumb fsk things that these installers manage to do belies belief.

The speed at which the stores try to get these installed is the problem - no-one can do a good (or even acceptable) quality install under these conditions.

Indeed, It's like programming. People just don't appreciate clean code in programming, just like clean wiring in cars. I'm a perfectionist, what can I say :)

I dnt really see a problem with that at all apart from if there was no tape on the joins...

Im a qualified installer and ive never worked anywhere that uses heat shrink, everywhere uses tape apart from tonkins who use connectors. also the origional plug is left there for ease of returning to stock if need be, if you cut the plug off you could lose it etc...

-Daniel
yea i have been installing for years professionally and we always just use electrical tape (and solder of course)

I love how you always say installing a "Sony Xplod" system like its any different or better to any other brand lol

Personally I don't think thats all that bad, just messy. The pioneer headunit in my car when I bought it had both power wires joined and connected to constant 12v and accessories 12v connected to remote in, now that was bad.

lol lay off, he was just adding a tittle, u wish u had xplode in ur car :P... Also sony xplod is different to any other brand, cos it's another brand...
... you get my point :doubt:

Look im with u, i hate messy wire work, and personally dont see the use in having extra plugs hanging off at all. But that's just me, i like it simple and clean. Then again i also dont use heat shrink... master duck taper right here :P

lol lay off, he was just adding a tittle, u wish u had xplode in ur car :P... Also sony xplod is different to any other brand, cos it's another brand...
... you get my point :doubt:
I was just commenting. Just unnecessary to tell us what brand the "system" is in every post of every thread related to it that is all. I'm sick of reading Xplod lol


P.S. I do have Sony "Xplod" in my car, headunit's a Sony :P

I was just commenting. Just unnecessary to tell us what brand the "system" is in every post of every thread related to it that is all. I'm sick of reading Xplod lol


P.S. I do have Sony "Xplod" in my car, headunit's a Sony :P

See, this is different circumstances anyways, this was not my car, this was my girlfriends car. so completely different car and system.

i dont know why installers dont use thos adapter thingys. You know, one end plugs into the car wiring harness, and the other end into the HU.

Also, if i had a business that was installing stereos and you used lekky tape, which BTW is incorrect, cos i doesnt conduct electricity, i would slap youse down. Use heatshrink. Its much neater and doesnt fall off.

Also, if i had a business that was installing stereos and you used lekky tape, which BTW is incorrect, cos i doesnt conduct electricity, i would slap youse down. Use heatshrink. Its much neater and doesnt fall off.
Why would you want to wrap it in something that conducts electricity? You might as well solder and leave the connections exposed :nuts:

i dont know why installers dont use thos adapter thingys. You know, one end plugs into the car wiring harness, and the other end into the HU.

Also, if i had a business that was installing stereos and you used lekky tape, which BTW is incorrect, cos i doesnt conduct electricity, i would slap youse down. Use heatshrink. Its much neater and doesnt fall off.

:nuts:

i dont know why installers dont use thos adapter thingys. You know, one end plugs into the car wiring harness, and the other end into the HU.

Also, if i had a business that was installing stereos and you used lekky tape, which BTW is incorrect, cos i doesnt conduct electricity, i would slap youse down. Use heatshrink. Its much neater and doesnt fall off.
those "adapter thingys" cost money...soldering onto the exsisting harness is free and in the end you will always have a soldered join (example: they dont make magna to sony or pioneer etc only magna to bare ends)
have you tryed using heatshrink when you cant take the harness out of the car? personally i would prefer tape than a burnt dashboard
and tape wont fall off unless it is intentionally pulled off (if enough tape is used)

have you tryed using heatshrink when you cant take the harness out of the car? personally i would prefer tape than a burnt dashboard
and tape wont fall off unless it is intentionally pulled off (if enough tape is used)

I agree about using heatshrink but use a gas oven lighter and you'll be sweet. Heatshrink beats tape 10/10. After a while tape will get all sticky and crappy, especially if your car is parked outside when it gets hot inside from time to time.

Why would you want to wrap it in something that conducts electricity? You might as well solder and leave the connections exposed :nuts:


you dont. what i was saying is calling it "lekky tape" is incorrect, as it doesnt conduct electricity. It is insulating tape, as it insulates.

you see:D

I use heatshrink every time, it doesn't go gooey with age or leave a sticky mess when you remove it, looks heaps tidier and is quicker.
I use a portable gas soldering iron which has a blow torch attachment. Works a treat and doesn't melt your dash! :D

I use a portable gas soldering iron which has a blow torch attachment.

I love those things! :)

Considering you want to 'splice' not 'cut and solder' if you want to keep the existing plug you have no way to properly use heatshrink tubing, you should use Self Amalgamating Tape. You get the stuff from most electronics places, u wrap a joint then hit it with a heat gun, like heatshrink but don't have to slide tubing on.

Even Jaycar sell it...
http://www1.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=NM2826&CATID=&keywords=amalgamating&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=

those "adapter thingys" cost money...soldering onto the exsisting harness is free and in the end you will always have a soldered join (example: they dont make magna to sony or pioneer etc only magna to bare ends)

I have an adapter in my car for my pioneer HU to magna (unless I missed that point, then my bad)

I had a professional installation, the end result.
- The same two fuses blown about 5 times
- A reset ECU, which had a spaz and had to be tuned by Mitsubishi
- A broken center console fascia plate
- And a HU that didn't work because of bad wiring

All this from a well know group of stores

I have an adapter in my car for my pioneer HU to magna (unless I missed that point, then my bad)

I had a professional installation, the end result.
- The same two fuses blown about 5 times
- A reset ECU, which had a spaz and had to be tuned by Mitsubishi
- A broken center console fascia plate
- And a HU that didn't work because of bad wiring

All this from a well know group of stores

Sounds like a strathfield job ;)

Sounds like a strathfield job ;)

No

Here's a hint "You'll have the best kept car in town"

No

Here's a hint "You'll have the best kept car in town"
West Coast Customs? :P

West Coast Customs? :P

LOL... your ride has officially been pimped...

(Note translation for pimped, is ****ed up by some arrogant no nothings)

I have some of that Elgamating tape... good stuff, didnt really use it though, have never had a problem with my ducky tape going sticky and gooey even though my car sat outside through summer.

+1 for adapters did my last head deck with lecy tape and solder but my new one i went and bought the adapter for magna to universal and universal to my head deck

sif solder. twisty ftw only because i cant solder

sif solder. twisty ftw only because i cant solder

Why can't you solder man? its easy... soldering iron costs about $30 max.

Why can't you solder man? its easy... soldering iron costs about $30 max.

I dont know i always end up stuffing up lol. In TAFE i was awesome at it.

I dont know i always end up stuffing up lol. In TAFE i was awesome at it.
You should practice more then.
I've learnt to solder in almost any space now. even wires dangling from the roof etc i can solder together.

practise makes perfect. especially with soldering. i used to suck. and now im fine. also its important to learn properly the first time :)

i wouldnt classify any work done at JB hifi/Strathfield as professional....

A mate just got his stereo installed at one of the above. Simple job of putting a lcc onto a factory headunit of a Honda Civic '08 to run an amp. The end bill is $2100 of damage to the car including dash, factory wiring being cut in the firewall and something else.

Luckily they are paying for it. :gtfo:

Personally I wouldn't take my car to many places. Fhrx and Precision are 2 of the best in Sydney.

A mate just got his stereo installed at one of the above. Simple job of putting a lcc onto a factory headunit of a Honda Civic '08 to run an amp. The end bill is $2100 of damage to the car including dash, factory wiring being cut in the firewall and something else.

Luckily they are paying for it. :gtfo:

wat in the hell did they do???

wat in the hell did they do???

something naughty

wat in the hell did they do???

I'm not to sure if you have done a new civic, but to get the unit out you need to remove the whole dash which included the bit around the speedo panel etc.

What they did:
*Damage the panel and most of the clips, it holds but not as well as it should...
*Scratched all around the facia panel
*Try and feed the enormous 4ga power cable through the firewall and slit numorous wires including that to most major things like air con etc

I have seen the end result but haven't had a decent look yet to know what else they did...

Jerks.... :rant: Lucky it wasn't my car :D

Mine looked much the same, loom after loom after loom after electrical tap after wires that went nowhere. i cleaned it up when i installed my H/U, much less confusing now.


Old plugs left attached so original head unit can be reattached by resoldering the old wires back together again... Other than that, install is ****ing ugly, I'm hoping that those exposed solder wires were insulated at one stage...

Ironically, the factory loom was the only one that didn't seem to be there. :bowrofl: