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IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

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[Rant] Best Buy car audio installation

My car is a 2001 Dodge Stratus and the car stereo has a separate ground as opposed to grounding through the harness. So you have to connect the aftermarket deck to a separate ground. Long story short I my stereo was acting funny (quit recognizing the iPhone) so I bought a Digital Media Receiver (one with no CD player) that has Bluetooth and hands free calling. It's made by Pioneer, the POS I pulled out is a Kenwood. Well Best Buy had the guts to just strip one of the wires, splice it, and wrap it in electrical tape. The tech did this after his original install messed up the electronics in my car (couldn't use original ground because it screwed them up).

Despite me buying the new deck at Best Buy, I reused the old harnesses and I soldered the connections. I installed it myself. Replacing a factory stereo with aftermarket is difficult, which is why I have Best Buy do it. Replacing aftermarket stereos is a piece of cake.

The sound is MUCH better.

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

8 recommendations

ilikeme

Premium Member

Your first and largest problem: Letting Worst Buy/Idiot Squad mess with your car.

shaner
Premium Member
join:2000-10-04
Calgary, AB

shaner to IowaCowboy

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to IowaCowboy
You paid Best Buy to install a stereo in an '01 Stratus?

Seriously simple install.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO

10 recommendations

nunya to IowaCowboy

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to IowaCowboy
Best Buy. LOL. Those jackasses could mess up installing a turd into a toilet.
ImpetusEra
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join:2004-05-19
00000

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I wouldn't say that Kenwood is complete shit, maybe not the best but no worse than Pioneer. In all brands some models are better than others also. What is the purpose of the wire they stripped and spliced? There's no "need" to reuse the original ground. The original may have been a braided grounding strap which usually attaches to the factory head unit with a bolt, no such provision on aftermarket. Ground is ground, a wire to any clean metal will do. Whether replacing factory head unit or aftermarket there's no difference in difficulty. It may suck some if an aftermarket was put in and the original harness hacked off leaving short nubs of poorly connected wires back in the dash. You should replace the speakers now, I'd suggest component speakers with amplifiers. No way factory speakers sound good with paper diaphragm and whizzer cones.

carpetshark3
Premium Member
join:2004-02-12
Idledale, CO

carpetshark3 to IowaCowboy

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I've had a couple installed but not by Best Buy. Vehicle was always done before time.
Installer told me that Japanese cars are really easy to reinstall. A lot of American cars, they almost have to break the dashboard area to get at the thing.

I had Toyota Tacoma and Tercel done twice. I upgraded as I wanted USB port and gave the one with the RCA jack only to the Tercel. She had a Sandisk player so she was fine with it. Company did the new install on mine and a less than normal install charge for the other.

All installs took far less time than company predicted.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy to ImpetusEra

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to ImpetusEra
said by ImpetusEra:

I wouldn't say that Kenwood is complete shit, maybe not the best but no worse than Pioneer.

Yeah the same stereo that won't recognize the iPhone half the time. I'm having problems with the iPhone, keep doing factory resets on the iPhone and the Geniuses at the Apple store can't pinpoint the source of the problem so I replaced the car stereo to eliminate one piece of the problem.

Caddyroger
Premium Member
join:2001-06-11
To the west

Caddyroger to IowaCowboy

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Well I got my laugh in in for today. I had a stereo and a alarm system installed at 2 different Best buys. I had a shop that only dealt with stereo and alarms install a alarm system. Guess which one I did not have any problems with and the one I had to take the car in 3 times in 6 months for problems?

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

LazMan to IowaCowboy

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to IowaCowboy
It really depends on the store...

I've had extensive stereo/accessory work done by Future Shop (Canadian sister to BB) - but only at one store in particular...

New head unit, amp, speakers, backup camera, remote starter, and remote locks and an alarm - never a bit of trouble with any of it - but their installers are all qualified, experienced tech's; and this location is known for the quality of their work... I'm sure that's not that case at every store.

Ghastlyone
Premium Member
join:2009-01-07
Nashville, TN

6 recommendations

Ghastlyone to IowaCowboy

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I'm amazed Best Buy is still in business.

That place is fuckin' garbage.

Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY

Msradell

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said by Ghastlyone:

I'm amazed Best Buy is still in business.

That place is fuckin' garbage.

Unfortunately, for all of us in the eastern United States we really don't have many other options. We don't have Frys or any other major electronics retailers since Circuit City went out of business.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO

nunya

MVM

BB pretty much won by attrition. They are the only one left around here.
There's HH Gregg, but they are pretty suckish too.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

And another question, does this look like a clean install of a hands free calling system (properly installed).



Ignore the oil change sticker, I have synthetic in there.

Ghastlyone
Premium Member
join:2009-01-07
Nashville, TN

Ghastlyone to nunya

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to nunya
said by nunya:

BB pretty much won by attrition. They are the only one left around here.
There's HH Gregg, but they are pretty suckish too.

You guys don't have Amazon?

I have yet to find something cheaper at Best Buy.
ImpetusEra
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join:2004-05-19
00000

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Might have less wire showing if undo the visor mount and run the wiring through a hole in the headliner behind the mount. Or just mount it on the edge of the headliner instead of the visor.
ImpetusEra

ImpetusEra to Ghastlyone

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to Ghastlyone
said by Ghastlyone:

You guys don't have Amazon?

I have yet to find something cheaper at Best Buy.

I like to browse Best Buy but never purchase anything there. They had a home theater sub I wanted for $500, bought same model new online shipped for half the price. I did purchase my most recent cell phone there though. Purchased online with pickup in store option thinking I'd grab it at customer service counter and be in and out. Had to wait in line at the cellular counter for an hour while some cow hemmed and hawed over plan options and then phone accessories. Won't be making that mistake again.

chip89
Premium Member
join:2012-07-05
Columbia Station, OH

chip89 to Ghastlyone

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Over here in the Midwest Best buy is the store that is left.

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
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join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia to shaner

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I had my stereo installed in 1 car(VW Golf GTI) and they messed up the antenna and electrical system. It wasn't Best Buy or their ilk either. It was a mom and pop high end audio/video store that overall I was very satisfied with all my purchases from and the after sale service for the few things that went wrong. But they royally f'ed up the car stereo install and could not fix it, though I did have issues with the CD player later and they gave me a new one, no questions asked(though I insisted on installing the replacement myself, since the electrical was finally fixed though I did fix the antenna myself). The couple times before then and every time after that, I did my own installs and never messed up 1. I do wish they were still in business but it seems local shops are going the way of the dodo. But Best Buy? I would not let them touch my toilet plunger, let alone my car or computer, for that matter.

Thane_Bitter
Inquire within
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join:2005-01-20

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That was his second, the first was buying a Dodge Stratus.

Its quite possible they cut through the ground while splicing into the electrical system, I bet they used those shitty squeeze on connectors, they often act as a guillotine leaded to intermittent faults or open circuits. 3M markets them as a quick way to splice wires, I think they are a gateway product, one that fails so you have to buy more connectors or just learn how to solder and use shrink wrap (i.e. products also made by 3M). Also being a Dodge its very possible that the ground point for the radio (and likely other items) had broken off, corroded or just undersized for the load.

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
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join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

1 recommendation

Selenia

Premium Member

I do it the neat way-plan my purchase then order the harness adapters for my car model. Good for the life of the car if you change stereos again and not expensive at all, considering the many potential headaches avoided. You live, you learn. First couple stereos I did I hardwired. But this way is so much quicker and easier than stripping wires and splicing/capping them. Plus, you can just slap the factory stereo back in as a backup upon waiting for a replacement in the event of a failed deck(I order most of mine now due to lack of good high end electronics stores these days in many regions I have lived and better pricing).

psafux
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join:2005-11-10

psafux to IowaCowboy

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I used to do car audio / video installs (not necessarily for Best Buy though I am not confirming nor denying). It really boils down to the tech doing the work. Some are great, some are crap.
psafux

psafux to IowaCowboy

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said by IowaCowboy:

And another question, does this look like a clean install of a hands free calling system (properly installed).

If you're happy with it and the cable isn't causing a safety issue that's really all that matters. I would have done it differently (less cable exposed and a cleaner look in general) but some of those types of installs require a judgment call. If you don't like it bring it back and explain what you want.
askinder
join:2010-07-08
Kansas City, MO

askinder to IowaCowboy

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You are limited somewhat in how that cable can be run as it looks to be one piece. Does not look bad at all to me.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

nunya to IowaCowboy

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As time has gone by, one of the things I've learned in life is to not judge people by the car they drive.
I know a doctor with a thriving practice who drives a beat to hell Saturn and a con artist waiting to go to prison who drives a brand new Silverado LTZ Z71.

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

I had a Dodge Stratus for a few years. Got a great deal on it brand new. Was actually a pretty good car. Rode nice, handled nice, and didn't have many problems until I gave it up because of a cell phone driver rear ending me pretty hard. At that time, it had 153,000 miles and was still running like a top. Alas, it was totalled. Ended up getting a Maxima after.