Quote:
Originally Posted by dcemureviews
I would never take my car there to get it done.
If you want it to get done professionally, take it to a shop that deals with audio and alarms. Taking it to dealers will just rip you off. They usually higher a shop that they have a deal/contract with and hire them to come or take car to the shop and install. They dont do it in-house.
Same goes for those pinstripes you see on cars. It doesnt come from factory like that...they hire someone to come in and do it.
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I would do my research first to be honest. I wouldn't take my car to a shop that deals with audio and alarms just because they deal with it. I don't let many people touch my car, and if they do then its because I trust them and I've seen their work.
I'd shop around and ask if they have pictures of their installs. Ask if they would let you in their shop for a bit to take a look at how they wire things (might be kind of extreme but its your money so go as far as you think you need to). A more reasonable route would be to find a friend or something that had something done at the specific shop and ask to look under the dash, under the hood, etc.
As an installer I can give you some things to look for:
- Look under the dash, and if you see an alarm brain with a sticker like "viper", "clifford", "python", "autopage", "audiovox", "alpine", "black widow", etc... that's usually a bad sign. You shouldn't be able to find it.
- Look under the hood, if you can see the siren... that's another bad sign. It's not always bad, but if you can see it, then that means you just made a theifs job a whole lot easier. If you do see it, then is it mounted with screws or zip ties? It should be screws.
- Now find the antenna. Newer or the better alarms have antennas that are of substance... not like before where they looked like a thin piece of wire. Is it mounted in the top center of the front windsheild (that's where its recommended to get the best range)? It is also recommended, for best performance and range on your antenna, that the run of the antenna wire is ran the full length rather than it just be bundled under the dash.
- I would also look for wires that don't look like its a part of the car. You shouldn't be able to see any of the wires if it was done right or "professionally". It should be blacked out and look like its a part of the car. There shouldn't be any "t-taps" or "crimp caps" showing. Soldering is the best method for connecting wires (if done right and not cold soldered). T-taps make it easier for a theif to steal your car... and you CAN steal a car with an immobilizer and aftermarket alarm.
- Other than those basic things to look for, that should be majority of the research that you have to do to find a good shop. I have seen MANY installs that were done by "specialized" security and audio shops, and majority is garbage. I have seen other installs done by Best Buy or Circuit City Shops, and they were majority garbage as well. I work for a big box company and I have friends that work for "specialized" shops, and they call me for advice, tips, help, shop practices, etc. So I wouldn't say that big box companies should be weeded out as far quality, any shop can fall in that category. Just do the research, its your investment and your money.
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