car radio installers...help please.

#1
McDad

McDad

I can't brain today; I has the dumb.
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Jan 3, 2011
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#1
Recently paid a guy to install a radio in daughter's 03 Camry. Removed the factory radio and bought a basic pioneer tuner. First, the radio speakers cut in and out if the dimmer switch for car's interior lights was adjusted. Took it back, after 2 hours of him trying to figure it out, the fuse in the radio (not the car fuse) keeps blowing. Now the radio doesn't work and In addition cruise control and instrument cluster backlights not operating. Another guy at same place is supposed to look at it this week.

Anybody here with experience or suggestions? Thanks.
 
#2
#2
What did you do? Hire the first homeless man you ran in to?

:)

Installing stereos is plug and play. How this guy messed this up is straight up weird.
 
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#3
#3
What Obsessed said. The guy hooked up something incorrectly.

He must have blown fuses for the panel lighting. I suppose it's possible that the radio is the culprit, but that seems unlikely.
 
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#4
#4
I thought it was plug n play too. Guy said wires were all jacked up after he removed factory radio. He suggested previous owner upgraded radio and switched it out to factory before selling the car. Idk.
 
#5
#5
McDad said:
I thought it was plug n play too. Guy said wires were all jacked up after he removed factory radio. He suggested previous owner upgraded radio and switched it out to factory before selling the car. Idk.
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They are still color coded. I guess either way, someone screwed up.

I would have installed it for you, cost ya a cheeseburger but it would have worked. Lol.
 
#6
#6
McDad said:
I thought it was plug n play too. Guy said wires were all jacked up after he removed factory radio. He suggested previous owner upgraded radio and switched it out to factory before selling the car. Idk.
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Me thinks your guy is fos and covering his ass for gundecking the install. Not sure what to do from this point other than taking it to a professional. Probably will have to eat whatever you have paid this guy who seems to not have a clue about what he is doing.
 
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#7
#7
McDad said:
I thought it was plug n play too. Guy said wires were all jacked up after he removed factory radio. He suggested previous owner upgraded radio and switched it out to factory before selling the car. Idk.
Click to expand...

This could be possible, someone stole a cd player from my car and ripped out the harness so it was just wires. I had to hook my new one up without a harness and wires weren't labeled so it was a lot of just touching wiress to each other to find the right ones.
 
#8
#8
McDad, did you have the speakers replaced? If not, you should have. Just about guarantee the speaker cones are rotten.

Speakers aren't going to cause the electrical issues, that would be the fault of the color-blind crackhead you hired to install it. :)
 
#9
#9
Sounds like a ground issue. He probably got the main power and the accessory wires messed up to.
 
#11
#11
BearCat204 said:
Me thinks your guy is fos and covering his ass for gundecking the install. Not sure what to do from this point other than taking it to a professional. Probably will have to eat whatever you have paid this guy who seems to not have a clue about what he is doing.
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This is my feeling as well.
 
#12
#12
malinoisvol said:
McDad, did you have the speakers replaced? If not, you should have. Just about guarantee the speaker cones are rotten.

Speakers aren't going to cause the electrical issues, that would be the fault of the color-blind crackhead you hired to install it. :)
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I bought replacement speakers and this guy said old ones were fine.
 
#13
#13
Notorious B.E.N said:
This could be possible, someone stole a cd player from my car and ripped out the harness so it was just wires. I had to hook my new one up without a harness and wires weren't labeled so it was a lot of just touching wiress to each other to find the right ones.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're volunteering to work on the Camry?
 
#14
#14
LenAttwood_1238900c.jpg
Is this the guy you had repair it ?
 
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#16
#16
McDad said:
I bought replacement speakers and this guy said old ones were fine.
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That's code for: "I don't feel like messing with those, thanks." After market speakers are typically superior to factory speakers with the exception of higher end cars or custom stereos.

Where in Knoxville are you?
 
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#17
#17
Coug said:
That's code for: "I don't feel like messing with those, thanks." After market speakers are typically superior to factory speakers with the exception of higher end cars or custom stereos.

Where in Knoxville are you?
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West Knoxville. Like way west. Between Columbia and Lawrenceburg Tennessee.


If my vol bros are correct, im getting screwed here.
 
#18
#18
McDad, you come off as reasonably handy with the maintenance on rental properties and all that. I installed a car radio when I was like 20, drunk, with no tools but a dull kitchen knife in a snowstorm at night with no overhead light or flashlight. (On a 90s camry) I'm 100% confident you could do it.
 
#19
#19
McDad said:
West Knoxville. Like way west. Between Columbia and Lawrenceburg Tennessee.


If my vol bros are correct, im getting screwed here.
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Lol, you could have just said Nashville, it would have worked. :)

Find a reputable shop to do the install if these clowns can't fix it. How much did they charge for the head unit install?
 
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