Who Should You Have Installing Your Car Stereo? Essay, Research Paper

English 03 March 03, 1999Comparison and Contrast Who Should You Have Installing Your Car Stereo? Well there are some key elements to consider first. With a professional installation of your car stereo you will most likely recieve some kind of warranty. On the other hand it is generally more expensive than doing it yourself. Some people have the skill and patience it takes to go through a thorough installation. Here are a few of the key differences between the two. When a professional is doing your work, he/she will begin by taking your seats out of the car so they will not be in the way. This is a step most amateurs will leave out, either because of the lack of necessary tools or simply not knowing its importance. Then the installer will pull the carpet up where necessary. Nest comes the building of the wire harness. This consists of running all the wire that is going to the same place or relatively close, and then wrapping it with electrical tape or running it through conduit. After it’s made it can then be laid down and installed out of the way. Then comes the stereo deck installation. Usually with a little help from the installation manual and the shop books it’s knocked out relatively quick. If there is an amplifier to be installed as well, the installer mounts those too. Then he/she plugs the seperate components into the wire harness, which is the same as a wire harness except it only contains speaker leads. Finally it’s turned on and tested. Once everything is in working order your installer can then set all the different components to play any type of music, as well as being able to set the sound stage wherever the customer (you) desires. Now the same installation by your average amateur would go more like this. First he/she will take

out the directions and read them thoroughly. Your average amateur isn’t familiar with all the different manufacturers, let alone all the different models and variations within them. Next he/she will probably install the stereo. Through no fault of their own he/she will undougtedly run into problems finding out which power goes where, and which speaker leads go to which speakers. If there is an amplifier to install it will either get fried or turned over to a professional. Finally if he/she has to install speakers there will finally be peace, for this is the easiest part of the whole ordeal. As for setting the sound stage and field, the general person won’t know the first thing about it. Another point worth mentioning is the tools your professional will have. They will generally consist of a wide variety of interior body and cluip pullers; furthermore, they will have most of the regular screwdrivers and sockets the average person will have. Your professional installer will also have a few tools that your average person will not have access to. Such as a Skewdriver-a small screwdriver with the very end bent at a 90 degree angle through a tiny gearbox-which is the only tool one can use to take off the dashboard in some cars. The professional will also have access to each vehicle types wire code and electrical schematics. Both of these items are only available through wholesale accounts at a few stereo shops in the area. Your average joe will have an extremely limited selection of tools, usually just a concoction of tools used to work around the house or the family car. He will not have access to certain specialty tools that aid in the ease of installation, or the tools that prevent damage to the interior of the car. In conclusion I’ll say this. Your average installion without complicated accesories can generally be taken on by the average person. As soon as you get to more complicated components, and setting up

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