JACKED IN
Click And Mortar
By Brett Solomon
Posted on Jan 3, 2006

It’s all changing in front us. The way we buy goods is so different than just 10 short years ago. Do you remember back when you were in grade school — the way that you bought almost anything was through a store and most cool stuff you got through a catalog. And, somehow, there would always be a disclaimer for shipping pellet guns or Ninja stars or other cool shit to your house when you were in grade school. Then, along comes this super retailer with everything on earth available known as the Internet and changes the whole way our world does business.

Is it a bad thing? Absolutely not. You can’t beat the convenience of the Internet. But when it comes to car audio and mobile electronics, most of us need goods AND service. In other words, we need our stuff and then we need a person to MAKE IT WORK IN OUR RIDE. There are very few shade tree hobbyists who should be attempting a massive system with an alarm/remote start as their first foray into the world of mobile electronics — you’ll need a pro at some point.

When we buy an item off the Internet, usually the worst thing is waiting for it to arrive and then finding someone to help install it. The truth is that most of us will probably not obtain all of our car audio at one certain type of retailer, but there is still something to be said for dropping the most amount of coin at the local specialty retailer who will be performing the work. They will be thankful, and you might be too when it comes to service after the sale. After all, what happens if the product doesn’t work? Or worse: YOU install it properly and then it doesn’t work? Removing and reinstalling product is a major pain in the ass, and sometimes a few extra pennies toward a professional install from a specialty retailer can make all the difference in the world. Especially when you have a weekend of cruising planned and your system is out of commission.

I’m a firm advocate of purchasing a head unit through a specialty mobile electronics dealer or reputable Internet retailer that has efficient warrantee and swap-out procedures (such as www.crutchfield.com). Of all of the components in my vehicle, I would definitely have the head unit installed at a professional local installation facility. Although a head unit may be scored for a few dollars cheaper on the ‘net, the bottom line is that I want the service after the sale. Without a working head unit, you can’t jury rig ANYTHING to get music in your ride. If the head unit fails tomorrow, I want a physical place that I can drive to and someone that I can talk to. Moreover, I want the installation department to see that the unit is defective and to have them remove the radio from the dashboard, ship it to the proper repair facility, and then reinstall it once it’s fixed.

Everyone’s system is going to be different, but, in the average installation, the head unit is typically the most difficult unit to remove and reinstall. Speakers mounted in the door can be second on the list, depending on how easy or difficult your door panels are to remove. Some of you may be lucky and can just pry off a speaker grill and remove three Phillips-head screws.

Amplifiers (if mounted in the trunk) can usually be swapped out relatively easily, but here’s a common novice mistake — if you think that your amplifier needs service and you want to try and send it out for repair yourself, make sure that you pull the fuse or disconnect the circuit breaker that should be installed near the battery. If you don’t have this fuse or breaker, then forget purchasing and installing your own equipment, get right over to a professional shop with MECP-certified installers (it could be a safety issue).

Subwoofers are usually easy to swap out, depending on the install. A few screws on the top of the sub and it can be removed for testing or replacement.

So, there is a relative ‘pecking order’ for mobile electronics degree of difficulty for removal and replacement — head unit, speakers, amps, and subs. If you’re planning on shopping exclusively on the Internet, then perhaps you should think long and hard about at least buying your head unit at a retailer with good customer service and an easygoing exchange policy. Pick the salesperson’s brain about your system ideas. Many times, a salesperson might suggest components that will work better in your application that you were not aware of. They may just make themselves a convenient location for purchasing everything and having it installed professionally...