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Help Wanted

Discussion in 'Off Topic Discussion' started by Ranger SVO, Oct 16, 2006.

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  1. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    We lost an installer Friday, he quit, said the job was stressful :confused:

    We are a busy shop and we really need 3 installers. A person is supposed to start tomorrow. This person knows nothing about this job except for a desire to learn it.

    We hired an MCEP certified installer once, never again. I don't know what he learned in school but he was the worst we ever had. He knew nothing. This time myself and "D" decided we would hire a complete newby. The owner figures both me and "D" have 12 years working together so we need to find somebody that can tollerate us and we can tollerate him.

    He has two weeks to impress us.
     
    Ranger SVO, Oct 16, 2006
    #1
  2. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    Sh!t I'll come and work with you guys...I'm in Evansville, IN though lol.

    I wish I could come and learn with you and "D". That would be some major learning experience
     
    aznboi3644, Oct 16, 2006
    #2
  3. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    We have seen a lot of people come and go. Most don't realize what we do 99% of the time is routine. But sometimes we need to figure things out. If its 12-volt and I think its poosible, I'll try it.

    For example, did you know that you can add cruise control to a Chev Cobalt in less than 30-minutes using the factory computer. Cruise is already built in. Using a programmer with a Candi module, tell the BCM it has a cruise, then all you have to do is tell the computer what to do. I've already done around 20 and it has a very high profit margin.

    Even the dealer cannot figure it out. Recently a customer brought us a 2006 Chev Pickup (with V8), all have Cruise built in. We just have to control the computer. The local dealership tryed to install and wire the factory handle all day without success. We installed the same part in an hour and it worked.

    Ipod interfaces into factory systems has become big.

    But most of the time its put in a radio or a bass special. Most of the time its routine. Shops that make it, stay on top of whats going on. Factory intergration is where its at (my opinion). Most of the time its just another job. But it ain't stressful
     
    Ranger SVO, Oct 16, 2006
    #3
  4. TheViking

    TheViking Well-Known Member

    Where the hell is your shop at anyway???????

    LOL!!! and the MECP "thing"!!!! what a joke!!!!!!!!! Shortly after the Mecp "thing" come around, my boss said if i took the tests and got the "master installer" certificate, he would pay for all the tests and give me a 500 dollar bonus, (he just wanted the damn certificate hanging on the wall to impress people he said) I looked over the material and said fine, I took the tests and got the master's BS certificate. Along the way, i found an incredible amount of discrepencies in the material, i pointed it out to those "in the know" of the MECP "company"......If it did anyt good or not, I have no idea....

    If someone knows the material, at least they will have half a chlue as to what car audio is about, but by no means will they have any REAL knowldge of the industry....And having a mecp ticket DOES NOT mean you are a good installer...They are trying to make it like its the equal to certified mechanics or a freekin nasa engineer.....Sorry, but all the installers i know that are REALLY GOOD, have no use for that BS ticket....Hell, look at custom bike builders, engine builders, body men for custom cars and the likes.....do they have some little peice of paper on the wall in a gold frame signed by who knows that says they know their sh!t????No.....................

    Ok, i am done ranting for now!!!!!!

    If your near the show me state, let me know, i wouldnt mind getting back into the buisness for the fun of it!!!!!!!!
     
    TheViking, Oct 16, 2006
    #4
  5. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    Agreed. And I can prove it. Did you know that most Best Buy and Circuit City installers are certified. And look at some of the installs that come out of those shops. I've seen 4 ga grounds attached to a cars sheet metal with a tapper. It don't get no worse. Then I see worse.
     
    Ranger SVO, Oct 16, 2006
    #5
  6. Throttletune

    Throttletune Full Member

    Being a certified mechanic ain't all that either. Piece of paper doesn't fix the car, like that same piece of paper on your wall doesn't make it sound, look, or function properly. We all have our skeletons in the closet, and lord knows we have them in the trade I'm in as well. Going to Sears and buying a pair of stripper/crimpers doesn't make an installer just as buying a bunch of wrenches from the same place doesn't make a tech.

    But, if the same person came in with those wrenches and showed desire, willingness to learn, and had some smarts, I would work with him. The need to know, and wanting to learn is paramount to making a tech these days. I imagine it's gotta be the same in the mobile entertainment world.

    On another note, the Tech 2 Rocks on GM's, eh? Can't imagine working on that make without one.
     
    Throttletune, Oct 16, 2006
    #6
  7. CadillacETC1997

    CadillacETC1997 Well-Known Member

    ranger where is your shop?
     
    CadillacETC1997, Oct 16, 2006
    #7
  8. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    Caddy where have you been??
     
    aznboi3644, Oct 16, 2006
    #8
  9. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    oh man i have a cuircut city install story.i'll keep it short.

    had an alarm installed from them twice.the first was a joke.left wires showing and hanging all over.

    then it stoped working.i told them what was going on and after an hour the installer told me they found the prob.
    some one installed an after market shock sensor in the truck.(later they said i did it)i told them the truck had an alarm before.blah blah....6 hours later i had a new alarm and a better install.

    so i'm pulling out of the lot and i smell something burning.
    i stop and check.the asss holes left my light under the dash undone and it was melting the foam under the dash cover.

    so i turn around and pull right back in.and they are all "what now".

    i got out and yelled at them like i yella at my dog when he ****es in the house.

    the manager(who blamed me on the shock sensor before)couldnt have been more of an asss,.he told me "my guys are pro's we dont do half ass work"then i showed him under the dash.he changed his story quick.not only did he almost set my truck on fire he didnt even bother putting the screws all the way in.

    ALL of it was loose.

    i went back a few weeks later and its a whole new install team. hell its not even the same head manager.

    ALL THOSE STORES ARE A ****KING JOKE.
    oh and guess what my damb alarm is actting up again.it blows a fuse when i try a remote start.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2006
    pedro quiroga, Oct 17, 2006
    #9
  10. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    Well altleast I know at my local best buy the installers are actually good...cuz I know em lol

    but other than that I wouldn't go to circuit city...i hate them
     
    aznboi3644, Oct 17, 2006
    #10
  11. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    i just got my new head unit from best buy and the kid working the car audio section was a dummy.

    when i asked him about some head units,he seemed lost.

    i was better off just reading the little cards next too the heads.he knew nothing about what he was selling.
    he was reading the cards too.hell i could have done that myself....well actually i did.right in the middle of talking to me he turned then left to talk to someone else.

    i ended up talking to someone else.a manager i think.he had a button up blue shirt.he knew his shiit too.
    we compared a few heads then ended up with the pioneer.(7800)is easy to navigate,and i have an aux input plug for the pioneer allready.

    oh and the guy chewed that kid out for walking away to chat with his buddy.
     
    pedro quiroga, Oct 17, 2006
    #11
  12. CadillacETC1997

    CadillacETC1997 Well-Known Member

    ive like died
    nah ive been doin a major overhaul on the ETC
    and the 15th was my bday
    20 now only 1 more year!!!
     
    CadillacETC1997, Oct 17, 2006
    #12
  13. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    Abilene Tx

    And to everyone else, I've heard alot of horror stories about circuit city and best buy.

    Hey Azn, don't be fooled. I don't know your friends so I won't pass judgement. A good installer does not run into a problem that he can not figure out. Example, did you know that new GM products DO NOT have an ignition line at the back of the radio. The wrong way to fix that problem is to run your own ignition wire from the fuse block or the ignition switch. New Dodges are the same way.

    Did you know that you CAN NOT take a radio out of an 06 Impala and put it in a different 06 Impala. Because of the data line system the radio knows its in the wrong car and won't turn on. A Professional Installer knows how to deal with this problem.

    Today there is a lot more than knowing how to put a box in a trunk or putting a radio in a dash. Today we need to know the cars we are dealing with. We need to know how to deal with and intergrate into some complicated systems.

    Did you know that the 07 Impala Does Not have a start wire on the ignition switch. It uses a data line to tell the computer to start the car. Remote Starts have just become interesting. I have not solved this problem yet but ask me at the end of the month, I bet I have a solution.

    The new guy started today. And he has a lot to learn.
     
    Ranger SVO, Oct 17, 2006
    #13
  14. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    well happy belated B-day.what kind of upgrades you doing?
     
    pedro quiroga, Oct 17, 2006
    #14
  15. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    hey ranger.other than dana mat what else is there to do doors and such?i've read you guys mention water and ice shield.any ideas where to find it?
     
    pedro quiroga, Oct 17, 2006
    #15
  16. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    Well the only one I knew was about the data line for the impala....read it elsewhere but everything else I had no clue about

    Well my brother just got a 2002 camry so I may need some help putting in a head unit as the dash looks daunting...I have never taking out a whole dash by myself before lol
     
    aznboi3644, Oct 17, 2006
    #16
  17. CadillacETC1997

    CadillacETC1997 Well-Known Member

    nos
    lots and lots of nos...
     
    CadillacETC1997, Oct 17, 2006
    #17
  18. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    Water and Ice shield is sold at Lowe's
     
    aznboi3644, Oct 17, 2006
    #18
  19. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    Toyotas are usually easy to get apart, all of them I've ever run into, the trim around the radio snaps off. Camrys may have an amp. Toyota was nice to you there also. The amp will be located behind the radio if it has one. If it has an amp just unplug it and you will have the standard Toyota plugs.

    So far the new guy is doing good. He just might make it. But its only been 4 days.
     
    Ranger SVO, Oct 21, 2006
    #19
  20. TheViking

    TheViking Well-Known Member

    Abilene huh? cant commute that far!!! Hope the new guy works out...give him a chance and see if he shows a REAL interest in the shop. A guy who WANTS to listen and learn is better than a guy who knows everything!!! (like me, i would be a complete asshole!!!!! LOL!!!!!! )
     
    TheViking, Oct 21, 2006
    #20
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