Radio now wired to engine power

[tris91ricer]

ok, this sounds really strange, but.. believe it or not, Best Buy did it. (they're professionals??)
Ok, previously, i've had no stereo in my car. It's been screwed with many, many times, and finally, the last time it quit, i just stopped messing with it until i could afford a new stereo installed.
So, i drop my money and car at best buy in FedWay here, and wait 90 mins for an install. It goes fine. I take my car that evening, and realize that the stereo is now wired to my parking lights. yes, the PARKING LIGHTS! ok, that's not the bad part. If i'd known what was soon to become, i could have lived with having my stereo power controlled by my lighting stalk on the wheel. But no, i had to have it fixed... so after dropping it off once again, with a laugh no less, (over the ID10cy of wiring a stereo to the lights) i come back to find that they (the best buy dudes/techs) cannot start my car. This sucks. we fiddle with things for a while, and then they tell me what they did:
They ran the stereo power back to the fuse panel (near the feet) with its own power, so the lights don't control it. Now, in doing this, they managed to wire it right to the power that supplies the engine electricity. So now, if i want my car to start, run, or operate, i better not blow the fuse for the radio. my electronics are FUBAR'd. Any advice on what i can do to fix this?? i'm not well versed in this department as a few of you know, so i'm completely lost!!
So to sum it up, my radio is wired to the engine power wire(s) and they are now on the same fuse.. how dangerous is this, and what can i do to get it fixed? (besides take it back to best buy)
Thanks,
-=Tristan
BTW, if it matters, i have a 460w 2channel amp that is connected, but not giving power to the system/speakers due to a speaker fault in the passenger door. oh, and a 12" pioneer sub. (good system when it works/ed..)

[vrg3]

I don't get it -- why didn't they take power from the radio wiring harness?

How do you know they wired it to the power that "supplies the engine electricity?"

That sounds like having it tapped to the ignition relay or something, but I'm curious what makes you think that's what it is...

If you are sure something is wrong and a reasonable third party would agree, I think you should press for Best Buy to pay for a dealer to rectify your wiring. If there's an unfused (or improperly fused) power wire anywhere it's a fire hazard, and if a malfunctioning radio can cut off power to your ECU it's a safety hazard.

[tris91ricer]

that's what i thought.. the best buy guys were the ones to tell me that it was wired to the engine power because it wouldn't start with the radio fuse out, but with the radio fuse in, it started up and ran fine...
also, my speakers lose power under hard braking and in corners --is this related? the power to the head unit still goes, and the track count continues, but the speakers cut out. i remember this happening before my alt went out last year, but... could this be the same, or is it to do with the radio/engine fuse?
thanks, vrg3, i was hoping it was you that would respond.. i know this and many other things electrical are your forte...
-=tris

[LaureltheQueen]

take it to a high end audio shop like magnolia and have them fix things. make best buy at least refund you the money if not pay to have your car fixed

[tris91ricer]

But how do i MAKE them do that? I'm heavy-handed in talk, but i'm really that well-versed in verbally competing with people to get my way... i'm fairly passive. What things should i say/do to make them pay? They (the dudes/techs) said i had to take it to a stealership, have them PROVE that it was their (best buy's) fault, and pay for the repairs, then best buy would reimburse me somehow.. is there another way?

[Yukonart]

They totally botched the install job. Find out who the installer was, and if need be, I'll con Tim (who's a veteran Magnolia installer) into talking to someone to make things right.

There's no excuse for this.

[vrg3]

They said the engine wouldn't start with the radio fuse removed?!

That's &*!@#'d up.

I don't think there are supposed to be any fuses in the interior fuse box that can keep the engine from starting. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong about that.)

I don't understand what could make all four speakers cut out simultaneously except for a lot simultaneously bad wiring or a malfunctioning head unit; I'd suspect the latter.

We still don't know exactly what they did to your car. It's really hard to figure this stuff out over messages like this... it's hard enough to figure it out in person. A dealer or a respectable audio shop like Laurel suggests will probably be your best resource, and Best Buy should be held responsible for the costs.

It sucks that you had to learn it this way... If I'd known you were going to give your car to Best Buy I would have told you not to... Hopefully this will serve as a warning to other people.

[tris91ricer]

The installer was James at Best Buy in Federal Way. He's a tall red-head. (anyone wanna "botch" him??) niether him, nor his manager could figure this thing out --for christ's sake, i know what all the power wires look like, etc.. i just am too lazy/unknowledgeable to do it myself --they're supposed to know more than me, they're CERTIFIED! ack! What kinda strings can you pull, art? laurel showed me what they did to your rides... where do i take it for that?
thanks again, you guys rock. (sadly, i don't rock.. no frickin stereo!!!)
-=tris

[Yukonart]

Well. . . I'll talk to Tim this afternoon. See if the corporate ties between Best Buy and Mag can be "massaged" in this situation to make things right. If nothing else, Tim will be able to direct you to a Mag down your way to an installer he trusts to get the job done.

[tris91ricer]

Then should i invoice the install repairs to that best buy and hope i get my $$ Back? i'm thinking i should just return everything, have 'em take it all out,and goto mag hifi like you say... i hate paying for expensive shops.. but i guess its situations like this that make me realize why we should pay top dollar... if you want to contact me personally, i'll PM you my email here at work...
Thanks again, art.
perhaps we could meet soon? I think you and laurel are pretty cool.
=tris

[georgeperez38]

All I did was find my car at www.Crutchfield.com, find the radio that fits. Then purchased Crutchfields wiring harness (match the colors from the new radio unit to the conversion wire harness; red to red, green to green, etc.). Plug the Subbie radio harness into the conversion harness (can't mess this up, square to square so on and so on). And it plays.

[LaureltheQueen]

it's a bit more complicated than that

[georgeperez38]

Sure it is. I replaced my stock radio in less than 1 hour. Crutchfield even sends you diagrams of what needs to be removed. There aren't many screws to remove a radio faceplate. All radio components sit on a tray. Unplug the radio connects, unscrew tray and it all comes out. Little faith from those that never try. But then again, I have a sedan. The wagon is suppose to be a little more difficult.

[Yukonart]

Then should i invoice the install repairs to that best buy and hope i get my $$ Back? i'm thinking i should just return everything, have 'em take it all out,and goto mag hifi like you say... i hate paying for expensive shops.. but i guess its situations like this that make me realize why we should pay top dollar... if you want to contact me personally, i'll PM you my email here at work...
Thanks again, art.
perhaps we could meet soon? I think you and laurel are pretty cool.
=tris

Tristan. . . if you're buying a deck at Mag, it comes with free basic install.

[evolutionmovement]

I never even did that. I installed mine by locating the correct wires in the harness. The whole job took me a relaxed hour and was the easiest install I've ever done. I have no idea how these guys messed up so badly.

I wonder if the speakers go out due to some cheap-ass wiring (like wires badly twisted together by hand and electrical tape wrapped).

That's why I like to do my own work. They are definitely responsible for getting this done right. Get a hold of corporate and tell them that if they don't fix it this last time you'll go to a professional shop and hand them off the bill to get the job done right or else you'll take them to small claims court and report them to the Better Business Bureau. Be firm, but polite and tell the guy on the other end that you know it's not his fault, but you're very upset and need this done right, it's highly inconvenient to keep finding the time to bring the car in with your busy schedule when it should've been done once, blah, blah, blah. You could say you only had it done there because you thought it would be the fastest way. Stress the tiime & aggravation factor as everyone can relate to it. Make sure you know the dates that this stuff happened, too since it makes you look completely on the ball.

Steve

[LaureltheQueen]

George. I have a deck in my wagon, Tim at magnolia installed it for me, it's got the adapter harness and whatnot, i know how easy it is, as i swapped it over from the 91 when i bought the turbo. Tristan was having electrical problems, and took it to BB to have things worked out. it wasnt a simple matter of getting a plug and play connection, there was actual wiring that needed to be repaired.

[BAC5.2]

Simply speak with Best Buy and don't take No for an answer. You'll get the head unit installed properly by a competent shop (do NOT let them fix your car. A lot of places will say "we will only fix the car for free, not pay someone else to do it." Don't settle for this. They fucked up, they don't get the chance to make matters worse [for either party involved]).

Don't bend. Know how you want it handled, and speak to the highest-up you can about the situation. Don't be a dick head, but don't just agree with what they say. Paint them into a corner, and they will tell you exactly what they can do within a certain time. Since they sold a service, the issue is customer service and not a warranty claim. Because it's a customer service issue, there is NO reason that they should place any limitations on you in terms of making you happy.

[georgeperez38]

Sounds like he's better off having it re-wired. I thought my wiring was bad but when I replaced the speakers and then the tuner unit, my wires where fine. I had bad components. I had the same issue, speaker cutting out. My problem revolved around a bad radio tuner (Subaru factory install).

[codfizzle]

I never even did that. I installed mine by locating the correct wires in the harness. The whole job took me a relaxed hour and was the easiest install I've ever done. I have no idea how these guys messed up so badly.

I know this is a really old thread, but I just did a stereo install yesterday in my 92 wagon, and I gotta say it was pretty damn easy. You can find the official wiring diagram for the stock stereo system on this web site. Then you just match up the wires ("ok the white wire with the black stripe is the front passenger speaker negative wire", etc.) Took me about 30 minutes and about 10 butt connectors.

I've NEVER had anyone install my audio equpment in my cars before because #1: I can't afford it and #2: I dont trust anyone else with my car's wiring. I'm only saying this because I like to promote Do-It-Yourself repairs. People are so damn quick to just take shit to somebody else and pay them to do it. But with just a little research, most repairs you can make yourself. People underestimate themselves a lot mechanically. It's not as complicated as most people think at first glance. And besides, when I do a repair myself, I know EXACTLY what was done to my vehicle, so if I do have a problem later down the road, I can go back and retrace my steps and find out exactly what the problem is. Whereas if somebody else does the install and you have problems later down the road, you really have no idea where to start looking.

[theflystyle]

post your story on www.consumerist.com for more attention. i have read many similar stories happening with stereo installs.

[magicmike]

What happens is that when the plug is cut off the fuse in the panel for the radio pops inadvertantly. so when the installer is testing the harness for battery power he cant find it there and given the IQ level of most installers he runs a wire to the fuse box instead of checking under the hood for the blown fuse. I've seen this MANY MANY times. Also, I've seen the ground for the radio wired to the parking light wire because it shows a ground when the lights are off, then you tuen on the lights and pop the fuse and both the radio and the parkings dont work. Best Buy is famous for hiring the 6 dollar an hour installers who dont know shit and then they let them loose on your car.