Bay area Lexus audio installers?
11-18-03, 10:07 AM
#1
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Bay area Lexus audio installers?
A friend has a TracVision A5 TV antenna on his Lexus GX470. The installers were able to get video on the factory LCD monitor in the back, and the audio on the rear headphones. He wants to get the audio from the satellite on the factory audio. Does anyone know of an installer in the Bay area who is familiar with Lexus audio wiring? Thanks.
11-18-03, 10:18 PM
#2
You might wanna try Ernie at Auto Innovations in Hayward.
I can't say they are experts with Lexus wiring, but they are Pros at custom car audio. Even if they don't know it, I'm sure they could figure it out.
Their work has been featured in MANY car audio magazines.
I can't say they are experts with Lexus wiring, but they are Pros at custom car audio. Even if they don't know it, I'm sure they could figure it out.
Their work has been featured in MANY car audio magazines.
11-19-03, 03:33 PM
#4
Lexus Champion
I HATE CIRCUIT CITY!!!!! Details later....
Anyway, I just logged on to ask this EXACT QUESTION. Circuit City just told me they couldn't install my amp because it wasn't compatible with the Nakamichi head unit. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS IS CRAP. All I need is the Remote trun-on, 12V and ground, rewire the four channels from the Nakamichi ampo to the Kicker (Not rocket science, I just don't know how to get through the firewall and I have no idea how to find the remote turn on wire.
He also told me that the stock system can not be altered in ANY WAY because the speakers are running @ 1 OHM and the Nakamichi amp is set to run them that way. So after I took off the tweeter grill and showed him the Polk db6500 tweeter running off the Nakamichi Amp he just said, "we don't do that here, I'll refund your money." That PUCKIN' FUNK!!!!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR - thanks for listening while I got that off my chest. Any audio installers from San Francisco to San Jose please...
Oh, and it shouldn't cost more than $65-$95 dollars becaus eI already have the Amp wiring Kit and the amp.
Thanks again CL.
Anyway, I just logged on to ask this EXACT QUESTION. Circuit City just told me they couldn't install my amp because it wasn't compatible with the Nakamichi head unit. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS IS CRAP. All I need is the Remote trun-on, 12V and ground, rewire the four channels from the Nakamichi ampo to the Kicker (Not rocket science, I just don't know how to get through the firewall and I have no idea how to find the remote turn on wire.
He also told me that the stock system can not be altered in ANY WAY because the speakers are running @ 1 OHM and the Nakamichi amp is set to run them that way. So after I took off the tweeter grill and showed him the Polk db6500 tweeter running off the Nakamichi Amp he just said, "we don't do that here, I'll refund your money." That PUCKIN' FUNK!!!!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR - thanks for listening while I got that off my chest. Any audio installers from San Francisco to San Jose please...
Oh, and it shouldn't cost more than $65-$95 dollars becaus eI already have the Amp wiring Kit and the amp.
Thanks again CL.
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11-21-03, 05:52 PM
#8
Lexus Champion
SC3GTE :
THANK YOU, Thank You, THANK YOU!!!
I just got off the phone with Lawrence (told him I was referred by Club Lexus) He was RIGHT ON POINT. He knew everything I was talking about, every aspect of the installation and asked all of the right questions.
We are on for Wednesday morning @ 10A.
Thanks again! I've been waiting for a month to get this amp installed.
THANK YOU, Thank You, THANK YOU!!!
I just got off the phone with Lawrence (told him I was referred by Club Lexus) He was RIGHT ON POINT. He knew everything I was talking about, every aspect of the installation and asked all of the right questions.
We are on for Wednesday morning @ 10A.
Thanks again! I've been waiting for a month to get this amp installed.
11-26-03, 05:07 PM
#10
Originally posted by Darius2004
I just got off the phone with Lawrence (told him I was referred by Club Lexus) He was RIGHT ON POINT. He knew everything I was talking about, every aspect of the installation and asked all of the right questions.
I just got off the phone with Lawrence (told him I was referred by Club Lexus) He was RIGHT ON POINT. He knew everything I was talking about, every aspect of the installation and asked all of the right questions.
11-26-03, 05:47 PM
#11
Lexus Champion
Okay, amp was installed today. I had to get a ride back from my wife so I was there early enough for her to drop me off and go to work.My appointment was at 10, I was there @ 9 and he was a few minutes late. Not a big deal, and as soon as he saw that I was waiting he opened the store and invited me in...cool.
He thought I was there to get my windows tinted at first so I was getting kinda nervous/cautious. I was thinking, "Don't you keep a schedule?!" After I reminded him that I was here to get an amp installed, he said, "oh yeah, you were referred by a forum right?" I gave another "Club Lexus" plug and we walked out to the car, popped the trunk, looked at the amp and he didn't even need instructions: he remembbered what we discussed on the phone last week. I dropped the car off @ 10:20 and asked if it was going to be 3 hours, he said yup and I left the car.
1:30p - No call from the shop. I thought, okay, give them a few minutes maybe there was a pproblem.
2:30p - No call from the shop. Now I'm getting nervous. My impression at this point was
. Great personality, very knowledgable - but late, didn't remember our appt, and didn't call.
2:45p - I called and he said the car was ready for pick up. I went to get the car and everything looked great. He remembered that I said to leave a couple feet of slack on the wires, because I wasn't sure how I was going to mount the sub(s) and may need to move it around a lot. Popped the hood and the Fuse was set 6 inches from the battery (perfect) and the conduit was wrapped around the wire (great), he even used ties to keep the wires in place. Opened the doors to see if I could find anything loose but it was as clean and tight as when I brought it in. Checked the ground wire and it was hidden away under the carpet
... So far, I was happy.
He kept the car clean as far I could tell. This is a big plus to me because installers/mechanics usually leave my car dirty or funky - If you know me you'll know that I keep the car spotless with crazy amounts of Vanillaroma trees hanging around.
Problems: He didn't replace one of the rear headrests- Not a big deal. He left his electrical tape, but he found it when we popped the trunk- Still not a big deal.
BIG Problem #1: The wires were crossed. The Kicker amp that I have is 2-300watt amps in one chassis. The rear was set to amp2 (correct) but the polarity was crossed. Easily fixed but hard to troubleshoot when "Something just doesn't sound right"
BIG Problem #2:He didn't completely disconnnect the wires from the Nakamichi amp!!! He spliced them to the Kicker. The same with the remote turn on. GRRR! But that's not all on him, I wasn't specific. So now I have to figure out which wire is which and manually rewire the cabin speakers to the Hi-Lo converters.
Big Problem #3: He must have thought I was installing an amp for LOUDNESS versus clean power and sound quality. The GAIN was almost up to 11 on ALL 4 CHANNELS, the HI PASS was set for front and rear, which is okay but the amp has a crossover of 50HZ-200HZ and the Polks can handle down to 40hz.
I tuned it all later but the GAIN introduced INSANE amounts of noise. His comment was, it's nice and loud now - or something to that effect.
I don't know if sharing a remote turn on wire is good but when I power the stereo on there is a 1 second delay in the Kicker coming on so the sub turns on, then the cabin speakers.
Overall: The amp install is ultra clean. EXACTLY the way I described it to him over the phone. He listened and did it perfect. The way he added fuses to all of the wires and other little details show that he's a pro.
The rewiring part was well....I need to find a wiring diagram and do it myself. He is very competent and thorough. I can tell that he can install an amp in his sleep but I'm pretty disappointed in the wiring. However, I'm sure that if I CLEARLY STATED that I want the wires to run from the HEAD UNIT to the HI-LO's to the AMP he could have done it.
I'm going to post a picture of the splice so you guys can help me figure out what to do. It's like the Kicker is running off of the Nakamichi. Instead of just cutting the wires and running them from the HEAD UNIT to the Hi-Lo converters then to the AMP, the system is still plugged into the Nakamichi amp!!! I just want the Nakamichi amp to push the sub.
I'll post photos in the morning on my last minute trip tot he grocery store.
Happy Thanksgiving!
EDIT: I forgot to include: He threw in a pair of RCA cables to run from the Hi-Lo's to the Amp. And the price on the Hi-Lo's was $20.00 each. Steep, I know, but Crutchfield sells them for 30.00 and Good Guys sells them for 25.00each, eBay sells them for 15.00 with 10.00 shipping.
The overall price of the install was 135.00. I brought my own 4Guage amp wiring kit.
Would I go back again?
Yes, but with precise instructions on exactly what I want and how. I'm just picky that way.
Here's his contact info:
Lawrence Wong
Sales Manager
Auto Sound Performance
7338 Mission Street
Daly City, CA 94014
P: 650.758.6500
F: 650.758.6575
Happy Thanksgiving...
He thought I was there to get my windows tinted at first so I was getting kinda nervous/cautious. I was thinking, "Don't you keep a schedule?!" After I reminded him that I was here to get an amp installed, he said, "oh yeah, you were referred by a forum right?" I gave another "Club Lexus" plug and we walked out to the car, popped the trunk, looked at the amp and he didn't even need instructions: he remembbered what we discussed on the phone last week. I dropped the car off @ 10:20 and asked if it was going to be 3 hours, he said yup and I left the car.
1:30p - No call from the shop. I thought, okay, give them a few minutes maybe there was a pproblem.
2:30p - No call from the shop. Now I'm getting nervous. My impression at this point was
. Great personality, very knowledgable - but late, didn't remember our appt, and didn't call. 2:45p - I called and he said the car was ready for pick up. I went to get the car and everything looked great. He remembered that I said to leave a couple feet of slack on the wires, because I wasn't sure how I was going to mount the sub(s) and may need to move it around a lot. Popped the hood and the Fuse was set 6 inches from the battery (perfect) and the conduit was wrapped around the wire (great), he even used ties to keep the wires in place. Opened the doors to see if I could find anything loose but it was as clean and tight as when I brought it in. Checked the ground wire and it was hidden away under the carpet
... So far, I was happy. He kept the car clean as far I could tell. This is a big plus to me because installers/mechanics usually leave my car dirty or funky - If you know me you'll know that I keep the car spotless with crazy amounts of Vanillaroma trees hanging around.
Problems: He didn't replace one of the rear headrests- Not a big deal. He left his electrical tape, but he found it when we popped the trunk- Still not a big deal.
BIG Problem #1: The wires were crossed. The Kicker amp that I have is 2-300watt amps in one chassis. The rear was set to amp2 (correct) but the polarity was crossed. Easily fixed but hard to troubleshoot when "Something just doesn't sound right"
BIG Problem #2:He didn't completely disconnnect the wires from the Nakamichi amp!!! He spliced them to the Kicker. The same with the remote turn on. GRRR! But that's not all on him, I wasn't specific. So now I have to figure out which wire is which and manually rewire the cabin speakers to the Hi-Lo converters.
Big Problem #3: He must have thought I was installing an amp for LOUDNESS versus clean power and sound quality. The GAIN was almost up to 11 on ALL 4 CHANNELS, the HI PASS was set for front and rear, which is okay but the amp has a crossover of 50HZ-200HZ and the Polks can handle down to 40hz.
I tuned it all later but the GAIN introduced INSANE amounts of noise. His comment was, it's nice and loud now - or something to that effect.
I don't know if sharing a remote turn on wire is good but when I power the stereo on there is a 1 second delay in the Kicker coming on so the sub turns on, then the cabin speakers.
Overall: The amp install is ultra clean. EXACTLY the way I described it to him over the phone. He listened and did it perfect. The way he added fuses to all of the wires and other little details show that he's a pro.
The rewiring part was well....I need to find a wiring diagram and do it myself. He is very competent and thorough. I can tell that he can install an amp in his sleep but I'm pretty disappointed in the wiring. However, I'm sure that if I CLEARLY STATED that I want the wires to run from the HEAD UNIT to the HI-LO's to the AMP he could have done it.
I'm going to post a picture of the splice so you guys can help me figure out what to do. It's like the Kicker is running off of the Nakamichi. Instead of just cutting the wires and running them from the HEAD UNIT to the Hi-Lo converters then to the AMP, the system is still plugged into the Nakamichi amp!!! I just want the Nakamichi amp to push the sub.
I'll post photos in the morning on my last minute trip tot he grocery store.
Happy Thanksgiving!
EDIT: I forgot to include: He threw in a pair of RCA cables to run from the Hi-Lo's to the Amp. And the price on the Hi-Lo's was $20.00 each. Steep, I know, but Crutchfield sells them for 30.00 and Good Guys sells them for 25.00each, eBay sells them for 15.00 with 10.00 shipping.
The overall price of the install was 135.00. I brought my own 4Guage amp wiring kit.
Would I go back again?
Yes, but with precise instructions on exactly what I want and how. I'm just picky that way.
Here's his contact info:
Lawrence Wong
Sales Manager
Auto Sound Performance
7338 Mission Street
Daly City, CA 94014
P: 650.758.6500
F: 650.758.6575
Happy Thanksgiving...
Last edited by TwentyTen; 11-26-03 at 06:21 PM.
02-19-04, 02:25 PM
#12
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT go to "Race N Rock", or "US car Stereo" in Fremont/Newark. Very fraudulant business practices, and minipulative selling. I was ripped off a $1,400 headunit (which I later found out that I could get for $740.00 brand new), and when is SUDDENLY BROKE AFTER 8 HOURS OF USE, I was told that I could not return it, and they could not get another one because it was discontinued. Keep in mind that it was bought with a 1 year warrentee.
But wait, they had a solution!: Buy a older unit w/ half the options that the previous $1400 dollar one had for $800 more ($2,200 retail my ***), I DIDNT EVEN COME WITH DVD/CD.
I am VERY MAD. What do you guys suggest I do?
-Jason
But wait, they had a solution!: Buy a older unit w/ half the options that the previous $1400 dollar one had for $800 more ($2,200 retail my ***), I DIDNT EVEN COME WITH DVD/CD.
I am VERY MAD. What do you guys suggest I do?
-Jason
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