C2Installs
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2007 Explorer slicktop, WHICH I DID NOT BUILD, comes in to shop with a lighting problem. Intermittent short is causing all lights on one of the switches to go out and blowing the fuse on switch. I check the switch output for a ground to see if it is shorting, but no dice. I replace the fuse and everything works. I let everything run for an hour or so and no problem. I am just about at a loss and very frustrated. Then, pissed off, I slam the driver door and the lights go out. I check and the fuse is blown. Bingo, vehicle has mirror-mounted TIR3s. I pull the mirror off and find that the original installer is an idiot and did not take steps to protect wiring. This is only one of many problems I found in the vehicle after I got the go-ahead to take care of any problems I found.
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMAG0146.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMAG0144.jpg
2006 Chevy Trailblazer, WHICH I DID NOT BUILD. I was contracted to add Mobile Vision Cameras to this and a couple other vehicles. I had to pull the passenger seat out to run wiring and give me room to work. This is what I found underneath, including over $18 in loose change. This is one of the reasons why I DO NOT recommend mounting anything under a seat. The Smart Siren also was getting beat up by the undercarriage of the seat. Debris, damage, heat, dust, dog hair, moisture all are a problem for under-seat mounting. This is particularly true for a fleet vehicle, such as this SUV. It may be less of an issue in a well-maintained POV.
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMAG0202.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMAG0201.jpg
2011 CVPI, WHICH I DID NOT BUILD. Came in for Mobile Vision Camera install. This is what I found under the passenger floor carpet. A mess and none of it protected. This is from a "professional" turn-key dealer's upfit shop. Excess wire should not be stored under the carpet. The wire run should have been run under the glovebox, loomed and zip-tied in place. Excess wire could have been cut-out or stored in the console. Check out the grounds in the second image...no ring terminals. Just wrapped the bare wire around the bolt and screwed it back in. WTF. And of course, stereo-grade wiring, nothing marked, etc...
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMG_0223.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMG_0226.jpg
This mess is from an Impala cruiser that came in for repairs. Once again, not my work. I can't remember the specifics, but this terminal block was the "PDC" for a mobile camera. The camera was originally installed by one of the largest radio shops in Knoxville, TN, who thinks their poop smells like flowers. This block was wrapped as shown in tape and just stuffed behind the passenger side dash trim panel. Nothing is labeled, improperly-sized terminals, crappy crimps, etc... Can't remember what brand camera this was, possibly a Digital Patroller?
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMG_0217.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMG_0216.jpg
Strobe HAW tubes taken from another Explorer I did not originally build. Neither working, both only 18 months old. Clear one was damaged during install by being forced into improperly-sized hole that was not de-burred. When installing HAWs, particularly pop-in ones, you must drill a 1" hole, de-burr it, and lightly lubricate the bulb's rubber grommet when inserting. I use a bit of rubbing alcohol because it is slippery and evaporates quickly.
Note the red-tape wrapped bulb that was in the brake-light housing. I do not know if this was a dummy's idea fro making a red strobe or if it was intended to cover-up an install mistake (more likely). I think what happened was the original upfitter messed up and put the strobes in the taillights instead of the reverse lights. To hide the mistake, they wrapped the bulbs in red tape so they were not as visible. I don't know. Either way, stupid and a waste of a good bulb.
2007 Explorer slicktop, WHICH I DID NOT BUILD, comes in to shop with a lighting problem. Intermittent short is causing all lights on one of the switches to go out and blowing the fuse on switch. I check the switch output for a ground to see if it is shorting, but no dice. I replace the fuse and everything works. I let everything run for an hour or so and no problem. I am just about at a loss and very frustrated. Then, pissed off, I slam the driver door and the lights go out. I check and the fuse is blown. Bingo, vehicle has mirror-mounted TIR3s. I pull the mirror off and find that the original installer is an idiot and did not take steps to protect wiring. This is only one of many problems I found in the vehicle after I got the go-ahead to take care of any problems I found.
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMAG0146.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMAG0144.jpg
2006 Chevy Trailblazer, WHICH I DID NOT BUILD. I was contracted to add Mobile Vision Cameras to this and a couple other vehicles. I had to pull the passenger seat out to run wiring and give me room to work. This is what I found underneath, including over $18 in loose change. This is one of the reasons why I DO NOT recommend mounting anything under a seat. The Smart Siren also was getting beat up by the undercarriage of the seat. Debris, damage, heat, dust, dog hair, moisture all are a problem for under-seat mounting. This is particularly true for a fleet vehicle, such as this SUV. It may be less of an issue in a well-maintained POV.
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMAG0202.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMAG0201.jpg
2011 CVPI, WHICH I DID NOT BUILD. Came in for Mobile Vision Camera install. This is what I found under the passenger floor carpet. A mess and none of it protected. This is from a "professional" turn-key dealer's upfit shop. Excess wire should not be stored under the carpet. The wire run should have been run under the glovebox, loomed and zip-tied in place. Excess wire could have been cut-out or stored in the console. Check out the grounds in the second image...no ring terminals. Just wrapped the bare wire around the bolt and screwed it back in. WTF. And of course, stereo-grade wiring, nothing marked, etc...
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMG_0223.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMG_0226.jpg
This mess is from an Impala cruiser that came in for repairs. Once again, not my work. I can't remember the specifics, but this terminal block was the "PDC" for a mobile camera. The camera was originally installed by one of the largest radio shops in Knoxville, TN, who thinks their poop smells like flowers. This block was wrapped as shown in tape and just stuffed behind the passenger side dash trim panel. Nothing is labeled, improperly-sized terminals, crappy crimps, etc... Can't remember what brand camera this was, possibly a Digital Patroller?
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMG_0217.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr351/C2Installs/IMG_0216.jpg
Strobe HAW tubes taken from another Explorer I did not originally build. Neither working, both only 18 months old. Clear one was damaged during install by being forced into improperly-sized hole that was not de-burred. When installing HAWs, particularly pop-in ones, you must drill a 1" hole, de-burr it, and lightly lubricate the bulb's rubber grommet when inserting. I use a bit of rubbing alcohol because it is slippery and evaporates quickly.
Note the red-tape wrapped bulb that was in the brake-light housing. I do not know if this was a dummy's idea fro making a red strobe or if it was intended to cover-up an install mistake (more likely). I think what happened was the original upfitter messed up and put the strobes in the taillights instead of the reverse lights. To hide the mistake, they wrapped the bulbs in red tape so they were not as visible. I don't know. Either way, stupid and a waste of a good bulb.
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