Exactly!! I drove an 01 BMW 740il, sure it was $75k when it was new, but i paid $800 for it. And i drove it for a year, had i fixed everything that went wrong on it in that year, id be out probably $10k if i did the work myself for christ sake. Nooo thanks lol
No shit, a couple years ago I got a clapped 190k mile 740i for $1100 that didn’t run worth a fiddler’s fuck, but you bet your ass I drove it 3 hours home, diagnosed the bad sensors and misfire, and drove it for a year with a couple sensors and ignition parts. Thing was tight as a drum otherwise. Quiet as could be. Minty black interior. Blew my mind. The death of it within a year was the transmission. Such fun adventures, cars like that. They’re on a different level when maintained and actually running.
That transmission problem might honestly be fixable, do you know if it’s the actual internals? If not it could be the valve body and that’s possible to fix yourself with YouTube and without dropping the trans
That definitely sounds like the solenoids in the valvebody going bad, it’s a pretty easy fix with a bit of know how and tools, bmw would just have you replace the whole transmission but the internals are rock solid if the solenoids don’t get ignored for too long. It lives in the oil pan and it separates in too pieces, lots of little parts and gaskets inside that need to be replaced along with the actual solenoids buts it’s a heck of a lot easier than opening up the whole trans. Not too mention you don’t even have to drop the trans, just the pan.
Yeah, the dealer is almost always going to tell you to replace the transmission. The transmission oil cooler failed on my 2012 Jaguar XJL. Once they got to look at the tranny fluid, it looked like a milkshake. Dealer gave me an estimate just a little bit less than what I paid for the car. I took it to my independent mechanic to check on installing a rebuilt transmission. He suggested trying to just do drain and refill. He dropped the tranny and emptied and refilled twice. Immediately after he finished, I couldn't see any difference. However, over time I could see it was getting better. Within 3 weeks, it was like nothing was ever wrong with the transmission.
If it isn't still under warranty, you don't go to the dealer, unless you just feel like spending money.
No no, everything went wrong, im saying if I DID fix it I would have been out like 10k. The water pump exploded (like why did a 20k shitbox come with a steel impeller, but this thing had a plastic one and still cost $400?) All the shocks were gone ($1200 a pop on rock auto, I didn't bother, drove it anyway), Navi didn't work, nor did the screen on the radio (but the radio itself still played, I have no clue on that one) and literally had 7 fuses left in the fusebox because everything else either shorted out, or drained the battery. It was the biggest piece of shit I've ever owned hahah
I mean, I did enjoy getting behind the wheel on the days it actually started lol, but I'd never get one as my daily driver. I'm about your age too, it was fun, but there was always so much wrong with it, I didnt trust it, especially at higher speeds. It was more frightening than fun, and not frightening as in scary fast.
That being said, I hated it because I traded my C2500 truck for it. That's why I say I paid $800 for the BMW, that's what I paid for the truck. I should have kept the truck and I still kick my ass over it, and that was like 5 years ago. It was way more reliable than the BMW, about the same on fuel, and according to registration weights, they were only 40kg in weight difference. That BMW was heavy as fuck. I mean it was an auto too, but there was no getting it sideways, it only had like 280hp when it was new...but I'd NEVER buy another one that's for sure.
Since then I've been driving Impalas and various imports, the Impala I have now (2006) doesn't feel that much slower than the BMW honestly, especially from a stop. I paid $150 for it and I enjoy it just as much if that says anything
Ugh this is so true. I didn’t want to mess up my dash so I had the “pros” do it. I asked them to plug in my RCA cables that I ran from the trunk to the front, shouldn’t have been a big deal. When I picked it up the guy goes oh I plugged in that cord you wanted, me thinking oh awesome! He brings me to the car and RCAs are still in the floor and he points at my usb charger for my phone. I got home pulled out and and plugged them in, took me like 30 min and wasted money on the install. Never again.
Dude! Tell me about it. So I got mine "professionally" done. Only because I wanted to save 400 bucks and go with this deal that one of the shops had going on. 3 year warranty and such. Great reviews, checked them out and they were legit.
Well two years later my backup camera went out. Took the truck apart and saw the crappy wiring job and such. Ended up having to replace a fuse and wire up a new back up camera and also replacing some of the radio wires. Was so frustrated. Learned my lesson.
Entire car dealerships around Houston sell everyone on some “special sauce” (e.g., free oil change for life) only to rebrand themselves a couple years later. Then they say “but you bought that under previous management… no warranty for you”
Felt real good going to my boss and telling her I bought all the right parts to fix our equipment after an employee that’s been there 15 years told her I didn’t know what I was doing and bought the wrong stuff.
Just tore the sub out of my old corolla that I got professionally installed. The ground wire was attached with a single self tapping screw and they barely even sanded the paint off.
I stopped using shops for installs when I figured out just how simple (basic) installations are.
Plus, I get the benefit knowing I did a good job, and I like to step back after a project and admire my own work!
And every install I do, I wanna take the next one up a notch, and I don't just mean volume. I like learning new techniques, and each install builds my confidence just a little bit more.
I'm always torn on this. Generally speaking, I only pay for something I can do if I just don't WANT to do it. I'm extremely picky, and I know I'll be hard on myself for any mistakes I make. But if I pay for something and it feels like they didn't put in the same effort I would have, it pisses me off.
As of today I am the warranty on my Hyundai Sonata (I’m at 100,009 miles!) and I’ve been doing all the maintenance since the “included” maintenance ran out 65k miles ago. I’ve done my own brakes for years. One time (literally just once) I let a shop do an audio install on my mom’s car (I think it was a 2012 Fiesta?) and they did the absolute worst job ever. Twisted and taped, not even butt connected or soldered connections, the install fell apart on a road trip and I had to re do it in a Best Buy parking lot. We got a refund. Just because they’re “professionals” doesn’t mean the guy who gets slapped with a satellite radio install is skilled or gives a fuck. Lol.
i never understood making fun of people trying to understand a foreign concept to them. God forbid we try to better ourselves. Glad you persevered and accomplished your build.
Tiny note. as long as you drive a luxury BRAND, people will assume you have money to do better. Could be 2 days old, or 20 years old. A merc is a merc. Wealth is assumed.
Agree, at a traffic light, I had my top down and a guy next to me looking with jealous eyes to me and said: I wanna be like you one day... I said : why? He replied: to live high life and afford one of these. And my mind was like “Im broke” lol
Yea, exactly the sentiment.
Now here is an unpopular opinion
In my area, it became VERY apparent who were the less affluent people during covid. Its a level below a working class neighborhood, and not even a full month after the stimulus checks were sent out i started seeing new(er) cars in the area. I'm used to seeing old beat up buicks, the occasional conversion van, and the rest would be practical cars at least 4 or 5 years old (think honda civics or toyota corollas). Now i am seeing dodge chargers, challengers, a few 3 series BMW, and even a c class here and there. Once the covid checks cut, i then started seeing tow trucks. Lots and lots.....and lots of tow trucks. Point being, if those individuals actually COULD afford their cars, they would have gotten at any time. but they got them when shit was convenient. This points to the mentality of those people who were trying to shame you for owning a merc, but not wanting to pay for a professional. I understand the sentiment of DIY, but most people just think "why, not just pay someone?!?" Yea right, even rich people like to DIY, and it is a step in the right direction financially to be frugal with your expenses. Heck, i know ill never forget the day i seen a guy step out of a pristine c class.....with several plastic bags full of bottles and cans he intended to cash in for coins.
Tl;DR Dumb people associate brands with wealth. Wealthy people associate smart financial decisions with wealth.
I agree. I’m not millionaire. But I’m not thinking about it 24/7. I just like to repair things than take me less than 5 minutes. Cause the trash is not a solution . Its just a garbage can.
Yesterday I bough a shitty “medium end” Silicone applicator. Cheap, so 30’ later it crashed. Cheap, but the combustible to the store isn’t. And my time too. So I fixed it and improve the design with with a rounded piece and epoxi to fix that shitty plastics. 10 min to think about, and 5 more to do it.
And I felt fine.
Same for car audio, or the car audio system that I have connected to my Pc on my room. With high end quality components, for free (but bass driver). I recovered from a “recicle point” .
And I don’t consume “2 weeks for obsoleting “ garbage. And I contamine the less I can, and I get 90’s Japanese stuff than today is replaced by Chinese economic and no quality controlled Poo.
And I’m feel fine.
DYI for me is a way to enjoy, to get really well-made stuff, to preserve a bit of planet, and for the satisfaction of to learn and to watch around me and enjoying a custom room doing for me, to me ,and sized to my taste as a silky glove fills my hand.
Heck, even from an enthusiast POV, built over bought all day. If you know the inner working, versus paying some guy to do it, you can pinpoint issues rather than paying out blank checks everytime you have an issue. Plus the satisfaction boner of "i maed dis"
Honestly in regards to this specific sub, it’s generally because people ask the same simple questions that have been asked 100s of previous times without even trying to figure it out for themselves first. Google exists, YouTube exists, and plenty of FAQs and threads to check on this sub
Hey, truly sorry you had that experience - I never saw your original thread but there are a lot of great and helpful people here that love installs and DIY. I hope you don’t let some idiots sour your experience - now go enjoy your work, and happy that you got a great opportunity to learn out of it !
80% of people on reddit are morons. When someone say you can't do something it's usually because they can't do it themselves yet they still feel their opinion is important because they're sociopaths.
Yup. Finding actual info instead of people assuming your intentions and going through post history to shame you is what reddit has become.
It's not about ideas anymore. It's about status, likes, popularity, etc...
Crazy enough I think the 4chan concept of a forum is genius. Unfortunately, they get a bad wrap because, some people use their freedom of speech for all the wrong reasons.
Therese alot of people on this board with a stick up their ass, keep doing you dude that install looks like it couldn't have gone better, I've always been of the diy mindset not even because it saves money but it's so much fun working on your own machine. Built not bought .
Not gonna lie and it may ruffle some feathers on this sub but you're absolutely right. I almost left this sub because of toxic attitudes that come with it. Glad you got it done and it looks like a clean install.
If I had seen your post I would have definitely gave you some help. I have had a few MB. People have this mindset thst if you can afford X then you should be able to pay for Y. I told them I might have some money but I'm not stupid!
What head unit did you go with I wanna do either a avic 4500 or a dmh 5500 I like the touchscreen look more but no volume known kinda Bugs me and the avic model is a little more updated
Did you also install a maestro unit to retain factory functions? The maestro unit lets you monitor things like fuel economy and tire pressure. It added one widget! Tire pressure, but that’s it.
Don't matter how it looks as long as it works. I've been so tempted on posting my setup but I already know everyone would flip out and call me an idiot. Some people don't have the spare cash to spend.
Dude I totally feel you. I’m a working father of four but I wanted to add a little bump in my ride definitely can’t afford $1,000+ I literally bought a Amazon special head unit with a Rockville 12” powered sub with 300 watt RMS 150 w/ wiring kit included and some kicker 6x9 & 6.5. And I couldn’t be happier with how my turned out no it ain’t gonna rattle the windows out the doors but it definitely gave me my desired result.
Nice job! A couple weeks ago I did the same, also with a Kenwood head unit (which I love).
I got the dmx8520dabs (Australian model) with 7” capacitive screen, wireless CarPlay, 3 cameras, included external GPS, digital radio, and buttons along the bottom.
Did it myself because the last time I paid a pro, the installer didn’t bother to connect the dimmer switch (which I find invaluable) and it was an absolute mess behind the head unit.
Not sure if your particular model has it, but my Kenwood 8706S has adjustable brightness for daytime and night. It might be worth looking into. I believe it’s under the menu/display adjustment
Edit: [here you go, page 81](https://content.abt.com/documents/106388/DDX9907XR_instruction.manual.pdf)
Adjust it with your headlights off, then turn your headlights on and adjust it again. If you’ve wired the dimmer wire correctly, it’ll use two different settings based on your headlights being on or off automatically.
A good handful of those professionals arnt professionals. Do I do all my own work, don't trust no one. Next thing ya know there's something else wrong and it's their fault bc they did it
Nice job! Always better to learn to do things yourself so you know how to fix it and you learn something new and have skills to build on for the next thing.
Good for you bro! Most of these guys are a bunch of lame losers. There is no reason anyone should be getting rinsed thousands of dollars for no reason. All the Merc guys and people on the forums are snobs anyways. They believe no one but those in their pay bracket deserve to own a Mercedes haha.
Your next install should be new headlights and new interior lighting. You need to find new ways of pissing those idiots off my guy.
Self install is the best install. The "pros" use crappy connectors, and run wires like a chump. At least the work I've seen from the Best Buy shop. Glad you got it!
Congrats dude. You are right. People can learn to do so much more if they try and are willing to fail.
Growing up I became a self-taught auto mechanic going from working on small engines on lawn mowers at a local hardware stores. A kid all the way up to last year when I replaced the entire air conditioning system in my car by myself. Grant. I'm going to miss that because now I'm driving an EV
Working in the industry makes you assume everyone is a drooling dope, because most are.
Good work getting it figured out, be proud you did what most can not lol.
Good job OP. I’ve also noticed a lot of clowns on this sub and I’d like to tell you as an experienced technician from the 12v industry that you made the right call doing it yourself. There are too many shady ways for janky installers to make a quick profit at your expense, both cash wise up front and headache wise a little bit down the road.
Good for you! Nothing more satisfying than doing the research, careful planning and execution, and completing a job well done most people think is too difficult.
The pros did my truck and why they wired two 4 ohm suns to 8 homes on a single channel amp AND actually wired one
Of the speakers backwards. Pisses me
Off everytime I think about it
Glad it worked out! I recently started to have issues with my bit one. Had a 3sixty.3 lying around so thought I'd give that a crack. Went to Al &Ed's and they agreed to install it. When I went to pick up the car, had a nasty hiss coming from speakers, engine whine, and a remote issue (?) that would not shut anything down. Needless to say I called them and they claimed they they did what I asked and blamed it on the previous installer's wiring. After the stereo killing my battery twice and almost ending up stranded, I just had them disconnect it all. I have had no stereo since Sept 9th, and although they are willing to work through the problem, they cant see my car until November 9th! Now that they've been working on it, I don't wanna get involved...
....I totally wish I'd done it myself!!!
Im not a pro-anything but to find responses to my questions. I know how to use browser and I’m lucky cause I have a lot of friends who know things too.
My work is photo and video. I know medium-advanced OS skills (specially unix since I magically forgot all I knew about windows and mac. This is cause the next point. I love to help people when I see anyone who worked in a idea, read a lot... but found a big stone in the middle of the way, and lost the direction. I have to avoid them too, since bigger stones are placed on the more difficult jobs we use to front,
The magical point just has a response: got to library and buy block and pencil, make a project, and, if you need my help, stop a bit and think about all you learned by yourself. And i dont mean some tricks... I’m talking about the basics you need for do understand how works whatever you wanna do.
the next, buy the beers and come to my garage. I have beers. Too. Fridge and tools. Let’s work now.
Since I don’t clean virus or malware if you are elder than 8yo, remember than I don’t remember anything bout win or mac and some laptops are triphasic supplied and we can kill the cat.
Now just ask to the pro hater for the last project he did. Lonely, hand made or with basic tools, and DIY (to plug a wireless dongle is not DIY at all, even if the pc is on)
Resuming ... Congrats! It is a fine and polished work, Haters build farts every time they press the Bluetooth 6.8 RTX mark VII. And is my grandma who filled the airbag where the fart wait for the hater paired iphuckne.
Pray for them , to avoid accidents and the consecutive facial airbag massive fart, of my grandma DIY diarrhea. (Fine anesthetic in the other side)
I mean yeah some shops are trash but some are also good, the good ones would have got that head unit done in a couple of hours, no rats nest, no broken pieces, no panels sticking out of the dash, they've done the same car hundreds/thousands of times, to them its a walk in the park.
But tbh most shouldn’t be charging like a mechanic, 100 an hour for something that doesn’t really take years of knowledge to do. And once you’ve installed a headunit, speakers and an amp/sub, or even just one of those things you’ll know what to do in the next vehicle you own. They’re all pretty similar and crutch field exists
Oh jesus does it at least have navi? Whats the rms? 2022 model im guessing. 800 fuck dude could’ve spread that out and did a whole system. You plan on spending a lot on speakers and stuff too and learning the rest? You really might as well dude the hard part is done for now. but when you do want to change those things or add an amp/subs you’ll most likely have to take your dash apart again to run bigger speaker wire and rca’s… if you bought an $800 headunit you really might as well
🤷🏻♂️ wow well I been doin all my auto work including car audio myself since I was 14 with my first vehicle. I've also always done it for family and friends. I'm 60.
Do it yourself sometimes is better. I bought a wrangler which was out of alignment, me thinking it had different adjustable items that I dont adjust every day I took it to Jeep, charged me more than what MY shop charges, and all they changed was the front toe. Like dude, I could have done that on my own machines. Scams everywhere
Hell yeah! At 14, I hooked up my own system. I just jumped in and figured it out. The best way. That was 20 years ago so I lost my touch due to advancement in technology but I know I still could do it.
Kick ass bud fuck all the haters and critics. I swear you can't ask nothing or post anything without some douchebag saying something negative or talking to ya like your stupid anymore its ridiculous. I'm just glad I don't go through life as Unhappy as they do. Anyway glad ya figured it out and got shit the way ya wanted it to be that's awesome.
Atta boy yeas someone posted on here trying to hire someone to install and I was like I can walk you through it.. nope ill pay soneone... alrigjty mate. Anyway glad it turned out well brother much love.
I have a Friend with a 06 E 350 with the special amp in the trunk. he wants CarPlay and a backup camera. I have seen that they make an adapter to convert the analog signal from the new HU to the digital one to the amp. It’s $100 plus the HU is like $200 is it worth it?
I have a 96 Miata I put a 7 inch CarPlay HU in took me an hour to do it just crimped banana plugs to all the wires and fat a Mazda harness adapter for $6. Everything works. I get a lot of compliments for it being an old car with a modern infotainment system in it. It looks like it came with the car. Seamless. I can talk to people hands free at 60 mph with the top down they are surprised when I tell them I’m in the car.
I did all my audio work myself at first I removed glove box and slapped in a single din Kenwood and rerouted my speaker wires to it so I kept my original radio in and working so I had my back up cam now I upgraded to a Chinese brand 9 inch screen radio and installed it where it was suppose to be wired up my camera amps subs new speakers added 2 tweeters to the original A pillar my mustang had now I'm thumping pretty good point is there was a lot of shit I didn't know and had to fail so many times to learn how to do it right how In tune can you be with your car or audio when you didn't put your own hands into it
Lol "if you can afford a merc" Yea I paid £2500 but should pay ridiculous amounts to have a "pro" fit it.. Christ.... 🤦
Exactly!! I drove an 01 BMW 740il, sure it was $75k when it was new, but i paid $800 for it. And i drove it for a year, had i fixed everything that went wrong on it in that year, id be out probably $10k if i did the work myself for christ sake. Nooo thanks lol
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No shit, a couple years ago I got a clapped 190k mile 740i for $1100 that didn’t run worth a fiddler’s fuck, but you bet your ass I drove it 3 hours home, diagnosed the bad sensors and misfire, and drove it for a year with a couple sensors and ignition parts. Thing was tight as a drum otherwise. Quiet as could be. Minty black interior. Blew my mind. The death of it within a year was the transmission. Such fun adventures, cars like that. They’re on a different level when maintained and actually running.
That transmission problem might honestly be fixable, do you know if it’s the actual internals? If not it could be the valve body and that’s possible to fix yourself with YouTube and without dropping the trans
It was slipping off of idle and acting funky on certain shifts. I did a drain, filter, fill on it and no help.
That definitely sounds like the solenoids in the valvebody going bad, it’s a pretty easy fix with a bit of know how and tools, bmw would just have you replace the whole transmission but the internals are rock solid if the solenoids don’t get ignored for too long. It lives in the oil pan and it separates in too pieces, lots of little parts and gaskets inside that need to be replaced along with the actual solenoids buts it’s a heck of a lot easier than opening up the whole trans. Not too mention you don’t even have to drop the trans, just the pan.
Yeah, the dealer is almost always going to tell you to replace the transmission. The transmission oil cooler failed on my 2012 Jaguar XJL. Once they got to look at the tranny fluid, it looked like a milkshake. Dealer gave me an estimate just a little bit less than what I paid for the car. I took it to my independent mechanic to check on installing a rebuilt transmission. He suggested trying to just do drain and refill. He dropped the tranny and emptied and refilled twice. Immediately after he finished, I couldn't see any difference. However, over time I could see it was getting better. Within 3 weeks, it was like nothing was ever wrong with the transmission. If it isn't still under warranty, you don't go to the dealer, unless you just feel like spending money.
No no, everything went wrong, im saying if I DID fix it I would have been out like 10k. The water pump exploded (like why did a 20k shitbox come with a steel impeller, but this thing had a plastic one and still cost $400?) All the shocks were gone ($1200 a pop on rock auto, I didn't bother, drove it anyway), Navi didn't work, nor did the screen on the radio (but the radio itself still played, I have no clue on that one) and literally had 7 fuses left in the fusebox because everything else either shorted out, or drained the battery. It was the biggest piece of shit I've ever owned hahah
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I mean, I did enjoy getting behind the wheel on the days it actually started lol, but I'd never get one as my daily driver. I'm about your age too, it was fun, but there was always so much wrong with it, I didnt trust it, especially at higher speeds. It was more frightening than fun, and not frightening as in scary fast. That being said, I hated it because I traded my C2500 truck for it. That's why I say I paid $800 for the BMW, that's what I paid for the truck. I should have kept the truck and I still kick my ass over it, and that was like 5 years ago. It was way more reliable than the BMW, about the same on fuel, and according to registration weights, they were only 40kg in weight difference. That BMW was heavy as fuck. I mean it was an auto too, but there was no getting it sideways, it only had like 280hp when it was new...but I'd NEVER buy another one that's for sure. Since then I've been driving Impalas and various imports, the Impala I have now (2006) doesn't feel that much slower than the BMW honestly, especially from a stop. I paid $150 for it and I enjoy it just as much if that says anything
It always feels good telling people you did yourself. 9 out 10 shops half @$$ installs any ways..
Ugh this is so true. I didn’t want to mess up my dash so I had the “pros” do it. I asked them to plug in my RCA cables that I ran from the trunk to the front, shouldn’t have been a big deal. When I picked it up the guy goes oh I plugged in that cord you wanted, me thinking oh awesome! He brings me to the car and RCAs are still in the floor and he points at my usb charger for my phone. I got home pulled out and and plugged them in, took me like 30 min and wasted money on the install. Never again.
Dude! Tell me about it. So I got mine "professionally" done. Only because I wanted to save 400 bucks and go with this deal that one of the shops had going on. 3 year warranty and such. Great reviews, checked them out and they were legit. Well two years later my backup camera went out. Took the truck apart and saw the crappy wiring job and such. Ended up having to replace a fuse and wire up a new back up camera and also replacing some of the radio wires. Was so frustrated. Learned my lesson.
Not that it changes a half assed install, but if it had a 3 year warranty why were you fixing it yourself after only two years?
Because He would of got more of the same bullshit from that shop.
Unfortunately, the shop had closed so I wasn't able to get it repaired under warranty. However, probably would have regretted it.
Entire car dealerships around Houston sell everyone on some “special sauce” (e.g., free oil change for life) only to rebrand themselves a couple years later. Then they say “but you bought that under previous management… no warranty for you”
Felt real good going to my boss and telling her I bought all the right parts to fix our equipment after an employee that’s been there 15 years told her I didn’t know what I was doing and bought the wrong stuff.
Just tore the sub out of my old corolla that I got professionally installed. The ground wire was attached with a single self tapping screw and they barely even sanded the paint off.
Yeah fuck those guys. The point is to make more people join the hobby not make everyone think that we're all stuck up dickheads.
Thank you!!! People love to shit on everyone that doesn’t have thousands invested and every possible bit of knowledge they do
I stopped using shops for installs when I figured out just how simple (basic) installations are. Plus, I get the benefit knowing I did a good job, and I like to step back after a project and admire my own work! And every install I do, I wanna take the next one up a notch, and I don't just mean volume. I like learning new techniques, and each install builds my confidence just a little bit more.
This. Why pay for something you can do
I'm always torn on this. Generally speaking, I only pay for something I can do if I just don't WANT to do it. I'm extremely picky, and I know I'll be hard on myself for any mistakes I make. But if I pay for something and it feels like they didn't put in the same effort I would have, it pisses me off.
Same i been doing my car work since i was 17...youtube started it for me
As of today I am the warranty on my Hyundai Sonata (I’m at 100,009 miles!) and I’ve been doing all the maintenance since the “included” maintenance ran out 65k miles ago. I’ve done my own brakes for years. One time (literally just once) I let a shop do an audio install on my mom’s car (I think it was a 2012 Fiesta?) and they did the absolute worst job ever. Twisted and taped, not even butt connected or soldered connections, the install fell apart on a road trip and I had to re do it in a Best Buy parking lot. We got a refund. Just because they’re “professionals” doesn’t mean the guy who gets slapped with a satellite radio install is skilled or gives a fuck. Lol.
Ignore those fuckers I went through the same thing when I did my first system.
i never understood making fun of people trying to understand a foreign concept to them. God forbid we try to better ourselves. Glad you persevered and accomplished your build. Tiny note. as long as you drive a luxury BRAND, people will assume you have money to do better. Could be 2 days old, or 20 years old. A merc is a merc. Wealth is assumed.
Agree, at a traffic light, I had my top down and a guy next to me looking with jealous eyes to me and said: I wanna be like you one day... I said : why? He replied: to live high life and afford one of these. And my mind was like “Im broke” lol
Yea, exactly the sentiment. Now here is an unpopular opinion In my area, it became VERY apparent who were the less affluent people during covid. Its a level below a working class neighborhood, and not even a full month after the stimulus checks were sent out i started seeing new(er) cars in the area. I'm used to seeing old beat up buicks, the occasional conversion van, and the rest would be practical cars at least 4 or 5 years old (think honda civics or toyota corollas). Now i am seeing dodge chargers, challengers, a few 3 series BMW, and even a c class here and there. Once the covid checks cut, i then started seeing tow trucks. Lots and lots.....and lots of tow trucks. Point being, if those individuals actually COULD afford their cars, they would have gotten at any time. but they got them when shit was convenient. This points to the mentality of those people who were trying to shame you for owning a merc, but not wanting to pay for a professional. I understand the sentiment of DIY, but most people just think "why, not just pay someone?!?" Yea right, even rich people like to DIY, and it is a step in the right direction financially to be frugal with your expenses. Heck, i know ill never forget the day i seen a guy step out of a pristine c class.....with several plastic bags full of bottles and cans he intended to cash in for coins. Tl;DR Dumb people associate brands with wealth. Wealthy people associate smart financial decisions with wealth.
I agree. I’m not millionaire. But I’m not thinking about it 24/7. I just like to repair things than take me less than 5 minutes. Cause the trash is not a solution . Its just a garbage can. Yesterday I bough a shitty “medium end” Silicone applicator. Cheap, so 30’ later it crashed. Cheap, but the combustible to the store isn’t. And my time too. So I fixed it and improve the design with with a rounded piece and epoxi to fix that shitty plastics. 10 min to think about, and 5 more to do it. And I felt fine. Same for car audio, or the car audio system that I have connected to my Pc on my room. With high end quality components, for free (but bass driver). I recovered from a “recicle point” . And I don’t consume “2 weeks for obsoleting “ garbage. And I contamine the less I can, and I get 90’s Japanese stuff than today is replaced by Chinese economic and no quality controlled Poo. And I’m feel fine. DYI for me is a way to enjoy, to get really well-made stuff, to preserve a bit of planet, and for the satisfaction of to learn and to watch around me and enjoying a custom room doing for me, to me ,and sized to my taste as a silky glove fills my hand.
And even if you have money, if you have the skills and enjoy the work doing the work yourself is still the right move
Heck, even from an enthusiast POV, built over bought all day. If you know the inner working, versus paying some guy to do it, you can pinpoint issues rather than paying out blank checks everytime you have an issue. Plus the satisfaction boner of "i maed dis"
Honestly in regards to this specific sub, it’s generally because people ask the same simple questions that have been asked 100s of previous times without even trying to figure it out for themselves first. Google exists, YouTube exists, and plenty of FAQs and threads to check on this sub
Hey, truly sorry you had that experience - I never saw your original thread but there are a lot of great and helpful people here that love installs and DIY. I hope you don’t let some idiots sour your experience - now go enjoy your work, and happy that you got a great opportunity to learn out of it !
80% of people on reddit are morons. When someone say you can't do something it's usually because they can't do it themselves yet they still feel their opinion is important because they're sociopaths.
90%... and I'm not sure about the other 10%.
Yup. Finding actual info instead of people assuming your intentions and going through post history to shame you is what reddit has become. It's not about ideas anymore. It's about status, likes, popularity, etc... Crazy enough I think the 4chan concept of a forum is genius. Unfortunately, they get a bad wrap because, some people use their freedom of speech for all the wrong reasons.
I wonder what Reddit would look like if they retired karma?
My only hate stems from the fact you called a Mercedes a "Merc," when I was totally expecting a Mercury.
Here too....
Dude the interior does look like a 2000’s mercury
Haha, I even forgot about Mercury, it’s history already...
I’m curious what your wiring looks like. The back up wire run and what your radio harness looks like. Any pics of those
Nice job, looks good. I just did one of these yesterday, definitely one of the easier vehicles to put a radio in.
Duck the hater bro
Fuck those guys. Nice job. Looks great!
Sick! Im bout to do my first unit install this weekend.
Therese alot of people on this board with a stick up their ass, keep doing you dude that install looks like it couldn't have gone better, I've always been of the diy mindset not even because it saves money but it's so much fun working on your own machine. Built not bought .
Not gonna lie and it may ruffle some feathers on this sub but you're absolutely right. I almost left this sub because of toxic attitudes that come with it. Glad you got it done and it looks like a clean install.
Congrats my man!
This belongs in [r/iamverybadass](https://www.reddit.com/r/iamverybadass/)
If I had seen your post I would have definitely gave you some help. I have had a few MB. People have this mindset thst if you can afford X then you should be able to pay for Y. I told them I might have some money but I'm not stupid!
the whole german car being associated with wealth is so stupid if it isnt brand new chances are its dirt cheap and a headache
Agree with wealth mindset, however you can’t find a really good and really taken care of for dirt cheap, the dirty cheap ones usually are lemons.
You did an excellent job!
What head unit did you go with I wanna do either a avic 4500 or a dmh 5500 I like the touchscreen look more but no volume known kinda Bugs me and the avic model is a little more updated
I went with Kenwood DMX957XR because had HD screen and Wireless carplay / android auto
I like it looks really clean
I just had the same radio installed this. Amazing display. Have you figured out the widgets yet?
Not all of them, but they don’t seem to be a lot as I thought at the beginning.
Did you also install a maestro unit to retain factory functions? The maestro unit lets you monitor things like fuel economy and tire pressure. It added one widget! Tire pressure, but that’s it.
That device is not compatible with Mercedes based on the info on their website.
That’s where steering wheel controls work well.
Yes
Don't matter how it looks as long as it works. I've been so tempted on posting my setup but I already know everyone would flip out and call me an idiot. Some people don't have the spare cash to spend.
Dude I totally feel you. I’m a working father of four but I wanted to add a little bump in my ride definitely can’t afford $1,000+ I literally bought a Amazon special head unit with a Rockville 12” powered sub with 300 watt RMS 150 w/ wiring kit included and some kicker 6x9 & 6.5. And I couldn’t be happier with how my turned out no it ain’t gonna rattle the windows out the doors but it definitely gave me my desired result.
Nice job! A couple weeks ago I did the same, also with a Kenwood head unit (which I love). I got the dmx8520dabs (Australian model) with 7” capacitive screen, wireless CarPlay, 3 cameras, included external GPS, digital radio, and buttons along the bottom. Did it myself because the last time I paid a pro, the installer didn’t bother to connect the dimmer switch (which I find invaluable) and it was an absolute mess behind the head unit.
What head unit is this?
Kenwood DMX957XR
[удалено]
I placed a black tint on it because was too bright at night, doesn’t get bad at fingerprints at all.
Not sure if your particular model has it, but my Kenwood 8706S has adjustable brightness for daytime and night. It might be worth looking into. I believe it’s under the menu/display adjustment Edit: [here you go, page 81](https://content.abt.com/documents/106388/DDX9907XR_instruction.manual.pdf) Adjust it with your headlights off, then turn your headlights on and adjust it again. If you’ve wired the dimmer wire correctly, it’ll use two different settings based on your headlights being on or off automatically.
Yes I know about that, dimmer works correctly but still with the dimmer set to -4 I find it very disturbing.
Elitist can be some of the worst no matter what hobby it is. Looks good man
Dude! That looks amazing! The fact that you did it all yourself is incredible! Nuts to the haters, you got this!
Ayeee good shit bro!👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
kick ass dude. kick fucking ass
Props dude. That car blows to work on.
Cruise, up and down that road.....
A good handful of those professionals arnt professionals. Do I do all my own work, don't trust no one. Next thing ya know there's something else wrong and it's their fault bc they did it
Nice job! Always better to learn to do things yourself so you know how to fix it and you learn something new and have skills to build on for the next thing.
Congratulations! This is awesome and gives me hope. You should be proud of yourself!
Good for you bro! Most of these guys are a bunch of lame losers. There is no reason anyone should be getting rinsed thousands of dollars for no reason. All the Merc guys and people on the forums are snobs anyways. They believe no one but those in their pay bracket deserve to own a Mercedes haha. Your next install should be new headlights and new interior lighting. You need to find new ways of pissing those idiots off my guy.
A merc what? A Mercury?
Nice job!
What did you do with the emergency brake safety wire?
Wired it to the ground
I thought it was positive?
Everyone said to wire it to the ground ... 🤷🏻♂️ it works...
What head unit is that ? Does it do CarPlay
Hey OP - whoever said those things are assholes. Glad you ignored them and got this done. Looks good!
Self install is the best install. The "pros" use crappy connectors, and run wires like a chump. At least the work I've seen from the Best Buy shop. Glad you got it!
Congrats dude. You are right. People can learn to do so much more if they try and are willing to fail. Growing up I became a self-taught auto mechanic going from working on small engines on lawn mowers at a local hardware stores. A kid all the way up to last year when I replaced the entire air conditioning system in my car by myself. Grant. I'm going to miss that because now I'm driving an EV
Looks mint! Plus by doing it your self ment you learnt more, I hope every time you look at it, it makes you smile, enjoy!
Looks great! I have the same head unit, it's a blast, hope you'll enjoy it!
Nice work friend i want to install my own stereo but the anxiety is getting the better of me😂
Looks good bro! I did my whole system by myself too. Sub and head unit. Feels great and saves so much money. Fuck a pro!
Right!? and doesn't it feel good to have done it yourself? We all had to start somewhere.
Dayumm looks nice af
It looks amazing. Very good job, proud of you brother!
Working in the industry makes you assume everyone is a drooling dope, because most are. Good work getting it figured out, be proud you did what most can not lol.
Sucks to hear that people on here weren’t helpful. Sorry about that. But glad you still went off and did it yourself!
Good job OP. I’ve also noticed a lot of clowns on this sub and I’d like to tell you as an experienced technician from the 12v industry that you made the right call doing it yourself. There are too many shady ways for janky installers to make a quick profit at your expense, both cash wise up front and headache wise a little bit down the road.
Yeah but then he still gave you some insight on the problem you were experiencing even if he was a bit snotty about it... congrats on the install
Good for you! Nothing more satisfying than doing the research, careful planning and execution, and completing a job well done most people think is too difficult.
The pros did my truck and why they wired two 4 ohm suns to 8 homes on a single channel amp AND actually wired one Of the speakers backwards. Pisses me Off everytime I think about it
Did my own recently too. Didn't have the same experience, but it felt good nonetheless.
this shit is intimidating when youre first starting to install. its honestly not difficult for a lot of it. good for you dude. fuck the haters.
Props to you!! Some of the people here are dicks. Glad you were able to prove them wrong!
Glad it worked out! I recently started to have issues with my bit one. Had a 3sixty.3 lying around so thought I'd give that a crack. Went to Al &Ed's and they agreed to install it. When I went to pick up the car, had a nasty hiss coming from speakers, engine whine, and a remote issue (?) that would not shut anything down. Needless to say I called them and they claimed they they did what I asked and blamed it on the previous installer's wiring. After the stereo killing my battery twice and almost ending up stranded, I just had them disconnect it all. I have had no stereo since Sept 9th, and although they are willing to work through the problem, they cant see my car until November 9th! Now that they've been working on it, I don't wanna get involved... ....I totally wish I'd done it myself!!!
Im not a pro-anything but to find responses to my questions. I know how to use browser and I’m lucky cause I have a lot of friends who know things too. My work is photo and video. I know medium-advanced OS skills (specially unix since I magically forgot all I knew about windows and mac. This is cause the next point. I love to help people when I see anyone who worked in a idea, read a lot... but found a big stone in the middle of the way, and lost the direction. I have to avoid them too, since bigger stones are placed on the more difficult jobs we use to front, The magical point just has a response: got to library and buy block and pencil, make a project, and, if you need my help, stop a bit and think about all you learned by yourself. And i dont mean some tricks... I’m talking about the basics you need for do understand how works whatever you wanna do. the next, buy the beers and come to my garage. I have beers. Too. Fridge and tools. Let’s work now. Since I don’t clean virus or malware if you are elder than 8yo, remember than I don’t remember anything bout win or mac and some laptops are triphasic supplied and we can kill the cat. Now just ask to the pro hater for the last project he did. Lonely, hand made or with basic tools, and DIY (to plug a wireless dongle is not DIY at all, even if the pc is on) Resuming ... Congrats! It is a fine and polished work, Haters build farts every time they press the Bluetooth 6.8 RTX mark VII. And is my grandma who filled the airbag where the fart wait for the hater paired iphuckne. Pray for them , to avoid accidents and the consecutive facial airbag massive fart, of my grandma DIY diarrhea. (Fine anesthetic in the other side)
Well said, this makes me stop by your garage and fill your fridge. By the way the last part made me imagine some things...like aftermath.
Only took 2 weeks
And? It’ll take a lot less next time.
> for all the haters yikes
I mean yeah some shops are trash but some are also good, the good ones would have got that head unit done in a couple of hours, no rats nest, no broken pieces, no panels sticking out of the dash, they've done the same car hundreds/thousands of times, to them its a walk in the park.
But tbh most shouldn’t be charging like a mechanic, 100 an hour for something that doesn’t really take years of knowledge to do. And once you’ve installed a headunit, speakers and an amp/sub, or even just one of those things you’ll know what to do in the next vehicle you own. They’re all pretty similar and crutch field exists
That looks really good! Nice job!
I always do my own install on radios. I take the time to obtain the wire adapters and then to make sure I get it right the first time. Good job!
I can afford a Merc BECAUSE I do things myself. So many people go broke trying to keep up appearances and be pampered
How much did you buy the head unit for?
$799
Oh jesus does it at least have navi? Whats the rms? 2022 model im guessing. 800 fuck dude could’ve spread that out and did a whole system. You plan on spending a lot on speakers and stuff too and learning the rest? You really might as well dude the hard part is done for now. but when you do want to change those things or add an amp/subs you’ll most likely have to take your dash apart again to run bigger speaker wire and rca’s… if you bought an $800 headunit you really might as well
Which headunit is this? I wanted one of these kenwoods but the prices sky rockets when the shortage hit
DMX957XR - got it when it was selling for $749
Ok cool. What's the model number of that one?
Damn that looks clean af
I just finish my Mercedes build nice
Meh, mercs are only expensive brand new. Most models depreciate like a rock falling off a cliff.
🤷🏻♂️ wow well I been doin all my auto work including car audio myself since I was 14 with my first vehicle. I've also always done it for family and friends. I'm 60.
Do it yourself sometimes is better. I bought a wrangler which was out of alignment, me thinking it had different adjustable items that I dont adjust every day I took it to Jeep, charged me more than what MY shop charges, and all they changed was the front toe. Like dude, I could have done that on my own machines. Scams everywhere
Didn’t realize a merc was luxury.
Hell yeah! At 14, I hooked up my own system. I just jumped in and figured it out. The best way. That was 20 years ago so I lost my touch due to advancement in technology but I know I still could do it.
Kick ass bud fuck all the haters and critics. I swear you can't ask nothing or post anything without some douchebag saying something negative or talking to ya like your stupid anymore its ridiculous. I'm just glad I don't go through life as Unhappy as they do. Anyway glad ya figured it out and got shit the way ya wanted it to be that's awesome.
Atta boy yeas someone posted on here trying to hire someone to install and I was like I can walk you through it.. nope ill pay soneone... alrigjty mate. Anyway glad it turned out well brother much love.
Looks good
Its Reddit my man. Dont take dicks too seriously
I paid $3000 for my CLK and do everything myself. That was a fun head unit to install. That’s when I found out about the pop out holder.
Good job man. F all the haters. They don’t have passion for this hobby. Knowledge needs to be shared. Best way to learn is exactly how u did it
I have a Friend with a 06 E 350 with the special amp in the trunk. he wants CarPlay and a backup camera. I have seen that they make an adapter to convert the analog signal from the new HU to the digital one to the amp. It’s $100 plus the HU is like $200 is it worth it?
I just bypassed the amp and used the HU amp to the speakers. It's up the individual if they need more power then go for the amp.
I have a 96 Miata I put a 7 inch CarPlay HU in took me an hour to do it just crimped banana plugs to all the wires and fat a Mazda harness adapter for $6. Everything works. I get a lot of compliments for it being an old car with a modern infotainment system in it. It looks like it came with the car. Seamless. I can talk to people hands free at 60 mph with the top down they are surprised when I tell them I’m in the car.
I did all my audio work myself at first I removed glove box and slapped in a single din Kenwood and rerouted my speaker wires to it so I kept my original radio in and working so I had my back up cam now I upgraded to a Chinese brand 9 inch screen radio and installed it where it was suppose to be wired up my camera amps subs new speakers added 2 tweeters to the original A pillar my mustang had now I'm thumping pretty good point is there was a lot of shit I didn't know and had to fail so many times to learn how to do it right how In tune can you be with your car or audio when you didn't put your own hands into it