Don't get anything installed by Strathfield!

[AWD Chaser]

Just got my car back from Strathfield anfter getting my new HU fitted, and this is what they call professional!

I should have listened to my mates and just got them to hook it up and saved myself $100, of which, they didn't hook up the Illumination lights (so it doesn't dim with the dash lights) and they didn't hook up the reverse lead for the reverse camera.

So I had to make up my own facia so it didn't look but ugly!

[wicksy]

that man, did u go back and rip it at them

[BeStRaFe]

yep,
strathfield back in the early days when gung ho on a friends brand new ba.
needless to say 2400$ later for strathfield they were forced to replace the entire ICC as they killed it due to their "professional installers"

i had my last car done by JB high-fi... they dont work for jb they are a outsider that trades under their name.. but they did a real smick job and left no tool marks on car at when i got it was 20,000$ work... alot considering i was earning 24k a year :P

[halo]

strathfield = worst ever. Took 4 days longer than they told me, broke little screws and knobs, front speakers put out about 50% volume they should have, and to top it all off the little asian bloke who managed the store wanted to biff outside because I was swearing in the store and customers were leaving.. After agreeing to go outside to talk to him he swore at me and pushed me, 2 seconds later his back was against the wall saying OK OK.
Didn't care about the money wasted just wanted my car back..
Never EVER EVER EVER go to strathfield for installs, EVER, the wife could do it better.

[JMO]

I love it how they try to convince you. I bought a HU from them late last year, and the guy was doing his little spiel and said "Your covered if we break anything" In my head i was thinking "get f'd! You shouldn't break anything in the first place! There's no way in hell ANYONE I don't know is getting into or touching anything in my car." They wanted $80 too. I could've gone a model up with just a little more. I'm paranoid enough with family and friends in my car.

[CADSKY]

Originally Posted by JMO

I love it how they try to convince you. I bought a HU from them late last year, and the guy was doing his little spiel and said "Your covered if we break anything" In my head i was thinking "get f'd! You shouldn't break anything in the first place! There's no way in hell ANYONE I don't know is getting into or touching anything in my car." They wanted $80 too. I could've gone a model up with just a little more. I'm paranoid enough with family and friends in my car.

yep theres only 3 people i will let touch my car, that is my best mate cos i know he knows what he is doing, MY mechanic for the same reason and myself!!!

lucky me and my mate know how to do home HU installation jobs :

[stockel]

For what they charge a lot depends on the car and what is being installed and whether or not they have done that car before, sometimes to do things properly takes A LOT of messing around.

So rather than have them rush the job doing it badly trying not to lose money I would always do it yourself or get a friend too. As always you get what you pay for and although you guys think $80 is a lot to put in a head unit sometimes its not enough!

Craig

[andrewts]

I've never done anything automotive in my life and I installed my own stereo and speakers, Strathfield might have cheap prices but if they think they are going to lay a finger on my car they can get stuffed.

[Geez Louise]

Strathfield installed our HU too. Didn't wire it up properly and first drive out we blew all the speakers in the car.

They didn't wire up the reverse camera either. We had to take it back and finally they got it PARTLY right. We still can't watch tv stations but at least we can watch DVD's...even though these stay playing when driving...so nope...still not wired up properly!!

[ck11]

There are a lot of professional car audio shops like fhrx etc who are the only people i would consider if i ever needed to get advice on sound systems and installation.

Strathfield car audio caters to a certain standard and your expecations should be in line with that standard.

[The Yeti]

I have had stratfeild fit 3 phones for me (as Ive changed cars) and thats about it

I htink its horses for corses, $100. to fit a unit is not alot of money so you get what you pay for>

If you want a quality high end install these guys arnt the guys

but if you want a HU wacked in a 89 corolla there fine

[MitchG]

I got a mate who purchased a new sound system for his EL off these guys he also paid for the installment, when he got his car back they forgot to install the sub,left rubbish ,wire clipplings & dirt all inside his car....
He then had to wait a further 2 weeks for the sub installation.

[XR8 Uterous]

Never used them personally but had friends use them and came out alright, alot of the time not old cars either, one was a flip out DVD unit into a then new VZ and it looks tops.

[Pinch]

Got them to put an aftermarket alarm in a brand new car a few years back. Drove straight from there to a mates place to show them the car. He said what was that on the guard (right near where the alarm went) 2 great big scratches. Should have checked before I left the store. Anyway I went back and they told me that it probably got scratched from the trees on median strips??? What the??? I don't drive the thing on the median strip I told them, stood my ground, they took it to a panel beater a few days later but did nothing really.

A good way to wreck a brand new car - take it to Strathfield. Good for cheap stuff - just don't let them anywhere near your car.

[Cleutin]

as a fitter ive worked for the private company that contracts to JB and also now with another company.

ive fixed up jobs from JB, WOW, Strathfield and a few private companies aswell.

there are cars that can be done so easily and others that take close to 2 hours do to just the HU. it all depends on the existint wiring, how dashes come apart, new cars not been worked on before so we very carefully explore them and write down what we have to do to remove the factory unit (all takes time)

there are some cars that i can have done in 15min, that clock starts from when i pull the handbrake up and open the car door to when i have the new radio tuned, get out and shut the door.

Im currently working with a guy (he is my boss) who has come over to the company from Strathfield, and yes, i have questioned a lot of the things he has said and done, and at times out right refused to do things he has told me to do as it has been very questionable and i havnt wanted to put my name, or the company name on that job.

on the flipside though, he has shown me a lot of getter ways to have done jobs that i didnt know about in the past

$80 for a headunit is the current price you will pay and for a lifetime warranty, phasing/polarity correct, tuned... well worth it.

having installed well over 2000 HU's in the last year, and knowing what problems i can run into when doing them, it should be more then $80.

As for damage to cars. i dont deny it, i have broken panels or scratched trims. it does happen unfortunately. i was working on a 78 corvette, removing the speaker covers on the dash to put new 4x6's in. due to sun damage the covers were so brittle as soon as they flexed the slightest bit, the broke. explained it to the customer and yes he was ****ed, explained to him that we had sourced new ones for him and the company was paying for them.

VY commodore body kit. i was putting in a new power antenna. the front edge of the side skirt hadnt been attached properly. when i had my arm up in teh guard, my wrist caught the edge of the skirt and pulled the whole thing off. it got scratched on the ground. when we looked at how it was attached, my self, my manager and the store manager all agreed that silicone was not a good way for this customer to have their kit attached. again, we notified the customer and in this cars they said they put the kit on and used silicon because they didnt want to use screws. they knew there was high risk of it coming off and were not angry at all. we attached it properly for them, and then removed the other side and attached it properly aswell.

[AWD Chaser]

Yeah, I'll admit that there are some good installers and some bad ones.

I had to rip the HU out today to wire in a new reversing camera I just got. For the $100 for the custom mount and the custom facia they said, It was just the factory mount screwed into the new HU and the facia was an extra part that came with the HU which was a cut yourself sorta job.

I paid the money because I didn't want to cut up a facia to fit it, and drill holes and bolt it together... which is what ended up happening anyway....

[XR6_661]

Well, I'm about to get a pioneer head unit put into my BA...Who should I go to? I don't have much of an idea with electrics.

There is a strathfield up here, autobarn, WOW....

[GK]

Originally Posted by XR6_661

Well, I'm about to get a pioneer head unit put into my BA...Who should I go to? I don't have much of an idea with electrics.

The bloke who posted above you sounds darn good, but a world away I guess!

GK

[asusdragon]

yeah first HU i brought for my old camry got Strathfield to fit and they stuff it up badly got the car rear speaker where not working told the installer that he must have stuffed the wiring up. But nah nah its fine he says you must have blown them. Goes out test them with a multimeter (not sure what that does) and goes there root. So i buy new speakers and fit them myself, still nothing. Went and pulled the deck out and wiring it up. Pretty much self teaching my self, along the way do and what do you know speakers are working and same with the old one went back to the store and had a go at the manager and the installer telling them they were all dumba**es

but after that i do all my own stereo stuff and just taught myself do a few amtes car here and there to now and i think my way is better then the Strathfield way i use the plugs that so there no cutting and rewiring and if i sell the car it can go back to stock

[Cleutin]

Originally Posted by asusdragon

i think my way is better then the Strathfield way i use the plugs that so there no cutting and rewiring and if i sell the car it can go back to stock

Just how us installers do it anyway... never cut plugs off - EVER

Originally Posted by BMX_datto

All of these stories are quite scary coming from companys that should know what they are actually doing. Im always going to think twice about where i am sending my car to from now on and try to do most thinks myself so i know when i stuff up and theres nobody to blame but me!

just remember tho, when you stuff it up and need us to fix it, it will cost more cos we have to clean up your mess.

[asusdragon]

Originally Posted by Cleutin

Just how us installers do it anyway... never cut plugs off - EVER

yeh most of the good installers would do it this way, however when i got Strathfield to do it that just went in hacking at everything, it was me that had to clean up there mess
though guess in someways it wa good as i learnt quite alot from needing to fix it

[stockel]

Originally Posted by Cleutin

Just how us installers do it anyway... never cut plugs off - EVER








just remember tho, when you stuff it up and need us to fix it, it will cost more cos we have to clean up your mess.

Seriously though, if people take thier time I don't know how they can stuff these things up, although unfortunately sometimes people are a little over confident but if they take thier time and don't 'guess' anything and think logically they will be fine.

This is assuming that they correctly identified that they could do the job in the first place, which is a problem in itself I guess.

[Shaggzy]

All of these stories are quite scary coming from companys that should know what they are actually doing. Im always going to think twice about where i am sending my car to from now on and try to do most thinks myself so i know when i stuff up and theres nobody to blame but me!

[Hybrid34]

I second that, mums merc had a new head unit put in it, stuffed up the plastic surroundings all around it...had to take it back 2times to fix it all up...NEVER go with strath

[ltd]

There's a place in Bankstown where you can have stereo's and HU hooked up, this guy Denny apparently cut his teeth at Strathfield Car Radio; the name is "Mega Expert Install".

Seriously though, use an auto electrician as they will propery wire things up.

[GORDZ]

strathfield shepp started an electrical fire in a customers nissan and put it out with water.... nuff said.

[Cleutin]

Originally Posted by ltd

Seriously though, use an auto electrician as they will propery wire things up.

dont use an Auto Elec. yes they know car electrics, but they know all when it comes to Aftermarket installation, they chop plugs, strip wires, ive seen "twist n tape" jobs with no solder

[ltd]

Originally Posted by Cleutin

dont use an Auto Elec. yes they know car electrics, but they know all when it comes to Aftermarket installation, they chop plugs, strip wires, ive seen "twist n tape" jobs with no solder

Sorry mate, let me qualify my statement a bit. The auto elec I go to is also a good mate, and he hard wires everything including soldering the base of the wires to the plugs to prevent any deterioration of contact over years. Furthermore, he checks every circuit before plugging anything in and as an auto elec he is earning more than 100k per year plus car and petrol for a big european dealership. I have never had a problem with anything done except when Ford has organised stuff and had third party installers come in. Furthermore, third party installers are paid on a job number basis and tend to rush whcih is why they often do damage to the trims of cars.

[Stav]

I've been installing since 1991. I have worked on no less than 150,000 cars in my time so far.I have found alot of installers who can't and very few installers who can.
People like to go the cheaper option and hope things work and if they don't work ,they hope the company is good for backup warranty.Alot of people go for image of bigger looking places for feeling more secure.
For a good installation 150 to 200 dollars is fair for a proffessional to come to you,do an excellent job and warrant the job.If the job requires fascia/surrounds then the customer should be aware of the costs.

I have seen alot of poor workmanship and can honestly say that the top installers here in Sydney I can count with both hands.The rest..live on cuting prices,cutting corners and pushing reptable business to extinction. I was recently asked by a Sydney ford dealership to match their installers prices.They were ridiculous and once I found out who he was I knew he was a half baked installer.Unreliable ,poor workmanship but cheap as chips.

I suppose the bottom line is go with people who are capable and people who care.

[Stav]

I must also add that Ive seen some good and some poor work from Strathfields.Depends on who you get.