On Sat, 27 Feb 2021 10:54:15 -0500, posted for all of us to
digest...


On Fri, 26 Feb 2021 20:59:13 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 2/26/2021 8:28 PM, Fred wrote:


"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...
On 2/26/2021 4:42 PM, Fred wrote:


"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...
On 2/26/2021 1:12 PM, Fred wrote:


Yes, I know many states do not regulate automotive technicians
with a mandatory licensing system - but they SHOULD.

That's completely mad. Anyone with real mechanical skills doesn't
need 4 years of study to do a decent job on modern cars.

And I know quite a few "mechanics" with university degrees
who went "back to school" to get a trade after their university
degrees didn't get them a "job"

And I know quite a few mechanics that never need to go back to
school to turn a pile of rusting metal into a fully restored
vintage car.

I know people like that too.* Some could not change the radio on a
new car though, an a lot of the other electronics.

That stuff is normally left to car radio specialists.

Some won't touch them.

The specialists do.


Oh, as in someone with training? You made my point. You no longer go
to Smokey's CB shop up the road.

I am not sure what trick is necessary to install a car entertainment
system. Virtually any car made in this century is pre wired for it and
DIN mount systems just snap in. You will need the right adapter
harness to connect a 3d party system to the OEM harness but this
pretty easy stuff.
The "radio" (nav, mp3 player, cd/dvd or whatever) is a FRU. (Field
Replaceable Unit)
I doubt anyone actually fixes them these days, at least not as a
business. You don't see a TV repair shop in every strip mall these
days either.

The trouble comes in when the owners want something installed; like a backup
camera that wasn't original to the vehicle. The vehicles have networks that if
something is hung on then the network crashes. The saving grace in this the
'installers' do such a crappy job it only crashes it intermittently.

Sure there are adapters available but what if this 'installer' just grabs a
backup light wire to power it because he doesn't have the correct adapter? Add
a few Scotchlock connectors, wires joined by twisting and covering in tape,
intermittent grounds. A recipe for disaster. In many cases there is no room for
adapters and the dash modules are part of the main brain.

I worked with a guy who claimed he was a mechanic - VW bugs. He got a remote
start installed on his Hyundai by a guy he knew. I went out in the parking lot
going to a site and saw him laid out under the car muttering to himself. The
next day I come in the parking lot I see glittering on the asphalt. I went over
and looked at a pile of crimped and cut terminals. Pieces of wire and hunks of
tape. And smiled. The owner had problems about a month later with electrical
system problems. I don't think he found the guy because he wasn't the most
pleasant guy to begin with and didn't talk about it with anyone. IIRC he
crashed it and bought a new one with OEM remote start.

--
Tekkie