Is this a little too much? Update! Unit was installed...

[Regal_GS_1989]

I will be having a remote starter system installed in the regal at Best buy next week. I am ALWAYS very paranoid even just leaving the keys with someone else, let a lone letting someone get in my car without my being there. Anyways, on the day of the installation, I plan on taking a detailed video of the car, showing any existing flaws (other than a few minor hail dings on the hood and trunk, there are no glaring defects) and depicting that everything inside the vehicle is in working order.(power locks, mirrors, dash lights etc) I am even going through the trouble of buying that days newspaper and making sure I include a shot of that to prove wihtout a doubt what day the vid was taken. I am doing this just in the event that something gets messed up, of if they do any damage of any kind to my car, I will have an air tight case that it was caused in their hands, so that it can't be passed off as existing issues.

 

 

The last time i had a remote starter installed was on my 89, and it came back with a broken defrost vent on the A pillar cover. Didn't bother me much as I had another, but its the principal.

 

Am i being too paranoid here?

 

BTW, no answer on here will keep me from doing this, so you can tell me the truth

 

Also, if this is not in the right section, Please move it.

[Euro]

I dunno, if I were this paranoid about someone messing the car up while putting this in...I wouldn't take it to them in the first place.

[jeremy]

Am i being too paranoid here?

 

yes

 

[Regal_GS_1989]

I should rephrase that. Its not that I'm paranoid per say, its that I want to make sure that I cover my ass, in the event that something does happen, I can turn back and prove that it was not like that when i brought it there. I guess i'm a little more paranoid about the fact that if something happens, i'd be SOL

 

[J]

most places go over your car with you before you leave. I know my cousin alwasys checked EVERYTHING and made the customer sign it stating what worked and what didn't. They even had a pic of a random outline of a car and make marks on it where there was damage and had the owner sign it before they left or authorize work.

 

Too paranoid!!!! relax. it's good that you don't want anything to happen to your car, and that you take care of it. Most of the people who work in the shops know what they are doing.

[3.1cutlass]

Yes best buy will go over your car with you to check things that are wrong with it.

[Venom]

I dunno, if I were this paranoid about someone messing the car up while putting this in...I wouldn't take it to them in the first place.

 

x2 I try to do everything I can myself, with the exception of alignments because I dont know how to work the one in the auto tech lab at my old school.

[Addicted2bass]

We always check through the cars at my work before we start on them. This is mainly to cover OUR ass becasue we've had people try to blame everything you can think of on us. I think you are being a bit paranoid, but then again it IS Best Buy lol. If you are really worried about it i would do it yourself (its a very east thing to do) or take it to a shop that isnt a big box store. Also please dont lurk outside the garage bay and watch the guy working on your car the whole time, installers hate that

[rockfangd]

I dunno, if I were this paranoid about someone messing the car up while putting this in...I wouldn't take it to them in the first place.

 

x2 I try to do everything I can myself, with the exception of alignments because I dont know how to work the one in the auto tech lab at my old school.

x2 unless i just cant get into the job, which isnt often at all and when i need alignments. I am very paranoid also though because i have worked for very professional(quote un quote ) not very and i have seen far too much

[Regal_GS_1989]

The installation is already paid for. Something like this, i figured i'll just have it installed, as there is also some programming that needs to be done that i don't have the equipment to do. Stuff that I am not properly equipped to do, I will take it in and have it done, but other than that, no one touches my car but me. I started thinking about it, and I realize now that i was probably being a little too paranoid. I just seemed to have some bad luck in the past with other people touching my car that I was just a little worried. It could some 10 star installer in a place that works on bently's and McClaren's and I would still have been worried about it. It's nothing to do really with who is installing it, rather than I have to get over the fact that someone other than me will me working on my car.

[Nick1234]

don't worry about it. it will be okay.

[slick]

We had to fill out checklists with every scratch, dent, ding, and scuff that was on or in the vehicle. We also had to check functionality of everything inside and out as well. After that was all done, and the checklist was complete, the customer had to sign the checklist before work is started.

 

This is at Best Buy. And yes, your freaking out way too much.

[Addicted2bass]

Which car is this in? There are no special programming needed for any of the cars in your sig, nothing that needs special tools anyway. There are a very select few cars that need a dealer scan tool to program the bypass, but not on any GMs.

[Regal_GS_1989]

Its in my 2000 Regal. Their is some programming required for the starter unit itself. Like I said, its not that i'm uncomfortable with them wiring it in, I was more so concerned with some kind of damage being done to my car. Like dings or scratches. And with the weather right now, i also don't feel like fucking around with wiring under the dash.

[1990lumina]

I think you are worrying too much - however I wouldn't take my car to a national chain of stores to have anything installed. Find a local shop that specializes in installs - little mroe money but added piece of mind. My TSX is going to a place called California Creations to have it's starter installed. I met the guy that owns the shop and his partner that does the installs - both great people. Offered to show me around the shop and they told me exactly what would be taken apart and modified in my car.

[Addicted2bass]

Regals are sooooo easy to do starters on. Should take less then and hour. TSX on the other hand kind of suck, we had one in work last week. I didnt work on it though.

[swift13]

another step you can take to insure your "ass" is buy something like a arizona iced tea at walgreens on your way to best buy so you have a reciept with a date stamp on it so it gives a time frame of the pics or video so no one can say you took the pics in the morning and messed shit up your self and are trying to screw them over.

 

i have this problem too with my wife being too paranoid so i must do everything my self and not take it in.

[92 GP]

Regals are sooooo easy to do starters on. Should take less then and hour. TSX on the other hand kind of suck, we had one in work last week. I didnt work on it though.

 

<------ Works for Acura, i know how they are.

 

 

And as far as worrying, take pics with the car in their shop or whatever right when you pull it in/up. Typically, places have kind of a vague sheet with generic drawings of doors/fenders/trunk/etc so they can take notes of little dings and other damages. That way if you DO have damage, you can't come back and say they did it. Covers their ass, and kinda is comforting as well. Even if they don't do it automatically, they should have something where they COULD record it. Just ask for a copy of it before they begin

[swift13]

i know a lot of shops do just that especially rental places but i have never had my own car gone over by a tech before work was being done (didnt really care )

[jake91]

a little overkill but not a bad idea

[Regal_GS_1989]

Well, had the unit installed today. I wish I could say that it went off without a hitch, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I went to pick up the car, and the installer went over what was installed, and what was done and all that shit. I go to start the car with the remote....car powers up, i hear the fuel pump, i hear it click and nothing. It tries 3 times then stops. So, try start with the key and the battery is too weak to start the car. I also noticed that the interior lights were manually turned on, so i figure no biggie. They bring out the big charger and i start the car and let it run for a bit. I shut her down, and tried to start with the remote and still the same thing. So I called the installer and he checked it out and said that he bets that there was a problem with the security bypass. Sure enough, try start it with the key just sitting in the ignition and bam, it starts right up. Remove the key and the security light comes on. You could also still start the car for a couple minutes after removing the key, then it would shut down. I figure the installer must have started it the first time with the key in, then again with it out, and when it worked he figured it was good. So, now the car has to go back in and they are actually changing out the bypass for a different style of unit, which is supposidly more reliable and is about 50$ more, but they are giving it to me for the original price that I paid. Thats fine, they were almost closed for the day and the appointment is after i'm done work next week so thats alright. Just before leaving, i check under the hood to make sure everything is up to snuff there, and what do I spy? The fucking wire loom with the tach sense wire sitting on the exhaust!!!!! So, call out the supervisor and show him this. He got the installer, who was on his way home, on the phone and let him know that I wasn't too happy about that and he told us to zip tie it out of the way for now and he will correct all of that when i bring the car back in. The wire is fine, just the loom melted. Other than that, everything else seems to have been pretty well done. I know that might not make too much sense, but I took a peak under the dash and everything was nice and neat, like it should be. The car came back in the same condition that I left it, save for some finger prints on the windshield, and on the door which i expected anyway.

 

I have to commend the supervisor who handled this pretty professionally. I don't know yet if I would go back for another install, but at least they are really trying to help me out and please me. That part i liked.

 

The unit that I had installed is a NUstart NUS-8000, which is just a poorly Rebadged Compustar. I say poorly because the brain, the antenna, and even the instruction manual show all the compustar branding. The only difference is the remote says Nustart. The brain is a Compustar 5200? i believe. And the bypass was a Blade-TB which is actually just a module that goes in a slot on the brain. It is supposed to be up to 5000 ft range, and so far, it seems to be pretty damn close to that.

[swift13]

all sounds pretty good and is going to work out for you but you seem to have my luck with having to wait longer than expected for everything to be the way you want it. but eventually you get there and are happy till you do something else that you have to wait for crap. one big vicious circle

[slick]

When did Best Buy start carrying Nustart/Compustar?

[Addicted2bass]

Haha now i know what how it feels from the customers point of view! Ive had that scenario or something similar happen to me before. Although it never should have left their shop like that, sometimes defective parts work right after they are put in but after the car sits they go bad. We had a guy with a Explorer recently who was back three times because his bypass kept losing coding, even after we switched the module. I ended up putting a different style bypass in there and he hasnt been back since. The wire loom on the exhaust is inexcusable though! Always gotta zip tie that shit up! Not to mention the fact that the car shouldnt even need a tach unless its a old or cheapy remote start system. Do you mind if i ask how much this cost you? It would have been $200 at my shop for a basic starter.

[Regal_GS_1989]

Haha now i know what how it feels from the customers point of view! Ive had that scenario or something similar happen to me before. Although it never should have left their shop like that, sometimes defective parts work right after they are put in but after the car sits they go bad. We had a guy with a Explorer recently who was back three times because his bypass kept losing coding, even after we switched the module. I ended up putting a different style bypass in there and he hasnt been back since. The wire loom on the exhaust is inexcusable though! Always gotta zip tie that shit up! Not to mention the fact that the car shouldnt even need a tach unless its a old or cheapy remote start system. Do you mind if i ask how much this cost you? It would have been $200 at my shop for a basic starter.

 

The total was just over 500$. Dont' forget, this a long range, 2 way system. The unit itself was 300 plus tax, and the bypass module was another 60$. The installation cost was about 120$. They will be changing to a different to a different style of bypass, so that should take care of the problem. I definately agree about the wire on the exhaust being inexcusable, but luckily, there was no real harm done. I don't know though what you mean by the car shouldn't need a tach. Every remote starter i've seen has a tach sensing or alternator sensing wire on them. IIRC, it is needed so that the starter brain knows that the engine is running, right?

 

As for the bypass not working correctly...that is totally excusable, as it probably did work fine for them when they had first installed it. Like I told the supervisor there, i'm an IT guy, and I know what its like to have something work perfectly fine for you, only to have it fail the second it is returned to the client.

 

When did Best Buy start carrying Nustart/Compustar?

 

I'm in Canada, so they carry different lines of products then the do in the US. I checkd the US website and all I saw there was Viper. They've carried compustar here for a few years at least.