Anyone used Best Buy's "professional GPS install"?

[Azmordean]

Hey all,

I am thinking of asking for a portable GPS unit for Christmas - a Garmin nuvi 260w to be exact. The thing is, I am a bit OCD about keeping a "clean" dash in my car - I can't stand things like cheesy suction cup mounts and wires stretched across the car and plugged into the cigarette lighter.

So I was at Best Buy the other day, and found out they will do a "professional install" for 50 bucks. It includes a real bracket mount, and power hardwired instead of using the cigarette lighter. I am seriously considering going for this, and was curious if anyone had used this service or had had something similar done. If so, are you satisfied with the results? Thanks!

 

[JNB]

The "cheesy" mounts are far more versatile and adjustable than any mount they may "professionally" install, and as for the power, that does you no good if you ever rent, or replace this car. It's just another retailer "pack" to get more money out of you.

I use the suction cup mount and 12V power adapter on my Garmin Zumo 550 40+ weeks a year, and I've never had an issue with it whatsoever, and it's free (as in already included with the unit).

Ask how many holes will they drill, or what kind of permanent glue will be used? How will that damage be covered once that car is gone? Remember too that if it turns out you don't like the location (and you won't know that for a while), will they relocate it at no charge?

 

[Azmordean]

The "cheesy" mounts are far more versatile and adjustable than any mount they may "professionally" install, and as for the power, that does you no good if you ever rent, or replace this car. It's just another retailer "pack" to get more money out of you.

I don't debate that the "cheesy" mounts are more versatile. The same can be said for satellite radio. Yet when looking at sat. radio options, I ultimately went with a head unit in my old car (its built into my current car) - because a "clean" looking install is far more important to me than versatility, for better or worse. If nav systems from the factory were not so heinously expensive, i'd consider one on my next vehicle for that reason.
And in any case, my understanding is the GPS can still be taken off of the bracket mount. So if you want to take it with you, you can remove it and use the suction cup mount and the cigarette lighter adapter. So the portability is in no way impacted.

I use the suction cup mount and 12V power adapter on my Garmin Zumo 550 40+ weeks a year, and I've never had an issue with it whatsoever, and it's free (as in already included with the unit).

Ask how many holes will they drill, or what kind of permanent glue will be used? How will that damage be covered once that car is gone? Remember too that if it turns out you don't like the location (and you won't know that for a while), will they relocate it at no charge?

This was more the type of question I was asking, actually. I'm not sure how bracket mounts work exactly. I have seen them before though, and I can say they don't drill holes on the surface of the dash. I think it goes in one of the dash "seams" for lack of a better term. Similarly, the power is simply tapped into a 12v line directly, instead of via the cigarette lighter, so its hidden. This is, apparently, not a difficult thing to do.

In any case, I don't want to argue about the relative merits of a "permanent" install vs. the included mount and power adapter. Its a personal thing for me - I just can't stand the look of the standard method - and would frankly prefer to keep using mapquest rather than have it. I'm sure that sounds a little weird to most people, but that's where I am haha . So, I guess my question is, given that, I'm wondering if anyone has actually had something like this done and if so how they like the result.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

something I seen done very effectively is they take the dash board mount that comes with it and put it on the drivers side or in the center ahd then run the wire down around the window to the fuse box where they hard wire it in.
Best buy will not do that type of work for you and honestly I would not trust them.

Really if you do it right it pretty easy to hide the wire.

But since you are bent on doing this I want pictures of it when you are complete.

 

[Lurchdubious]

I would never PAY Best Buy to install anything in my car. Might as well run down to your local high school and start asking random kids if they'd like to take your dashboard apart and mess up your wiring for $50. What I usually do is find an online forum where people who are knowledgeable in such installations could give you a few pointers and then just do it yourself. Or you could find a more professional shop, perhaps one that specializes in car audio?

If you decide to get it, good luck.

 

[Azmordean]

something I seen done very effectively is they take the dash board mount that comes with it and put it on the drivers side or in the center ahd then run the wire down around the window to the fuse box where they hard wire it in.
Best buy will not do that type of work for you and honestly I would not trust them.

Really if you do it right it pretty easy to hide the wire.

But since you are bent on doing this I want pictures of it when you are complete.

Yeah, I agree with you on one thing - Best Buy worries me. On another forum it was suggested I go to a professional car audio place to get it done, which I think I may well do.