Overview: Car Stereo Installation
The gear is the easy part. You're paying for the install, and a bad one tends to show itself on the first cold morning, when a battery that coped all summer won't turn the engine over.
Most jobs start with a new head unit or screen in a car whose factory system runs everything else. Steering wheel controls, the backup camera and the chimes all have to keep working, which takes the right interface module, wired and programmed properly. Many of the same shops put in remote starters, which add more wiring behind the dash.
Screens bring rules. Ontario bans driving with a display screen the driver can see unless it relates to driving, like navigation. Video for the kids belongs where the driver can't see it. In Alberta, shops that install stereos and audio-visual systems need an AMVIC licence, and so do mobile installers.
Our listings show what each shop states on its own website about brands, remote starts and warranties. The province and city lists below lead to installers near you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a video screen up front in Ontario?
Not one the driver can see, unless it shows something related to driving, like navigation. Ontario's distracted driving rules apply even when you're stopped in traffic or at a red light. A rear-seat screen is fine if it sits out of the driver's view. Other provinces have their own distracted driving laws, so ask the installer to mount screens with that in mind.
Does a car stereo installer need a licence in Alberta?
Yes. AMVIC lists installing stereo and audio-visual systems, remote starters and anti-theft systems as specialty repair work that needs a business licence. That covers mobile businesses working from a temporary location too. You can search a business on AMVIC's website before you book. If a licensed installer bills you unfairly, AMVIC is the place to take that complaint.
Is sound deadening worth paying for?
On most cars, yes. It's mass and foam on the door skins, floor and trunk, so panels stop buzzing and the speakers push against something solid. Road noise drops at the same time, and winter tires, studded ones especially, make plenty of it. Have it fitted while the doors are already apart for speakers, or you'll pay the same labour twice.
Why did my new stereo drain the battery?
Usually a feed taken from constant power instead of a switched circuit, an amplifier turn-on wire that stays live, or a dash camera left in parking mode. Each one keeps pulling with the key out. A draw a healthy battery shrugs off in July can leave you stranded in January. A careful installer measures the draw after the work, and a dash camera should have a low-voltage cutoff.
Can I add CarPlay to an older car?
Often, by one of two routes. A new head unit replaces the factory radio and brings CarPlay and Android Auto with it. An integration module keeps the factory screen and feeds the phone into it, which suits dashboards with a built-in display. Either way, set your destination by voice. Ontario bans programming a GPS on a hand-held phone while driving, except with voice commands.
