Want to add the convenience of a navigation system to your car or truck? GPS navigation systems are one of the most popular aftermarket upgrades on the market today, and installing one of these systems in your vehicle is a great way to take your driving experience up a notch. However, you may want to consider hiring a professional to install your new nav system, as these installations can be surprisingly complex. Of course, putting a portable car GPS in your vehicle can be as simple as sticking a suction cup to the windshield. But if you're considering installing an integrated, in-dash navigation system, you might want to think twice before you tackle the job yourself. Aesthetics When it comes to installing a car navigation GPS, you have to consider how it will look, as well as how it will perform. In most cases, putting in a navigation system involves creating an opening in the dash for the screen, and if not done properly, your new navigation equipment will hardly look its best. From crooked screens to jagged edges to scratched, scraped, and damaged dashes, you'd be amazed at the number of things that can go wrong when you try to put in an in-dash navigation screen all on your own. On the other hand, the installers at your area mobile electronics shop have performed hundreds of similar installations in the past. These professionals can expertly cut the hole for the screen, locating it in the optimal position for easy use, and finish the installation in a smooth, seamless way. When installed by experienced pros, aftermarket car navigation systems can look like they've been there since the day the vehicle rolled off the assembly line! Performance Of course, looks aren't everything. The whole point of installing a car GPS system is for its navigational assistance and convenience, so you'll also want to make certain it is installed properly for optimal performance. Lose wires, damaged equipment, and other common amateur mistakes can mean that the gyro, compass, speed sensor, or other parts of the system don't function correctly, disabling your GPS (sometimes permanently). At your local car electronics shop, their technicians are trained professionals with a full understanding of the best way to hook up your new navigation system. From securely soldered wires to fully functional components, they can ensure you're able to enjoy every single feature of your new car navigation GPS to its fullest. Cost Putting in your own in-dash navigation system obviously carries a lower price tag than using the professional installers at your local car audio shop. That's because you're paying just for the equipment, not for the installation labor as well. So if low cost is your primary criterion, you may want to look into do-it-yourself installation. For the best results, though, make sure you're being honest about your car electronics installation skills: If you have some technical knowledge, the correct tools, and the ability to closely follow installation diagrams, you should be able to hook up your new GPS car navigation components properly. On the other hand, if you don't have the expertise or tools, the results may not meet your expectations in terms of aesthetics or performance, so do a quick assessment of whether or not you really are equipped to handle your own navigation system installation before you start to avoid disaster down the Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6360174

The number of people that think they're brilliant car mechanics would easily fill any phone book in any city. The number who actually are good mechanics would fill about half a page. The difference between a pro mechanic and a person thinking they know how to fix a car is the difference between a Ferrari and a piece of cheese. One drives a lot better than the other. When you need car service, you get an expert.

Some very minor things can be understood easily enough, but if you go beyond changing a windscreen wiper, things can get ugly in a hurry. The days when you could do a decent job on a car with a few basic tools and an enthusiastic look on your face are long gone. Modern cars need professional care, because if they don't get it, they tend to fall to bits.

Modern cars have complex, and sometimes tricky, systems. One of the reasons the major brands have approved services rather than just any old thing is because the systems often contain proprietary parts and in some cases special design features. These things are non-standard, and you need to know how to deal with them.

The other issue is more basic. Safety isn't an optional extra. A jury-rigged transmission may sound like fun when you're a teenager, but try dealing with one when it doesn't feel like cooperating on the road, and you're in a mess. As a matter of fact you're quite likely to be a mess, if your car starts objecting to doing things while you're driving it.

Do what yourself?
The best thing to do for yourself is to pay attention to car problems. Don't get lazy about weird little sticks in the steering or try to make money making bets on whether the brakes will work. Try to figure out why you feel like you're driving a pile of broken springs every time you hit the road, and you'll track down your suspension problems.

Identify the problems and get something done about them. These jobs are way out of the range of DIY, even for good mechanics, without the sort of technical backup required to do them. Even a good wheel alignment is a bit much for good DIY people, and if you think for a moment about the possibilities of your wheels pointing to all directions of the compass, you can predict the results.

Then there's that little bundle of fun, the engine. Nothing like a nice day's work sabotaging your car, is there? This is another case where you're often not just dealing with one problem, and "fixing" one thing may actually make things worse. You could have a perfectly charging car driving some old worn-out thing into the ground, for example.

Imagine, also the benefits of a great motor in a car where everything else is falling to bits. The extra power makes things much worse, almost instantly. The wheels, out of alignment, with all that power, are more dangerous than ever.

Some motorists are good amateur mechanics, but don't kid yourself. If one thing has gone wrong, it will have affected others. If you need car repair, get a professional, and take the guesswork out of the equation before you drive.