For vehicle owners interested in upgrading both their car’s security and overall convenience, a remote start system is a top option. Radio-controlled devices that are installed into your vehicle, remote start systems are controlled by a transmitter that will turn the car on from inside, plus often preheat or pre-cool the interior for increased comfort.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re proud to offer a variety of vehicle security systems in addition to our car audio installations, including several remote start options available at your request. While remote start systems are a great investment for many car owners, it’s important to avoid a few mistakes that might be possible while you’re searching for the proper system and installation services – and these might make the process more costly or introduce unneeded hassle. This two-part blog will go over several remote start system purchasing and installation errors to avoid.

Going Too Cheap

As you browse various options available when it comes to remote starters, you’ll find a pretty wide range of prices and quality levels. And while those on a budget might be tempted to go with the cheapest option available, assuming they all work relatively similarly, this is often just as much of a mistake as it is in many other fields.

For starters, cheaper starters often have weaker signals and Bluetooth connections. Price tag isn’t the only factor that should be playing a role in your decision, but you get what you pay for, as the saying goes, and going cheap above all else could be a major pitfall.

Making Assumptions

Another mistake buyers of remote start systems commonly make is assessing their options too quickly and making assumptions. Not all remote start systems come with the same features, and not all will necessarily be compatible with every feature in your vehicle.

For instance, many buyers make assumptions about how certain car air systems will interact with their remote starter system. Rear and front defrosters are often a point of concern here – most remote start systems do not allow them to start as part of the system, but many simply assume they will without even asking. Be sure you’re clear on features like these before making your choice.

Poor Installation

No matter which kind of remote start or vehicle security system you choose, it’s vital you have the system installed by our experienced professionals. Not only will professional installation keep you safe from any mishaps that might come up if you attempt installation yourself, it will also ensure all components are installed properly and there’s no risk of installation-related damage down the line.

For more on mistakes to avoid when purchasing a remote start system for your vehicle, or to learn about any of our car sound systems or other services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

In part one of this two-part blog, we went over some of the issues with relying on visuals when you purchase or install new car audio equipment. Apart from the more obvious reality that audio component decisions should not be based on visual factors alone, many such components are made to look sleek and modern, but may actually be limited in their true sound quality.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, this is an issue you’ll never run into during our comprehensive car audio installation services, which feature only truly high-quality products that will bring numerous upgrades to your system. In today’s part two, we’ll dig into a few other vital car audio upgrade areas where appearances might not necessarily be what they seem, plus the true qualities to value as you’re considering various such upgrades to your audio system.

Amplifier

Once you’ve selected excellent speakers, which we went over in part one, it’s time to consider your amplifier. Even the best speakers will not provide the right sound if they aren’t powered correctly, and this is where the amp comes into play.

Once again, sadly, some unscrupulous individuals in the car audio world attempt to manufacture amplifiers that look modern and shiny from the outside, but in reality house a relatively low-quality amp. The amplifier might not be capable of meeting the power needs your speakers come with, which will leave you with distorted and limited sound quality.

Subwoofers

For some looking to “show off” their new car audio systems, the subwoofer (or subwoofers) can be a big draw. Many want to be able to open up their trunk and reveal subs blasting away; it’s hard to look much cooler, after all.

And while we can certainly do our best to accommodate these needs, we’ll remind you again that the primary factors here should relate to your sound, not how the setup looks. If the proper placement for your subs for optimal bass and deep sound quality is under seats rather than in a visible area, we highly recommend going this route even if you might lose a bit of visual appeal.

Value of Professional Installation

Finally, this entire theme we’ve covered in this blog series is precisely why it’s vital to perform car audio upgrades through experienced, reputable professionals like ours at Laketown. Not only do we know the difference between car audio components that simply look good and those that are truly of high quality, we’re also experts on every wire connection, component placement need and sound dampening technique that might be required to bring your vehicle the optimal sound clarity and quality you desire.

For more on separating looks from true audio quality, or to learn about any of our car audio installations or other vehicle upgrades, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

There are numerous industries where appearances do not necessarily always equal quality products, and a great example here is the world of car audio. Apart from the obvious here – car stereos and audio systems are about sound, not looks – there are several situations where audio equipment might appear high-quality, but in reality is not quite the upgrade you had hoped for in your vehicle.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re here to ensure this never happens to you through our detailed car sound system services. We’ll help inform you which of your options truly serve as upgrades to your current audio system, compared to which might be all looks with limited actual quality. In this two-part blog, well go over some of the issues with using appearance to gauge a given sound system, plus the various elements of a system you can consider upgrading for a truly elite car audio system.

Risk of Appearances

As we touched on above, appearances can be deceiving within the world of car audio. Sadly, many subpar products still exist in this realm, and those who attempt to peddle them to customers often design them to look modern, high-tech and high-functioning when they sit on shelves or in your vehicle.

If these products don’t have the proper audio components, however, then it simply doesn’t matter how modern or high-quality they look. They may sound only marginally better than your car’s stock audio system, or could even sound worse in some cases. And worse yet, car owners who don’t have training in vehicle audio might not be able to understand these differences until it’s too late.

From here, let’s look at several vital car audio areas where our pros will help you avoid low-quality materials just because they look great, instead steering you to the actual products you require.

Head Unit

Speaking of visuals created by the audio system, the single most visible component here is the head unit. Modern head units are generally touch screens that can play both video and audio, though you can still find old cassette decks or other previous versions here. Again, a reminder to drive home: Just because this unit, even one with a touch screen in some cases, looks cool and modern, does not necessarily mean it has all the proper audio components – our team will help you identify those that do have the proper qualities for your sound needs.

Speakers

Next, you have to ensure you have speakers that are not only high-quality themselves, but are also compatible with the head unit and have no connection issues. Modern speakers contain not only clean sound quality, but also noise reduction technology for the road and many other features.

For more on upgrading your car’s audio system in meaningful ways, or to learn about any of our car stereo installation services, window tinting or other performance services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the primary benefits of installing multiple smaller subwoofers for your car audio system rather than a single larger one. While certain situations might dictate only one, there are more where using multiple will increase the quality of your sound and also improve the consistency no matter where passengers are seated.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, our car audio and speaker system installation pros will guide you toward the perfect subwoofer setup based on your vehicle and your overall needs. In today’s part two, we’ll go over how multiple subs help you achieve multiple channels, plus how they reduce localized bass issues and assist with space concerns in many vehicles.

Multiple Channel System

Using multiple subs allows you to utilize a two-channel system (or even a multi-channel system in some cases), which has the effect of “preserving” bass from your system. Imaging is increased, and the overall soundstage grows when you have multiple sources of bass. This is vital for smaller speaker types in the car, which almost always do best with multiple subs rather than a single larger option.

Space Considerations

One common concern clients ask us about when designing their car audio system: Will subwoofers take up too much space in my car? This is an especially frequent query for smaller vehicles with limited trunk space available.

And in certain cases when using a single large subwoofer, space indeed might be a concern. But with multiple smaller options, you do not have to take up entire chunks of trunk or under-seat space – rather, you can fit them into limited spaces that are generally out of the way. On top of the other sound benefits we’ve gone over here, this is often the factor that tips clients over the edge and causes them to choose multiple subs.

Reduction of Localized Bass

Finally, one issue that can arise from certain single-speaker setups is listeners being unable to hear deeper octaves of bass. Because the sound only comes from one place, the ability to hear at this lower level is sometimes compromised. Multiple subs eliminates this issue, however, even when connected to a single channel – listeners have a harder time discerning where the bass is coming from with their inner ear, and it will sound like it’s coming from all over the car. This eliminates the “localizing” effect and allows for deeper bass tones to be properly transmitted and heard by everyone in the vehicle, no matter where they sit.

For more on why multiple smaller subwoofers are often preferable to a single larger one, or to learn about any of our car audio, window tinting or automotive services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

When designing your car audio system, subwoofers will be some of the first items you have to think about. In charge of providing bass to a quality sound system, subwoofers play a major role in the entire audio experience for your vehicle.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, subwoofers are just one part of our comprehensive car audio services, which include car stereo installations and numerous other solutions as needed. One common question we get from our clients when it comes to their subs: Should I install just a single one, or multiple subwoofers? The answer depends on the precise qualities you desire, but generally speaking, multiple subs provide better sound quality. This two-part blog will dig into everything you need to know about why.

Stereo Speakers and Bass

For starters, one quick note on the importance of subwoofers overall: They take the place of stock car stereo systems that simply do not have the bass quality you need for a good sound system. Auto manufacturers have to fit their mini woofers and tweeters inside tiny spaces based on frequency needs, and this leads to significant distortion and limited Hertz for your sound. Subwoofers, however, add longer bass notes that eliminate these issues.

Resonance Reduction

So why multiple subs rather than just a single one? One of the chief reasons gets back to reducing resonance, which is what we’re talking about when we mention the tiny spaces stock vehicles use for their bass.

Subwoofers are installed in confined areas as well, producing sound waves that are reflected between the walls of the car. Using a single sub can create a situation where certain frequencies become louder than others, sometimes making the bass weaker. You can avoid this by using multiple sources of bass, which reduce interference and help balance out resonance for a smoother sound. This also makes it so sound is consistent regardless of where someone is sitting in the car.

Sharper Sound

Multiple subs, even smaller ones compared to a single larger option, provide louder sound that’s sharper and of higher quality. This is based on air displacement in a space – two speakers of a smaller size displace more air than one that’s larger.

Headroom and Smoothness

Multiple subs also create more headroom, which also leads to improved smoothness. This is through reducing compression, increasing range and limiting the distortion of sound that comes from two or more sources rather than confining them to one.

In part two of this blog series, we’ll dig into localization issues, stereo effect and other reasons why multiple subwoofers are often preferable to a single one. For more on this, or to learn about our car audio, window tinting or other services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the simplest tips out there for preventing your vehicle from being stolen. On top of a viable, robust alarm system, there are several techniques you can follow that will limit the risk of car thieves even considering your vehicle.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re here to help. In addition to our primary car stereo installations and window tinting services, we also offer a wide array of vehicle security options, from quality alarm systems to areas like keyless entry, remote start and power locking solutions. In today’s part two, we’ll go over a few additional themes or solutions you might consider if vehicle theft prevention is a major theme for you.

Physical Anti-Theft Device

There are several such devices out there, from the locking steering wheel to a hidden “kill switch” that will disable the car’s ignition if it’s accessed with anything but the proper key. It’s important to note, however, that these devices serve as much as a deterrent to thieves as an actual theft prevention device.

This is because many car thieves, at least the professional ones, often know how to bypass these systems. However, simply having one that’s visible within your vehicle shows a potential thief that you take your vehicle’s security seriously – they are more likely to assume you have a robust alarm system and other security features installed, and are therefore less likely to target your vehicle.

Valuables in the Vehicle

Even if you have a good alarm system and tinted windows, it’s still possible that thieves may see valuable items in your car and view it as a greater target for this reason. If a potential thief thinks they can add some value to a theft through the items left in the car, they’re more likely to narrow in on that vehicle compared to others.

If you must keep valuables in the car, keep them in hidden and, if possible, locked areas. The trunk is the best option here in most cases.

GPS Recovery

Finally, while this isn’t actually a technology specifically designed to prevent car theft, it can be a last resort in cases where your car is actually stolen. Many vehicles have GPS systems automatically installed, and in many cases there is an ability to use this GPS to locate a stolen vehicle and attempt to recover it.

However, like with the anti-theft devices we noted above, many experienced car thieves will know how to disable such a system once they’ve stolen the car. This is why a great alarm system and other precautions are so important – so you never get to this point.

For more on automotive security, or to learn about any of our stereo or other services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

While it’s certainly a reality no one enjoys, the simple truth is that there are many dishonest people out there who will attempt to scam or steal their way through life. Such individuals often target high-value commodities from others, and a great example here is car thieves who attempt to steal cars.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re proud to offer a variety of vehicle security services in addition to our car audio and stereo installation solutions. From must-haves like a viable car alarm system to additional solutions such as remote start, power locks and keyless entry, we’ll supply you with high-quality security products that keep your vehicle safe from the threat of being stolen. In addition to our products, we’ll also offer you some general tips and techniques on keeping your vehicle secure – this two-part blog will offer several areas of advice.

Car Alarm

First and foremost, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the single most reliable and effective method of preventing vehicle thefts: A proper, functioning car alarm. Most of today’s newer vehicle models have a robust alarm that’s active and loud enough to draw attention, in which case you can move on to further steps.

For some older vehicles, however, or even certain newer models, the alarm system might either be badly lacking or not present at all. In these cases, our team will be happy to provide a simple installation of a quality aftermarket system. Our alarm systems are designed to be as sensitive as you desire, with loud and noticeable alerts in case someone is attempting to break into or steal your vehicle.

Securing Your Vehicle

In addition to a proper alarm system, it’s very important to take basic steps toward securing your vehicle when you aren’t in it. As obvious as it may sound, simply rolling up your windows and locking the vehicle every time you exit it will be a major deterrent to thieves, who often look for a lack of such tasks to seize an easy opportunity.

One more tip here: Perform these tasks even when you’re storing your vehicle in a private area like your garage. Even if you’re confident in the security of this area, it’s never a bad thing to add another layer of security.

Public Parking

If you regularly have to park your car in a major urban area like downtown Salt Lake City, do your best to find a public space that’s visible and regularly occupied by people. Car thieves don’t want to attempt to steal a car while people are watching, for obvious reasons, so avoiding areas like dark alleys or low-traffic streets can make a real difference.

For more on preventing any risk of your car being stolen, or to learn about any of our car audio systems or other vehicle upgrades, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we take pride in offering window tinting services that hold more than just cosmetic value. While a window tint will absolutely improve your vehicle’s aesthetics, it will also benefit you in terms of safety, privacy and even protection from potentially harmful UV rays.

They also look great, of course, and we understand that many of our clients want to get out there and strut their newly tinted windows as soon as possible. This is just fine – as long as you pay attention to just a few basic post-tinting care areas, most of which are related to the adhesive used to hold the window film in place, which need time to dry after the process is finished. Let’s go over a few basic tips here to ensure you don’t accidentally scrape or remove any of this film from the windows before it settles in permanently.

General Drying

Generally speaking, you want to give the window film some time to dry before you do anything that might damage it. This often just means leaving the vehicle out in the Utah sun for a day or two, though this depends on the season: You’ll only need 24 to 48 during the hot summer, but the wait time might be a bit longer during the winter months or cloudy periods of time.

If you aren’t sure here, ask our pros well in advance. We’ll be happy to let you know how long you should allow curing and drying for before assuming that your tint is now permanent.

Moisture and Car Washes

During the drying period, we generally recommend avoiding the car wash. While tinted window film is applied inside the vehicle, not outside it, it’s important to note that washing the windows can add enough condensed moisture to slow or even stop the drying process, meaning you’ll just have to wait longer for drying once you’re done.

Be Patient With Bubbles

One vital note here: Any bubbles that show up in your window tint in the immediate aftermath are not the same as air bubbles from a cheap window film commonly found in previous generations. Rather, they are likely to be caused by moisture, and will evaporate within a few days as the curing process continues. Expect these for a few days and do not worry about them.

Rolling Down Windows

We also generally recommend keeping your windows rolled up during the curing period to keep the film in as good a shape as possible. When this process is finished, you’re fine to open and close windows as needed.

For more on caring for your window tint in the days following the process, or to learn about any of our window tinting or car audio installation services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we’re proud to serve as your comprehensive vehicle entertainment, aesthetics and performance specialists. Not only do we provide the highest quality in car audio installation and window tinting, we also offer a number of automotive accessories and upgrades to add value to the vehicle while making it more enjoyable to drive.

One such minor upgrade is to your vehicle’s headlights, which are important for not only safety and driving quality but also your vehicle’s appearance and aesthetics. Despite modern technology available today, most vehicles come with stock headlight options that are still relatively limited – here are some basics on these stock types plus a couple options you have if you want to upgrade to a more natural color, better brightness and a longer lifespan.

Standard Halogens

Standard halogen headlamps remain the cheapest option for vehicle manufacturers, both in terms of installation and replacement, so they continue to be the most commonly-used options in new vehicles. Sadly, though, these need to be replaced often – they use a thin tungsten filament that burns inside a sealed bulb, with halogen gas for brightness. This is not a durable setup, and it’s one that is likely to break several times during your car’s full lifespan.

If you’re looking to upgrade from these stock options, there are generally two primary choices available:

High Intensity Discharge (HID)

The first option here is a High Intensity Discharge upgrade, abbreviated HID. These lights emit brightness form a quartz bulb that’s filled completely with gas, meaning there is no filament in place. The top models use xenon gas for the brightest possible light, a tone that mimics natural sunlight and is kind to the eyes.

If you’re talking about performance only, HID lights are likely the top option available. They will last for decades and will provide consistent performance no matter what.

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

Now, that doesn’t mean HID is the only choice. LED lights, short for light emitting diode options, utilize no filament and don’t even need a traditional light bulb – rather, they are actually a dense accumulation of diodes that conduct electricity. LED lights, therefore, produce light by power that’s pushed through the diodes.

The primary advantage LED lights hold over HID lights is their efficiency. LED headlamps will last roughly 10 times longer than HID lights, producing beams roughly 2.5 times as bright as older halogen lamps while using 250% less energy. In addition, HID bulbs take five to ten seconds to warm up and cool down between uses – there is no such waiting period for LED lights.

For more on headlight upgrades to your vehicle, or to learn about any of our car subwoofers or car stereo installations, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.

At Laketown Speed and Sound, we take pride in the automotive security services we offer in addition to our quality car audio and stereo installation solutions. Motor vehicle thefts have gone down by a significant amount over the last couple decades, and technology like our keyless entry, power locking and other security elements play a big role in this trend.

One of the modern pieces of technology we offer when it comes to car security is the remote start operation feature. Many people associate this feature with comfort as well – it can be used to start the car and warm it up during the cold winter, or to get the AC humming with cool air during the sweltering summer. Some may mistakenly worry about a remote start feature as a security concern, but in reality it’s the precise opposite – let’s look at the safety precautions built into this technology that keep your vehicle safe while also improving your day-to-day convenience.

Automatic Locking

The first and most vital piece of information to understand here: When you initiate a remote start of your vehicle, whether from inside your home or any other location, the vehicle’s doors will automatically lock – if they weren’t already locked in the first place, that is. A would-be thief can’t simply get in the car while it’s running and drive away.

Rather, such an individual would have to actively break into the car to access it, which will attract attention, including your alarm going off. You have to separately unlock the door with your key or remote before it will open.

Key Still Required

And even if you happen to run into a thief who is able to break into your running car without attracting too much attention, guess what? They still can’t go anywhere with your car. This is because the remote start feature still requires the actual key to be inserted into the ignition and turned on before the car can drive.

Until this point, the car’s gearshift will remain stuck in Park no matter what. The car can run and warm itself up, but as soon as someone presses the brake without the key in the ignition, it will shut down. In addition, modern vehicles have chips in their keys that serve as anti-theft protection through data that’s sent to the car’s computer.

Timing Range

Finally, a remote start will not allow the car to run indefinitely once it’s fired up. It comes with a timer, generally set to somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes, after which the car will shut down automatically if the key is not inserted.

For more on how remote start technology improves both your convenience and your vehicle security, or to learn about any of our car audio, window tinting or other services, speak to the staff at Laketown Speed and Sound today.