HID / radio electrical problem

[cadilak78]

Since installing an HID kit to my stock halogen housings I've had a problem with the radio. With no lights or just the parking lights on the radio works perfect. However, when the radio is on and then I turn on the headlights the radio cuts out completly. If I leave the lights on I need to turn off the radio and then turn it back on. When I turn the radio back on, I only get sound from the front 2 speakers. Not the rest of the stereo system works. I lose the great sound from the factory sound system. I've tried a HID relay harness and that didn't work, they still cut the radio out. I'm running out of ideas. I've searched the forums with no avail....has anyone had this problem and a potential solution?

Thanks in advance!


For what it's worth....it's an aftermarked radio but I never had this problem with the aftermarket radio and the halogen bulbs. Only w/the HID's.

[linet90]

you might want to get a better ground for the radio try that, it should work.

[cadilak78]

you might want to get a better ground for the radio try that, it should work.

That's kind of what I was thinking. Thanks! Upon further investigation my speakers crackle and make noises when I change modes on the radio. That is even with all the lights off. The people at the stereo shop are a bunch of hacks. Nothing like taking in a clean vehicle and getting it back (a 3rd time) with muddy boot prints, cut wires all over the place and marks on the side of the radio where a screwdriver hit it while they pryed something off. Not only do I have the issue mentioned at the start of this post, but I don't get any radio reception!

[linet90]

What kind of A4 do you have? If you don't get any radio reception you might not have the wrong antenna adapter (depending on the year). Also when you drive with the head lights on do you hear a alternator wine coming through the speakers? and what kind of deck is it?

[cadilak78]

What kind of A4 do you have? If you don't get any radio reception you might not have the wrong antenna adapter (depending on the year). Also when you drive with the head lights on do you hear a alternator wine coming through the speakers? and what kind of deck is it?

Thanks for the help linet90!


I have an '06 (B7). I had a Pioneer AVIC X920BT installed and I got this antenna adapter http://http://www.crutchfield.com/p_12040VW54/Antenna-Adapter.html?search=radio+antenna+adapter I also got the PAC Audio Adapter with it. I don't recall ever hearing an alternator whine coming through the speakers. Since my area is riddled w/thunderstorms today I will use my headlights at lunch and I'll listen for a alternator whine. When I took the radio out last night to check the ground wire I was amazed! Amazed that this stereo place calls themselves "installers." The ground wire was cut, then spliced and then jumped with 3 more wires to finally end up in one of the "plug & play" connections. I read the instructions and it clearly says to put the ground wire right to the car body. I need to cut the wire and ground it to the car. I ran out of time last night but I think I know what the problem is. Hopefully! haha

[linet90]

Well you got the right antenna adapter, as for the the ground being cut. You got a DVD deck so the installers could of added the green wire from the deck into the ground so you can watch movies while driving. I would still try to give it a alternate ground. The PAC audio adapter is used when you have a factory amp in the car you should see a set of RCA's being used that come off the radio (some units don't use them). Do you still have the HID relay hooked up?

[linet90]

Make sure you got that blue wire coming off the antenna hooked up

[cadilak78]

I do not have the HID relay hooked up only because when I had the relay hooked up I still had the problem. I've tried 3 different grounding points behind the glovebox and none of them made a difference. Right now it's grounded right to the neg terminal on the battery and that didn't even help! I'm at a complete loss at this point. I think I need to have another stereo shop take a look at it. Only 2 of the RCA terminals are used off of the back of the radio and some of the others are wired into one of the connection boxes. I checked the blue antenna wire and it is hooked up to another wire (I don't know which one??)

*sarcasm time* I love living in a small city! A botched oil change on a monday and a half-@ssed stereo install a few days later. If it's not a domestic pick-up truck these people just can't do anything with them.

[linet90]

Well it seems like everything at the radio is hooked up right, most of the time in you year car, only 1 set of speakers are amplified hence why only two RCA's are hooked up. On the other hand the HID kit is drawing more power then what the car it putting out. Things to consider: New or more ground wires for the car, do you have a code eliminator hooked up for the HID's.

[Enzo10]

Had the same problem, make sure ballasts rant touching any metal, probably what's causing frequency interference