diranged Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 Ok... Got a strange one here. I've got an Audi A3 that came with factory Halogen headlights. I installed my Z110BT with the Connect2 wiring harness kit (smaller than the PAC one, simpler) and it was working great. I just recently installed aftermarket HIDs in the car, and now I've got a very strange issue... If the Z110BT is started up already, and I turn on my headlights.. about 70% of the time the audio will cut out! Now i'm not saying ALL audio cuts out -- but rather, just the audio source dies. iPod, HD Radio, CD ... doesn't matter. I can switch sources and hear all the menu/interface beeps through the speakers without any issues. Usually after changing audio sources 2-3 times, the audio will come back -- but not all the way. Sometimes it will just be the back speakers, other times its all of them -- except for the subwoofer... The only real fix is to turn the car off and turn it back on. Has anyone seen any behavior like this? (also, i have the factory BOSE system, so the Z110BT is actually routing all its audio through the line-outs directly into the factory amp) I'd even be happy if I could just reset the Z110BT while I was driving when this happens, but I can't seem to find a way to do that... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VBLUE42 Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 Funny enough I have the same issue after installing HID's in my car last week. I also am running through a factory amp in my car. If I switch the headlights on, the power to the amp is cut. I have to restart my car to get it to come back on. I have noticed that if I turn the parking lights on for about two seconds, then the headlights, I don't have the problem. This is clearly causing a voltage drop somewhere in the chain but I am baffled as to where and how to overcome it. If any of you experience installers out there have a clue please share it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
79289Chase Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 Dang I think if this is a huge problem than I will be holding off on getting HIDs for my car. I was about to place an order for some but might be thinking other wise now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VBLUE42 Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think this is going to be a regular problem for people with HID's. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dawgbone Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 HID's take a ton of juice to ignite them.... But once past the igniting stage, they're suppose to draw far less current than regular bulbs... I would try to grab a small capacitor from Radio Shack to install in line with your Avic's power.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VBLUE42 Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 What level of capacitor? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dawgbone Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 What level of capacitor? That, I wish I could tell you.... I could guess, but I don't want to tell someone anything wrong... It would really be determined by your HID kit and it's ballast... But the way I see it, is that the current drop is just enough and just long enough to restart the Avic.... So I would guess that it wouldn't take much... I would get which ever has the biggest farat rating... You can't ever have too much... Just make sure that they're 12 volts +.... The only other thing that I would consider, would be to upgrade the battery to an Odyssey or the likes.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
diranged Posted February 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 Hmm I'm going to have to try the waiting-for-2-seconds thing and see if that helps. I'm pretty hesitant to go in there and install an inline capacitor without really knowing what I'm doing. Any electrical experts want to chime in on this? (btw, changing the battery should have almost zero impact.. the issue is almost certainly not an overall power problem but rather a momentary spike (or drop)). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dawgbone Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 (btw, changing the battery should have almost zero impact.. the issue is almost certainly not an overall power problem but rather a momentary spike (or drop)). I only suggested that, as when I installed my HID's, everything would dim briefly when turning them on... After I installed my Odyssey, I no longer get that... They're pretty bad ass batteries and can handle it... Not to mention it spins my starter so much faster.... I'm waiting for it to shoot out from the bottom of my truck... As long as you get a non-polar aka bi-polar capacitor, you don't have to worry about installing it... it can go either way... The only thing that I'm unsure of, and being that you say that not all sound is gone.... is if it needs to go to the Avic, or your factory amp interface.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VBLUE42 Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 My problem is killing my factory amp, not the head unit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VBLUE42 Posted February 10, 2010 Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 Problem solved!!! Hey diranged, are you powering your HID's from a relayed harness straight to the battery? I ask because prior to last week, I have had this same HID system on my car for almost a year without problem. Last week, while installing a new set of projector retrofits on my car, I rewired the power to the HID ballast to a relayed harness from the battery. After that, I started having this problem. Earlier today, suspecting this was the issue, I removed the relayed harness and went back to powering the ballast from the switched headlight harness and haven't had the problem all day. Let me know if this helps you remedy your issue. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dawgbone Posted February 10, 2010 Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 Problem solved!!! Hey diranged, are you powering your HID's from a relayed harness straight to the battery? I ask because prior to last week, I have had this same HID system on my car for almost a year without problem. Last week, while installing a new set of projector retrofits on my car, I rewired the power to the HID ballast to a relayed harness from the battery. After that, I started having this problem. Earlier today, suspecting this was the issue, I removed the relayed harness and went back to powering the ballast from the switched headlight harness and haven't had the problem all day. Let me know if this helps you remedy your issue. Funny... I was researching some HID kits for my old man just now, and I ran into this cat's post... While it doesn't quite go in line with what Blue42 is saying... But in a way it makes sense that the relay is too slow... The relay avoids the issues with the OEM harness having issues with the start up power some kits have and draws the power directly from the battery via the relay and only uses the OEM harness for the signal to turn on and go hi/lo. The Bi-Xenon kits "should" come with one. Verify with order...if not retro-solutions sell them...hell I have one somewhere that got not knowing the kit came with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
diranged Posted February 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 Can you point me to the post referring to the relay'd wiring harness? I know for fact that the headlights housings I bought do not use any relay system, and rely on power from the stock wiring harness. I know that the Retro Solutions wiring COULD have a relay put in place, but did not come with one and are currently powered from the stock power source. I did at one point try rewiring the ground directly to the chassis, but did not see any difference in the behavior. I would be *extremely* interested in a wiring harness that has a built in relay and then takes actual power source from the battery directly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VBLUE42 Posted February 10, 2010 Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 Yea in my case the relayed harness was causing the problem but in your case it may actually solve your problem. Most high end HID systems are recommended to be wired with a relay harness straight to the battery to keep from over heating your stock headlight harnesses. The HID system I have came with both relayed and non relayed harnesses. If you like, I will send you the relay harness I am now no longer using. It is a standard connection to the ballast. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VBLUE42 Posted February 10, 2010 Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 Actually if you go to the link below you purchase one for your bulb type. You only need one harness. http://www.autolumination.com/hid_harness.htm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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