Radio cutting in and out...

[crazy beautiful]

I thought I might throw this out there, you all seem to know a fair bit about car audio so maybe someone can suggest a solution to my problem

My radio is cutting out when I turn the volume up above a certain point (I know, don't turn it up so high- but where it cuts out is not that loud!). I've noticed it only does this when playing through my iphone and not on radio or CD... it started doing it ages ago and it seemed to be connected to my HIDs at first.

When I would turn my lights on, the radio would cut out 7 minutes later (exactly, I timed it loads of times!). Lee (mlga) suggested it might be something to do with a three pin vs four pin something or other for my alternator - something to do with drawing power for the lights and not leaving any for the radio? I also noticed antime the HID's were disconneted or fiddled with, the radio would reset.

Anyway, it stopped doing it for a while (or I probably stopped trying to turn my music up?) so I never looked further into it. Now its cutting out all the time (at lower volumes than before), and not coming back on. This time it's not related to the lights because its happening randomly during the day as well as at night...
I'm not convinced its the radio, but Dave has checked the wiring behind the actual head unit and reckons it looks ok. However all the audio wiring through the car was done by Frankies in Wollongong, or down that way, and I've heard their rep is less than great, so I'm wondering if it could be a problem with wiring somewhere??

I thought about just buying a new radio, but seeing as its only a problem with my iphone and not radio or CD I don't think it will help

Any suggestions (or recomendations for someone who can fix car radios) are appreciated

 

[Skippy]

I'd recommend going to an auto-electrician. I personally don't know what is happening, if the actually HU its self is dying then it may be a lack of power being delivered to it when the HIDs are charging or whatever they do. If it's only the speakers then I'd assume is something to do with a dodgy wire along the line somewhere. Either all auto electrician would be able to hunt down the problem I'd assume. That being said someone else on here maybe able to help you, in the end I'm only a younging

 

[cesario]

just curious, but are you running an amp too?

cause i remember ages ago i had a dodgy amp tuning and basically it was cutting out my stereo when the gain was too high
but my mums stereo keeps cutting out too, but a good hit usually fixes it for a week or so

 

[Ryan]

Yeah Frankies specialize in installing over-priced gear or average quality by monkey apprentices who don't know *poo*. Yes I unknowingly had my previous Excel have a HU installed by them. They broke my hot/cold air mixers arm, mysteriously all the dash clips dissppeared and the speakers weren't connected in the proper order to the deck....

That said as for your issues it sounds like an odd one. If the HIDs are causing the issue as you seem to think have you tried removing them? It's potential they are causing problems with the car's electrics.

Also whats the quality of your battery like? Is it reasonable condition or old and crappy? Check for corrosion at the terminals, or where the grounding strap bolts to the chassis. Also if you have any amps checking the quality of their grounding. Preferably unbolt it and have sand the chassis to clean metal and then re-bolt it up. Also if you have a voltage meter (aka multi-meter) hook that up and observe the voltage stability.

But really at the end of the day if it's only happening on the iPod input I suspect the head deck is faulty.

 

[crazy beautiful]

I do suspect an auto electrician may be the best way to go. Does anyone know someone that is decent (or particularly bad that I should stay away from :lol: ), otherwise I'll just yellow pages one.

I'm not running an amp, I've just got the head unit, and four speakers (2 front and 2 rear). The guy who I bought the car off however had amps and subs and all that stuff, all the wiring for that is still in my boot, not doing anything. It's just been unplugged and left there - I don't know if that would be having an effect on this? Either way it probably needs to go (off topic if anyone wants all this wiring its yours, don't know how much is there or if its worth it, but once I get round to pulling it out I'll just be chucking it)

I haven't checked the battery, but it has been on the bf's list of things to do, so I'll ask him to get his voltmeter thingo onto it over the weekend and check theres no probs there, he's going to sus out the alternator thing Lee mentioned too. Otherwise I'll just buy a new headunit and see if it stops. It is only a $99 cheapo that I have, and its two years old so it could just be that its passing away. If that still doesn't work I'll take out the HID's and see if that changes anything...

I just checked if it cuts out on radio and CD too, and it does, but at a much higher volume!!

 

[Res]

wierd, might be something to do with internally on the HU

i would be taking the dash out and checking the cables b4 i replaced the HU tho
also take off ur door trimms and check the connections to ur speakers are all good...

i have hids never had troubles with my stereo coz of them tho. so i doubt that is the problem unless u wired them into ur stereo loom (which no one would go to all the trouble and stupidity to do)