swftiii

I have installed the Catz HIDs and they work great. The only problem is that I am getting an electrical pop/snap through the stereo speakers when I turn the lights on (of course the stero has to be on).

I've checked the ground for each light and made sure the wire is has a metal to metal contact. I have used the black bolt in the light well for both sides (see picture below).

<img src="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/GroundingHIDs2.jpg" alt=" - " />

My stereo is a porsche stereo w/ an amplifyer in the front trunk. The amplifier must be grounded properly as it uses the ground on the left near the rubber grommet from the light well.

Should I ground the HIDs using the ground connector in the trunk? Would it matter if I used the same ground for both the HID and the amp?

I'm told it won't harm anything, but it sure is annoying and will continue to bother me in the future (I like things done right).

Your help is appreciated.

-Skip

Randy M

Thats just wonderful. Great, cant wait to get mine now (insert sarcasm here)

magnetic1

Skip... you said you were going to check a few more things? Did you check everything?

Are there any car stereo gurus out there? I KNOW it is an issue of noise being transferred to the amplifier... but not exactly sure on noise suppression means and troubleshooting.

What kind of amplifier is it? I know when I used to have a cheap Jensen amp, I got all kinds of noise, but when I switched over to a high quality brand (Pioneer / Alpine) the noises went away.

swftiii

Randy - The HIDs are high quality and you shouldn't worry about them at all. I'm pretty sure it is something with the stereo install and/or wiring.

Eric,

I have an Alpine 4x75w amp and did not install myself and have had some noise probs with it. Just recently I installed some noise filters which helped with some slight engine static, but was hoping someone out there could help me out. I'm pretty sure it isn't the HIDs, but instead the stereo setup.

I am going to swing by my local stereo shop and see if they can take a look at the stereo setup this weekend, but was hoping someone out there had an idea for me.

lexart

No pop after my Catz install!

I too have and external ADS amp installed under the passenger seat. The amp is grounded to factory grounding point under the seat and draws power directly from the battery. The first thing I would recommend is moving your grounding points (both) from inside the fenders to two factory grounding points right above large rubber grommets that pass the wires to your ballast in the front trunk. Pls let us know if that makes any difference and we'll troubleshoot it further. Lack of good grounds and grounding loops are #1 cause for noise in your audio system.

Here's the pic of the factory ground point above the grommet in the front trunk.

<img src="http://members.rennlist.com/amp993c2/Catz%20Inverter%20RH.jpg" alt=" - " />

swftiii

Amp,

Thanks and I'll give that a try tomorrow. Would it be a problem if both the amp and the HIDs are grounded to the same point? My amp is grounded to the passenger side ground point in the trunk.

Stay tuned.
-Skip

lexart

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by swftiii:
<strong>Would it be a problem if both the amp and the HIDs are grounded to the same point? </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">It would be preferred if both HID ground wires attach to the same grounding point as the amp. This would eliminate one of the ground loop possibilities. Another is the ground point of your head unit. Idealy, that should touch ground at the same point as the amp . . .

swftiii

OK - I've moved both HID ground wires to the grounding points inside the front trunk.

I still get the popping sound.

Is there a grounding point behind the dash where I can ground the stereo? I have the Porsche CD210 w/ the changer in the trunk. I bet it isn't grounded properly...

Thanks guys - With your help I'll get it fixed.

-Skip

magnetic1

I would also look into the amp perhaps touching metal?

I am not a stereo expert... I I know that is one of the possible things that might introduce noise into the system....

amp-993, could the power wiring being close to the HID also cause this? I know when I installed a CD Changer a long time ago, I was told to run the power on the other side of the car opposite the amp power wires so that they would not introduce noise to each other?

96P993

I dont think this is an HID problem...I would check the amp and its ground and would make sure it isnt touching metal (as Eric has said). I have heard plenty of cars that have this same popping noise and most of the time the amp is to blame..

swftiii

OK Guys,

Thanks for the help. I was able to play with the wiring to hookup 1 speaker without the amp and test turning on the HIDs. There was no crackle or pop, so it must be related to the amp.

Now the question is what to do about it.

My amp is an Alpine 4x75W in the V-Power group (I think it is model MRP-F200). It is 3 or so years old.

1. Would moving the amp from the front trunk to under the passenger seat separate them enough to remove the interference?
2. Do I need to find an amp that is better insulated?

Thanks,

-Skip

magnetic1

Skip... we still need to troubleshoot the issue as to whether it is from the amp itself or the wiring OF the amp.

I would suggest unmounting the amp, wrapping it in something non-conductive (towel?), turn on, and see if pop is there. If it is, then you know it is the wiring to the amp. If it is not there, then you know it is from the amp mounting point or location.

Report back and let us know.....

We have 20 more HID kits coming in Friday and hope to get them all out by the end of the day! We then have another 30 coming in the following week and that shoudl clear out all remaining backorders.

Renato

My factory litronics pop through my stereo system when I turn them on. I have an all Alpine stereo system in my car and I'm thinking that it's the culprit. When the car goes to the dealer for its' annual service I'm gonna have it checked out.

Just wanted to add my $.02 and state that I don't think that this is just an aftermarket HID issue. Also, I have no affiliation with Catz or any aftermarket HID distributors.

swftiii

Liteswap - I dismounted and wrapped the amp in a towel. Still popping.

Renato - that is interesting and very helpful information. Does your system have an amp and if so where is it mounted.

Now I'm sure it isn't the HIDs, but am still wondering how to resolve the problem. I'm going to talk with an installer tomorrow to see what he thinks.

lexart

OK, Skip, a few questions for you . ..

Where is the ground wire from the amp go?

What’s the size of the ground wire from the amp?

Describe the grounding point from the amp to the car's body?h

Does the amp case touch or attachment screws touch car’s body, or is it electrically isolated?

Is the power and/or ground wire from the amp pass near and parallel to the HID harness or the OEM harness the carried headlight wiring?

If you disconnect the amp, and use only the head unit internal amp, assuming it has one, does it still pop?

If you unplug the CD changer, does it still pop?

Any difference wrt popping sound with engine running or off?