lights on - radio goes off.

[avant-garde]

Hi all, any advice would be appreciated. I've just wired in my new radio using the same connectors as before (bit of luck there)...but now whenever I turn on the side/head lights the radio turns off.

I have even wired up the radio directly to the battery (not leisure battery) and the same thing happens. My guess is that when I turn the headlamps on all the battery power is going to those so that's why the radio turns off. Surly that’s not right!

I've owned a dozen or so old cars in the past (mainly Spitfires) and this has never happened to me before...I just can't understand how that wiring the radio directly to the battery and then turning the headlights on, the radio switches off.

Has anyone got any advice please?

As soon as I get back from Scotland I will be installing a leisure battery. My first attempt to install a leisure battery I melted through the cables and set fire to the carpet and almost melted all the way through the battery casing itself - but that's another story !

Cheers,
Avant-garde

[hixsy]

Bad earth? Did you run permanent and ignition to battery and the negative/earth? wouldn't be trusting the stereo connectors either as through my trial and error I've found it best to make new ones as There's always some twonk messing with the wiring on these vans.... Does the radio work of another battery?

[avant-garde]

Hi, thanks for the reply. Yep the radio works perfectly...untill the lights are turned on and then the radio goes off. Even with the radio connected directly to the battery (in other words its own private circuit), but as soon as I switch the lights on the radio goes off. I just can't understand it. Has to be the battery not being able to supply enough juice to the lights AND the radio at the same time.

I will go around and recheck the earths etc.

I agree with you when you say 'there's always some twonk messing with the wiring'...me