Interior lights turn radio off

[adambryan]

Please dont laugh too much...

I'm turning my T6.1 kombi into a day van and rather than paying people i am trying to do it myself. I have piggy backed a wire into the back, its on the accessory circuit. It then connects to a light switch and 4 lights.

It kinda works, but when you turn the lights on the radio goes off.

Where have i cocked up and how do i fix it?

(please explain to me like i am a child who has no idea )
TIA

 

[Dellmassive]

post some pics of your connections

 

[adambryan]

post some pics of your connections

It's basic.
But it comes from the piggy back, then into the toggle. Then to the 12v socket which all the +ve sides connect to.
The ground is to the rear quarter light area.

There's a lot of interference on the radio that wasn't there yesterday. The only change is adding 4 lights and the switch today

 

[adambryan]

Done a bit more digging. Radio doesn't go off but turning the lights on kills the dab signal.

Even with then off the signal is now intermittent

 

[Dav-Tec]

Hi buddy I wouldn't wrap power cables around an existing loom you could introduce all sorts of interference on the other wires there could be signal wires and all sorts in there.

Unless you know what cables are in that section of loom you're best off running the alongside it with a gap and securing the cables with tie wraps or something.

 

[adambryan]

Hi buddy I wouldn't wrap power cables around an existing loom you could introduce all sorts of interference on the other wires there could be signal wires and all sorts in there.

Unless you know what cables are in that section of loom you're best off running the alongside it with a gap and securing the cables with tie wraps or something.

Yep got it. Will unwrap all that.

 

[Dav-Tec]

Yep got it. Will unwrap all that.

I very much doubt it will be causing your issue but it may have an effect on other things later.

Are they good quality LEDs? Sounds like they're introducing noise onto the system and knocking out the DAB which is a fickle beast at the best of times.

DAB seems to be a technology that was developed, launched and forgotten about as unless your in a very populated area I find DAB reception is sh@& at best

 

[adambryan]

i live in an area that has more cows then people.
Its going to be the lights, im confident of that after a bit of digging about since posting.

Can you recommend any lights you used, that i can try instead?

 

[Pauly]

Agree with the above, unwrap those cables and just run straight along side the loom

I really struggle with DAB in my 6.1 end up with FM most of the time, you could try moving the fuse to a different power rail and see if it has any effect ?

 

[Dav-Tec]

I have up with DAB, I downloaded an app that works with carplay and android called tunein and I stream it lol.

Shark fins are better aerials but aren't perfect.

Most of the big companies do descent lights that don't usually cause issues. Transporter HQ, Vanstyle etc

 

[AussieMick]

Just to show about electrical interference , I fitted a UHF radio in my van and when I transmitted my interior led lights turned on.
I had to keep the radio aerial cable and supply for the lighting well away from each other.