weird radio problem.. cuts off and on running

[NomadMike]

i changed out radios in my fairing i had a older pioneer cd that worked with the engine on or off it was a 45x4 watt. and i got a new bluetooth, mp3 radio that is 60x4 watts. that new radio works flawlessly with the engine off.. turn the engine on and the sound cuts in and out ... the wires are hooked straight to the battery to a toggle switch mounted under the fairing. could it be because the extra wattage is pulling more from the battery and the ground wire could be too long, or is it something else? please HELP i need tunes lol first bike with a radio and its pretty cool lol

[DragonLady58]

Well, if all your radio is ok and doesn't have a internal short going on, its probably a chassis ground.
There will be a green screw on the rear of the radio, get a green 16 ga. wire, attach to that. Run from radio where its installed, thru your fairings wiring hole, and fasten to a good frame ground with a spade terminal and a star washer. Also, install a extra ground wire from battery to chassis.
You'll be glad you did....Friend has a 2011 SG, his was doing that, took me a hour tracing till I found a loose grnd. wire.

Alot of people don't know any better, but they will install radios/add-ons and just ground to the front tripletree....not good! Your trying to ground thru your steering bearings, which is no good....
Fasten a good connection 14ga. wire to the frame, run up thru the fairing, and attach to a grounding strip inside the fairing, (I usually mount it off to the side of the radio, should your radio dislodge from mount, it can possibly short out). So, with your strip you can ground your gauges, and other accessories you might want to install....
Floating ground problems have been plaguing installers for ages......

[Sabre-t]

Even if it is grounded, you may have a ground loop issue. There are filters that can be installed in the power circuit to eliminate ground loop interference. If you need to add a grounding like DL58 described, and you don't have any issues afterward, then you won't need the filter.

[NomadMike]

Thanks guys, I'll do both those when I get home from work! I didn't want to end up putting the pioneer back in lol

[NomadMike]

Thanks guys problem solved... This radio take more energy to play and it was a ground issue... I ran a 12g wire from the battery to the frame under the seat and a 12g from the front of the frame near the neck to the inside of the batwing to the back of the radio and the negative wire I attached to the back of the radio on top of the ground.. works perfectly now with Bluetooth and volume all the way up and cruisen down the road!!

[NomadMike]

Oh and seems to run better and smoother too... Seems to have had a existing ground problem

[Rasta]

Glad you found the issue!