Horrible HID kit installation

[NeilP]

can't begin to count the number of bad stories I've heard about Car Audio Centre.

Whatever you do don't let them sell you any of that inphase sh*t. You'd be better of setting your money alight (literally it's that bad)

As for the installation issue, it is clearly of sub standard regardless of abs issues and so you want to be contacting their head office or better still your local CAB maybe?

HID ballasts are okay with getting the old splash here and there. Given their area of 'expertise' they should be well versed with hid kits so these problems are highly worrying.

Also another word to note as stated previously, the price was a little steep. Having worked for a car audio company (similar to CAC) hid's fitted to bmws (requiring access from the arch) was a flat £100 supplied and fitted.

I can only suggest you stay persistant with them. At the end of the day, you have paid money for a job to be done correctly, and as far as I'm concerned, that job that you've paid for hasn't been done correctly.

 

[aquazi]

Echo what others have said....

No idea how they could have affected the abs setting, as the sensor is too far from the headlights.

Personally i would get a new rear headlight case and fix this myself now.

The ballasts should be fine with water... But i would still fit it all inside the headlight and seat them properly.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

 

[vortex]

I would still take it back to rub his nose in it and ask for a refund,if nothing else he should pay for a new wheel arch cover

You know you are right... I doubt I will get anywhere with them, but who knows. I may give it a try on Monday.

Was the person who did the work the owner?-if not you could make a complaint about the competence of the worker.

I thought Car Audi Centre was a chain of stores ? No it was certainly not the owner.

can't begin to count the number of bad stories I've heard about Car Audio Centre.
Whatever you do don't let them sell you any of that inphase sh*t. You'd be better of setting your money alight (literally it's that bad)
As for the installation issue, it is clearly of sub standard regardless of abs issues and so you want to be contacting their head office or better still your local CAB maybe?

They have indeed been trying to sell me an in-phase unit.

When I asked them (another day about 2 weeks ago) what they do with the ballast, I was reassured they would put it in the headlight. That is why I am angry, its not as if I decided its not a good job.
Also, the price back then was 45 pounds. Of course that later changed and became 45 pounds per hour.
The guy who did the installation didn't know what he was doing. He trying connecting them and they wouldn't turn on.
He came into the shop where I was waiting to tell me they aren't working, when I went back I saw that he had reversed the wire polarity. Needless to say I doubt he is qualified for such a job.

No idea how they could have affected the abs setting, as the sensor is too far from the headlights.
Personally i would get a new rear headlight case and fix this myself now.

He (the bloke who did the installation) left the key on, lights on, and started fiddling around with the wires using wrong polarities. Maybe that could create problems?

I can't make up my mind, on one side they did a horrible job although they claimed they would do a proper one, on the other side, I would not trust this man anywhere near my car again.

 

[rgray99c]

i got mine from same place, got the slim ones specifically for the bmw can system. Installed everything inside the lights so was able to seal them off. The entire process took about 35 mins, including taking nuts out of the bumper (cos me being a fool thought i would have to take the front bumper off)

 

[NeilP]

Echo what others have said....

No idea how they could have affected the abs setting, as the sensor is too far from the headlights.

Personally i would get a new rear headlight case and fix this myself now.

The ballasts should be fine with water... But i would still fit it all inside the headlight and seat them properly.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

Aftermarket HID ballasts are of a different quality to the OEM kits.

It has been widely documented that the early Audi A3 (8p) models are incredibly sensitive to aftermarket kits and will often cause an electrical spike blowing the front windscreen wiper motor.

So whilst there might not be any direct result, the fact the kit has been installed (and by the sounds of it, incredibly poorly) could be the result of such error lights.

CAC is a chain store with their sole goal to push inpahse products (as they own the brand)

Vortex, have you gone back since to speak to them re the issues?

 

[vortex]

i got mine from same place, got the slim ones specifically for the bmw can system. Installed everything inside the lights so was able to seal them off. The entire process took about 35 mins, including taking nuts out of the bumper (cos me being a fool thought i would have to take the front bumper off)

Thank you for telling me this, I really appreciate it.

Aftermarket HID ballasts are of a different quality to the OEM kits.

It has been widely documented that the early Audi A3 (8p) models are incredibly sensitive to aftermarket kits and will often cause an electrical spike blowing the front windscreen wiper motor.

So whilst there might not be any direct result, the fact the kit has been installed (and by the sounds of it, incredibly poorly) could be the result of such error lights.

CAC is a chain store with their sole goal to push inpahse products (as they own the brand)

Vortex, have you gone back since to speak to them re the issues?

I went back today. Spoke to one of the guys at the shop, and complained about them not installing the hid kit in the headlight unit.
He told me that is what they normally do, and acted quite surprised.

Then I spoke to the bloke who did the installation, who claimed that my hid kit won't fit in there.
I have seen videos of the oem ballast in the headlight unit on youtube, and it appears bigger than the aftermarket that I've bought.
I believe he is just lying because he couldn't be bothered to do it properly, and the he on purpose did it so slow in order for me to get charged extra.

I made an appointment on Thursday, and he is going to try to install it in the headlight unit and glue it on the cover.
If they fail to do so, I will ask for a refund, seeing as I was told that this is what they would do and not just some poor installation on the wheel arch.

 

[NeilP]

I hope they're not charging for the work to be done on thursday.

 

[vortex]

No they are not!