14 replies to this topic

[Birdie!]

right has any one ever had problems about people in there street complaning about there car messing up there tv??? i cant see it my self but he is thretening to call some people or something just want to seee if any one elce has had this problem!! he recons its my dizzy but i dont have an old one i have an eletrical one any one think he just has to much time on his hands???

thanks
birdie

[miRon]

tell him to get a life...

[Purple Tom]

It is possible with some vehicles. We used to have a Scammell Constructor, petrol, fitted with a magneto. Whenever we drove it down our road it would mess up people's digital TV signal, something to do with the magnetic field generated by the magneto.

However I've never heard of it on a Mini fitted with electronic ignition, although it could be a fault elsewhere on your car, possibly the alternator? It might be better if someone like Dan sees this as he's very good with electronics and things, so I've edited the title to something more appropriate and moved this to the technical section.

[benb12]

I have to say that when we had Freeview, because we live in a weak signal area, certain cars that went past did mess up the TV signal and it gets INCREDIBLY frustrating. So we got Sky this week and all problems are solved.

Interestingly, the cars that did it most were TVRs and mopeds.

[dklawson]

There are two areas that can cause radio and TV interference. The most common source of "noise" is the ignition system.

Look at the spark plugs and the plug wires you are using with them. There are resistor-plugs and resistor spark plug wires. You are supposed to use resistor-plugs when you use solid-core spark plug wires. The other method is to use resistance type spark plug wires when you use regular plugs. If you use regular plugs with solid-core wires you will generate a lot of noise. If you use resistor-plugs with resistor-wires, you get a weak spark.

The second source of noise can be the alternator. This isn't generally a problem today, but in the old days alternators could admit electrical noise that radios and TVs could pick up as a whine that changed pitch with engine speed.

The spark problems "broadcast" further than alternator noise. However, in both cases I've only seen this problem when a car was within 50 feet of a receiver.

Tell the guy down the street to call the authorities and let them check out your car. If your car is more or less standard and the noise isn't being created maliciously I suspect all they could do is tell you where the noise is coming from and ask you to address it. I think the only valid complaint he could have is if you are intentionally driving your car back and forth in front of his house during his favorite TV program.

[insamoufonyx]

agreed with DKlawson - He can call who ever he wants but he hasnt got a case unless your doing it deliberately

and on the plus side if it turns out to not be your mini then he will look like a right pillok !

[mike49]

i would just park outside and keep it running whenever it looks like he's watching something... haha.
but really though, you can't get done for it, only really asked to look at it, thats even IF your car is causing interference.

[Dan]

agreed with DKlawson - He can call who ever he wants but he hasnt got a case unless your doing it deliberately

Actually in this country it is the law that you may not cause OR ALLOW TO BE CAUSED RF interference from high voltage ignition systems under both the Construction and Use (Motor Vehicles) regulations and the EU conformity regulations on EM interference. Remember DK is in the USA. Over here saying 'I didn't mean it' isn't a valid excuse. In the same way that if luggage or something falls off your car you have broken the law nomatter how well you tied it on and nomatter what happened to knock it off.

Your car must be fitted with a supressor and if you have been told that your car is causing interference and ignored it then you are liable to prosecution. Although it is very unlikely that anyone will take it that far, it would be very very easy to prove.

As said it could be the ignition, or the alternator or the wiper motor. It could be anything where sparks may exist. All these items can and should have suppressors fitted. Electronic ignition still has sparks inside the dizzy, at both ends of the rotor arm.

[dklawson]

The same types of laws apply here Dan. However, I can't imagine that your laws would be so different that a government agency would prosecute for an electrically noisy car unless there was willful and intentional abuse.

I suppose a politically correct way to handle this would be to go to the upset person and explain you'd like his help figuring out what is causing the problem. Ask them to turn on the TV to whatever your car interferes with and have them watch while you start the car in close proximity. You could start the car and rev the engine to see if the interference changes with engine speed. You could disconnect the alternator and start the engine to see if the problem is associated with the alternator. You could try fitting new resistor spark plugs to see if the problem goes away. Involving the offended person may smooth this over if they see you are making a valid effort to diagnose the situation.

Edited by dklawson, 05 July 2008 - 10:32 PM.

[jimmymcgregor]

it might be that you need to swap your possitive and negitive feeds on your coil, and you might be running on copper hd leads with out supresser caps

mabey ?

[Dan]

Well no, nobody is going to be hunting you down for this but the point I was making is that if a complaint is made against you it can be followed up.

I think DK is right, you have to involve the guy and let him know you are doing something about this because your car clearly is causing a problem for him. You wouldn't enjoy it much if you were the one suffering from it. It's easy enough to fix.

[Ethel]

Knock on his door and ask if minds videoing Corrie for you while you drive round the block, as you think you've got a bit of a misfire 'n need a hand diagnosing it

[Its a mini thing]

my friend at work says there freeview goes funny we i go past, and my brother in his Asbo yellow punto

[liirge]

GTM rossa's cause this trouble, and there mini based.

[Neilos]

just cut his tv aerial.

personally i cant see you being prosecuted or anything for it. If everything on your car is legal, then dont worry about it.