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The X(M) Files: Alien influence


DSdriver

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On the A12 southbound between Ipswich and Colchester. On two separate journeys the XM engine has suddenly died for about two seconds, scaring the shit out of me, before normal service was resumed for the rest of the journey.

Could this be due to external electronic interference of some sort?

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I don't know if this is associated with it, but EVERY time I drove through the tunnel into Heathrow airport the rev counter of every car I've driven would spin round to about 7,000 revs just at the point I left the tunnel. At the time the main airport radar tower was just next to the road there but it has recently been dismantled. Now my rev counter no longer goes wild....

 

As there are some "strange" B.T. research buildings around there it's possible there's a link...

 

Just a thought.....

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Could very well be a strong local interference. The cruise control on my dads last c4 always cut out at the same place nr frankley services. My c5 also turned off completely a couple of times at the same place, but it was possessed by then and really needed burning like in the wicker man.

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Guest Breadvan72

1997 Fiat Coupe.  Lights absolutely could not come on unless key in ignition.   Day of father in law's death, Halloween 2000.  I kid you not!  Car on drive at mother in law's house, key in my pocket.  All lights came on, stayed on for several seconds, went out.  Ghosties!

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I think I'd suspect French wiring before aliens but anything's possible!

Mind you, when my neighbour fitted a cordless doorbell, it sent my dearly* departed P38a Range Rover into such a spaz, it would flatten its battery overnight.

On one occasion, a visit from Ocado, a double glazing salesman and the old man peddling Watchtower magazine tipped it over the edge and it wouldn't even let me unlock it the next morning.  Hopeless.   

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That's interesting. The speedo on my XM tends to drop to nothing at around the same place on the A55. I always assumed that it happened once the engine got to a certain temperature as it warmed up as I'd be around the same distance from home each time, but maybe there is an external factor.

 

More likely to be shonky French wiring, though.... :-D

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So me, Beko1987 and eifion have all encountered similar force fields in our XMs. Mine hasn't done it anywhere else or on the northbound carriageway. Not even sure if it happened at exactly the same place as the first time it was dark and raining. I will pay more attention next time.

Then I'll get Scully and Mulder on the case.

 

Edited to add: Andrew, a good point but the other side of the Orwell to the BT reseach station

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A radar sweep will do it - the RF levels close to the antenna are remarkably high. Everything - cars, appliances, phones, PCs etc are supposed to be immune from radio freq interference (RFI) but are often found lacking close to a source like a scanning radar. All unscreened or badly screened wire will act like an aerial and pick up the RF.

 

If it proves to be a regular thing at a specific point, it would be worth trying to screen the ECU initially then check the screen/grounding on relevent parts of the loom. Believe it or not - ordinary cooking/ali foil works well, I've screened magneto generated RF in this way.

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I always used to think it was the auto box in mine, as the lights wouldnt go off (or if they did it was bloody quick), it would just be jolt - coasting with no revs JOLT everything fine, carry on... Saying that it's probably a good job the electrics stayed on as I'd have to smash the pin code in whilst coasting with no brakes or power at speed...

 

Happened once coming down the m1 at 11.30pm coming home in L3 (this was the night I realised it was as economical to be a dick in L3 than pootle along in L1), and again another time, cant remember where.

 

I remember when we moved house, and I might have been a tad overloaded, driving briskly up a hill I experienced what felt like clutch slip, then all was well.

 

May be related, but if I was using my phone with the tape to aux thing I had, it would pick up interferance like a bastard. Talking proper, LOUD even with the volume right down. If it changed signal strength/cell tower it was constant, I knew I was getting a text or call as it would buzz in a certain tune/eway then my phone would ring. Was fine in airoplane mode though, or using my dumb mp3 player. I tried a ferrite ring around the aux lead, around the power wire at the back of the radio, around all the wires coming out of the radio, nothing. Seemed like the whole wiring loom wasn't sheilded.

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I'm starting to feel glad that the only gremlin on mine is the remote central locking - which sometimes leaves me frantically stabbing the button and swearing at the car. It just ignores the blipper, until suddenly it doesn't.

 

Just wait until the boot lock starts getting stroppy and you need to open and close the car repeatedly with the remote until you finally hear the reassuring click from the back that tells you all's well.

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Oh that hasn't worked since I got the car. It unlocks, but doesn't lock. Which is annoying, as I have to remember to manually lock it.

 

However, it was my salvation when the car randomly locked itself at some motorway services, with the key and my mobile inside. Able to get in through the boot. Phew! It hasn't done the random locking thing for a while. Happens in bursts.

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Our doorbell and 2 doors ups doorbell are the same cheap wireless asda one, and set each other off.

Please

There was some hilarity* for a few weeks till I twigged and took the battery out of ours!

Mrs fp's mum has a wireless doorbell and pressing the open button on the key of her corsa c sets it off
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...If it proves to be a regular thing at a specific point, it would be worth trying to screen the ECU initially then check the screen/grounding on relevent parts of the loom. Believe it or not - ordinary cooking/ali foil works well, I've screened magneto generated RF in this way.

Is introducing tinfoil under the bonnet of an XM a wise thing to do, what with all their electrical and electronic vagaries?

As I only go that way a couple of times a year so my considered shite options are:

A. Use a different car

B. If I know its going to happen there, ignore it

C. Wrap my undercrackers in tin foil.

 

Entering Portsmouth harbour by boat a few years ago we passed a warship that was outward bound. Our radar screen lost all its plots and a big spiral grew out of the centre of the screen (the point where we were). Not sure if that was radar interference, radar jamming or weapons lock on.

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Is introducing tinfoil under the bonnet of an XM a wise thing to do, what with all their electrical and electronic vagaries?

As I only go that way a couple of times a year so my considered shite options are:

A. Use a different car

B. If I know its going to happen there, ignore it

C. Wrap my undercrackers in tin foil.

 

Entering Portsmouth harbour by boat a few years ago we passed a warship that was outward bound. Our radar screen lost all its plots and a big spiral grew out of the centre of the screen (the point where we were). Not sure if that was radar interference, radar jamming or weapons lock on.

 

Nothing wrong with it, that's what screening is essentially. Not sure about option C but whatever turns you on!

 

On ther boat - that'll be the ships radar blotting out your return I reckon (hope it wasn't weapons lock, if it was a US warship - you'd be fucked by now!).

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