EMF interference with car electronics?

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qcroanoke said:
They sometimes don't tell you exactly which sensor it is.
it's a crap shoot sometimes.
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You have to know a little about the emission control systems to analyze every code. Anyway, I have two OBD scanners which work on both my Android tablet and cell phone. The cheapest of the two doesn't like to connect every time. The one I paid a bit less than $50 for connects every time. It's in the garage but I am pretty sure it's a BAFX brand. One feature that is cool but I don't use (I spent years working on emission control systems in cars) is that the program I use will ask you if you want to connect to the Internet to download information about the codes that were discovered.
 
qcroanoke said:
They sometimes don't tell you exactly which sensor it is.
it's a crap shoot sometimes.
Click to expand...
Here is a list of codes. Note how many don't specify which sensor. The code will tell you a condition. It's up to the tech to be able to know which sensors to look at (output wise) to make a determination. Also, people forget that OBD is for emission control. It will not detect mechanical failures. There is no 'blown head gasket' code, for instance.

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Free OBD2 Codes List - Contains Fixes for OBDII Codes

Looking for a free OBD2 codes list? Find out what is wrong with your vehicle and how to fix it with our list of OBDII trouble codes.
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Does he by chance happen to have blutooth headphones? Does he keep his keys and the headphone charging case in the same pocket or cupholder? My keys wont work if my headphone case (with headphones in it) is touching the keyfob.
 
“Keyless” or push button start cars have an anti-theft feature, if too many signals in the same band as the key transponder are bouncing around- the car senses it as a “spammer” trying to hack the transponder signal. It then stops the car from starting.

It is usually an issue on higher end cars like Porsche, but a tow truck driver I know said he has been seeing more and more lower end cars refusing to start as well. Is there by chance a cell tower or radio antenna in the building?
 
qcroanoke said:
My 2008 chevy Trailblazer takes a few extra seconds to start after I fill up with gas. It has something to do with the gas cap being removed I'm sure. Only happens after I fuel up.
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Betcha you top it off, right? I remember something with Ford pickups, if you top it off you can flood out the evaporative emissions canister and for some reason the truck won't start.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
Betcha you top it off, right? I remember something with Ford pickups, if you top it off you can flood out the evaporative emissions canister and for some reason the truck won't start.

-Hal
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It starts, just takes it a few more turns than usual whenever I put gas in it.
99% of the time I fill it up but it is usually around 1/4 tank or less when I do fill it up.
 
Ritchieco said:
“Keyless” or push button start cars have an anti-theft feature, if too many signals in the same band as the key transponder are bouncing around- the car senses it as a “spammer” trying to hack the transponder signal. It then stops the car from starting.

It is usually an issue on higher end cars like Porsche, but a tow truck driver I know said he has been seeing more and more lower end cars refusing to start as well. Is there by chance a cell tower or radio antenna in the building?
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Going from memory here so the numbers may be a little off. Most keyless systems operate 375-400 MHZ. Cell phone systems are 800 MHZ and up depending on the carrier and band. Those shouldn’t interfere.

If it is a communication issue with the key, most, if not all cars will give a “No key detected” message when you try to start. They don’t just sit there and play dumb!

Fords have a small slot in the center console that’s in close proximity to the car’s receiver. If you have a fob with a weak battery, you put it in that slot so you’re not stranded. I don’t know if the OP’s Honda has a similar feature?
 
qcroanoke said:
They sometimes don't tell you exactly which sensor it is.
Click to expand...
Right, they tell you what reading is out of spec, and it is up to the technician to find out why. Just replacing what sensor is giving the bad reading does not mean the sensor is at fault! Those people get the "parts changer" reputation. Like reading the voltage at the output of the motor starter, zero does not mean the starter is bad, problem can be breaker or wiring ahead of it. ;)
 
retirede said:
... A guy who calls himself a Honda “master tech” says a weak battery will cause intermittent longer cranking times. I’m skeptical! ...
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That's plausible. A brain box will sometimes artificially create an anomaly (such as a longer cranking time or an air conditioner refusing to turn on) when it detects a deficiency (such as a weak battery) to urge you to get it serviced and prevent a walk-home condition.

Even more plausible is that it's a function of when it was parked, not where.
If he's leaving his assigned parking spot after the vehicle's been dormant all night, it might be something related to the length of time it's been shut down, such as a leaking check valve that allows the fuel system to depressurize, leading to longer cranking times while the fuel pump refills and repressurizes it.


qcroanoke said:
... I'm not into chasing down a bad sensor when they are a hundred dollars apiece so it shall remain on. It does not seem to affect the performance of the vehicle at all.
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When one sensor fails, the brain box has an alternate algorithm available for estimating the phenomenon the failed sensor was measuring, and the engine continues running. When two sensors fail, you may be walking home.

The performance degradation may not be readily apparent. The engine might be running rich to compensate for a failed oxygen sensor and "perform" just fine, but behind the scenes its diluting the lubricating oil with unburned gasoline and compromising engine life, or clogging a catalytic converter.
 
qcroanoke said:
t starts, just takes it a few more turns than usual whenever I put gas in it.
99% of the time I fill it up but it is usually around 1/4 tank or less when I do fill it up.
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By "topping it off" I'm referring to squeezing more into the tank after the nozzle shuts off. With some vehicles the nozzle will trip off prematurely and you can get more in but some people keep putting more in until it actually overflows. There is a canister that is supposed to hold fuel vapors from the fuel tank as it can no longer vent through a vent hole on the filler cap. When the tank is overfilled liquid gasoline saturates the canister.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
By "topping it off" I'm referring to squeezing more into the tank after the nozzle shuts off. With some vehicles the nozzle will trip off prematurely and you can get more in but some people keep putting more in until it actually overflows. There is a canister that is supposed to hold fuel vapors from the fuel tank as it can no longer vent through a vent hole on the filler cap. When the tank is overfilled liquid gasoline saturates the canister.

-Hal
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I will try that theory out. although I'm about to dump the vehicle.
 
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