Has anyone experienced cell phone interference in their cars? MC

 

What does it sounds like? Is an adapter plugged in when you have the problem?

 

No adapter... just using the phone in the car. Sounds like EFI (static/clicky sounding)... like maybe associated with engine?

 

If the clicking speeds up and slows down with the engine RPMs, it is probably engine related, otherwise, it probably is not the car.

If it is engine/RPM related, first thing to look for is a loose spark plug.

 

+1

.......and/or faulty on-plug ignition coil.

 

Thanks again guys. I will look into it this weekend. Makes sense. But, car runs great and doesn't seem to have any spark miss.... BTW, I ordered a set of keys from the dealer today. HOLY S!!!! Ouch. You play you pay. MC

 

Nextel and Boost Mobile phones can cause interference with stereos, landline phones, and lots of other stuff. Back when I had a Nextel I always knew when my phone was about to ring because I would hear about a second of clicking through the car speakers before the phone actually rang. And when talking on the phone I had to turn the radio completely off or the speakers would make a continual buzzing/clicking noise.

 

It's verizon and the other way around. The cell conversation is being degraded by the car! I picked up some new spark plugs today. If I have to tear into it to look at things, I may as well change them out. At 61K miles now.

 

Be sure to use anti-sieze compund due to aluminum heads.

 

I got it! I have aluminum heads on my LT1 powered '36 and on my motorcycle....

 

I know this may sound a bit uninformed and/improbable, but my son and I both have iphones and have experienced the interference you speak of. It's a clicking sound - and it seems like it only happens in the passenger seat of our 2003 XKR coupe. The interference did not happen in our 2001 XJR. My son believes it is somehow caused by the transducers used to determine if someone is present and positioned safely to allow the airbags to be armed. He (who has young ears) says he can hear the transducers clicking without his phone in use and swears it's the same clicking and timing of clicks that he hears as interference on his iphone.

Just a thought.... I can't hear those transducers making a single audible sound! But, if they are ultrasonic devices then there is the possibility that his sensitive ears actually are detecting a signal coming from them. But as an electrical engineer myself, I cant think how "ultrasonic" waves in the range that a human has any conceivable possibility of sensing could cause interference with a cell phone operating at 850 and 1900 mhz.

Mystery for sure.

 

Hey! That is a definite MAYBE. Did some testing but inconclusive. It is definitely a staticy "clicking" sound. Unfortunately, the car has an audible clicking sound like maybe from around the Driver's side wing-- it sounds like a relay or maybe a fuel injector-- but I can't find it! When inside, my phone is clear. Only my wife's Verizon LG picks up the noise. We did some experiments trying to cover the 3 ultra-sonic senders with our hands while talking, etc. It SEEMS like maybe the noise does quiet but it is hard to tell because there is a time delay when talking on the phones... freaky to try to do, and a freaky problem. I'm thinking maybe her microphone is picking up the sub-audible sound of the ultra sonic signals that our ears don't hear. MC

 

And, it is not a steady click... it is like bursts of fast clicks.... in patterns.

 

That is probably the fuel vapor purge valve, which sits in the fender between the door hinge and the wheel well on the driver's side (US).

 

Would that soliniod click quickly like an injector? And it isn't always on?

 

It is pulse width modulated like an injector, but it is not synchronized to the engine like an injector is. It is audible, some have said louder in cold weather. Could it be an cell phone interference source?...Maybe, but that is just conjecture.

 

Maybe... I will work on it some more this weekend. Maybe I can determine. Thanks!

 

Another vote for the utrasonic occupancy sensors:
Jaguar Forum.co.uk • View topic - iphone interferance

 

I have the sam eproblwem with my Verizon phone. It is ignition noise, probably just something not shielded well. It sounds just like the noise in the radio of my 63 Type in 1964.

 

Even though many people can't hear sounds above 18-20 kHz a decent electret condenser microphone can turn sounds in that "ultrasonic" range into an electrical signal.

Every cellphone is equipped with an electret mic, and IF the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic signal is high enough, it could certainly cause the microphone to produce enough output to overload or "swamp" the microphone pre-amp in the audio circuit of the cellphone. This swamping of the preamp may be manifesting itself as the "clicking" we're hearing.

Hmmmmmm, Veddy Interestink

Perhaps cellphones ought to incorporate a high frequency roll-off in addition to the low-cut that they all have (to prevent handling and wind noise.)