Motoring Discussion > Strange question on remote working Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Bobby Replies: 17

 Strange question on remote working - Bobby
Work colleague has a Corsa.

For no apparent reason, her remote control has stopped working when she parks outside her house. However if she moves it further down the street it works fine.

Told her son who ridiculed her, came over in his Astra and the exact same thing happened.

Worked fine up to a few days ago.

Any suggestions?
 Strange question on remote working - Bromptonaut
Is the 'remote' a plip key or something more sophisticated?
 Strange question on remote working - sherlock47
I think I would be looking for a local wireless transmitter of some kind. Even something as low power as a wifi router or Access Point. Difficult to make other suggestions without knowing the layout buildings etc
 Strange question on remote working - smokie
Have they (or, I suppose , their neighbours, if close enough) got any home automation type remote stuff, or anything else possibly running on the 433 MHz frequency? I think even stuff like wireless doorbells would qualify but wireless repeaters are probably more likely to be the cause.

If so try turning it off and see if the problem goes away. That's same frequency as some Vx remotes (and probably others) and some devices can spray over all channels, causing unwanted interference.

EDIT: Sherlock's response wasn't there when I started typing, I must be so slow!!! :-)
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 10 Jun 21 at 09:17
 Strange question on remote working - Bobby
Not sure of the technical of the remote but I had already asked her all about the Wireless type stuff. No changes to her house at all apart from some concrete step repairs!

I am going to ask the layout in relation to neighbouring houses.

I remember a friend was convinced she had a ghost or something majorly wrong with her boiler as it kept coming on by itself at strange times. Turned out her neighbour had their boiler transmitter on the exact same frequency!
 Strange question on remote working - smokie
Trouble is, there often isn't much you can do about it with many devices. You're stuck with 433 MHz by law so it's a matter of whether they a good at respecting channels. Some devices (e.g. my VM router) allow you to choose the channel.
 Strange question on remote working - Manatee
Has a new alarm sounder appeared on any neighbouring house? I believe the Yale uses 433MHz for its wireless system.
 Strange question on remote working - Lygonos
Mobile phone mast 'node'.

Had the same issue with my old 2000 Forester - plipper and ignition didn't work in a specific area - push car 20 feet and all was well again.
 Strange question on remote working - Bromptonaut
I keep seeing the title to this thread and thinking it's about an issue with working from home.
 Strange question on remote working - Bobby
Brompt, ditto and I wrote it!
 Strange question on remote working - James T
She could try pressing the remote up under her chin. This used to work at the local railway station.

It turns the body into an aerial and boosts the signal very slightly.
 Strange question on remote working - bathtub tom
The old 'wireless interference' is now dealt with by OFCOM. They should be able to help, but I suspect they'd be as useful as a chocolate teapot.
 Strange question on remote working - Kevin
I stand on one leg and hop backwards around the car three times while singing "On the Road Again". So far, the remote has never failed on me.

Touch wood, crosses fingers.
 Strange question on remote working - tyrednemotional
>> So far, the remote has never failed on me.
>>
...only because you now no longer have any neighbours to provide sources of EMI.....
 Strange question on remote working - Zero
>> I stand on one leg and hop backwards around the car three times while singing
>> "On the Road Again".

Jeez I thought it was the Basingstoke town drunk......
 Strange question on remote working - Kevin
>Jeez I thought it was the Basingstoke town drunk......

Nah, he sings the B-side to Fleetwood Mac's Man of the World.
 Strange question on remote working - Zero
>> >Jeez I thought it was the Basingstoke town drunk......
>>
>> Nah, he sings the B-side to Fleetwood Mac's Man of the World.

I know the Basingstoke National Choir did Tusk for them, they struggled a bit being so complex.
 Strange question on remote working - Zero
>> She could try pressing the remote up under her chin. This used to work at
>> the local railway station.
>>
>> It turns the body into an aerial and boosts the signal very slightly.

Under the chin, or against the temple - open mouth in direction of car while doing it - acts as a dish or drum antenna - seriously it works.
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