Electrical interference complaints ? Surely not..... Supress

[Andy JB]

I was approached in a rather aggressive manner by a 'neighbour' yesterday when pulling my RV8 TIV out of the garage.

He was complaining (for the first time in 4 years!) that he had corrolated disturbance on his TV and freeview box with my car starting and idling etc & he didn't like it.

Now I am not aware that my TIV has any more electrical output or gubbins or supression issues than any of my other fleet - probably less so; it hasn't been electrically modified - so i didn't hold my hand up to the accusation.

So here's the thing - is he correct (my TV appears ok) and if so what is the reason for this unique to TVR interferance and can anything be done about it?

[KillerJim]

Do you have a radar/laser detector on the car? They have been known to generate strange RF signals..

J

[Don1]

I had issues with my freeview box and a scooter that went past.... might be something in it?

Tell him not to be so tight and get Sky...

[stimshady]

or if he's really bothered... he can move.

[Mad Mitch]

Had the same probs with my old 4 ltr......Just started up and gone back to pick up mi coat from in the house when out pops my neighbour complaining about a bad tv picture... I had no radar/speed detector or anything.

[stimshady]

what do these people expect you to do about it? stop driving? sell the car!? if they let you get on with it, you'd be gone by the time they'd reached the front door /rant

[GJR]

There was a similar post about TV interference sometime ago, something to do with resistive spark plug caps. IIRC cars fitted with non-resistive spark plug caps/shrouds can cause RF interference to TV's and the cars own ECU. I can't find that particular thread, but the one below might help.

old topic

[Allandwf]

Must go out and purchase said non resistive caps for mine, that will teach old misery over the road to complain about the noise from the Cerb, and its a quiet one !!!

[Andy JB]

Thanks for replies but i use magnecor leads for past few years without issue and have no radar equipment fitted or similar.

I did tell him to get a better quality TV and mind his own business in a polite way and what did he expect me to do if it was my car - push it down the road & jump start it once it was past his house!

If it is my car surely there must be something non-standard in TVR ignition systems which causes this but appears little we can do ! Strange

[jsr]

My neighbour has mentioned it too, but wasn't complaining as he like the sound. I have magnecor red leads and believe these are the problem. I will go back to standard leads at some point as ive noticed no difference with the magnecor's.

Also, when i fitted the aftermarket leads, the rev counter when MENTAL. The needle bounces around all over the place. I wan standard leads to calm my rev counter down!!

(not bothered about peoples tv's though!!!)

[RussWood]

Is he on digital terrestrial TV, this can be much closer to the threshold than the old analogue system. Impulse noise (ignition) can cause serious degradation - far worse than the speckles on the analogue TV.

It could be a sign that he needs a new aerial or downfeed cable.

Russ

[edward1]

I've experienced this as well, it used to cause interference with analogue TV, minor with sky and completly kill the digital TV signal. At the time I did have red magnecor leads by had since switched to std, recently though after replacing leads and coil it would seem to have stopped causing the interference. since none of the changes were done specifically to remedy this problem I can't say what the cause was or the specific remedy. It could be all coincidence. I must admit that I did wonder how far its effects extended and when sitting in traffic outside a row of terraces how many people had just lost the ability to watch eastenders!