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Starting last week my car won't remotely lock or unlock at home on the drive, but when it isn't at home it is fine. At first I thought it was the battery but it isn't temperamental, it never worked at home and always works elsewhere. I hasn't changed the battery because of this. My wife car which is also on the drive is fine.
What could this be?
Sounds like it's being an awkward little prick. Get rid.
Something to do with magnets.
Move house
A work mate had the same issue with his Golf. Turned out to be a blown fuse for the central locking. He was changing interior bulbs and they shared the fuse with the central locking system. Best of luck!
EDIT: just read the original post properly...it has been a long day.
It's interference from nearby electrical equipment. Portable phones, alarms, electrical garage doors etc can all cause it.
My wife car which is also on the drive is fine.
I think the clue lies there - it clearly resents the presence of your wife's car.
I've read about this before, but unfortunately can't remember the details 😳 Something to do with locally generated radio signals interfering with remote central locking.
Allsorts can cause it. Wireless doorbells, wireless alarms. Stuff that relies on radio frequencies.
Do you live on a layline?
I hasn't changed the battery because of this
are you a wurzel ?
How far are you from the nearest electrical sub station ??
Allsorts can cause it.
Indeed. Be sure to remove the liquorice from the glove compartment.
fervouredimage - Member
Sounds like it's being an awkward little prick. Get rid.
No new car for me until next summer unfortunately.
It had crossed my mind that some sort of jammer had been placed locally but as my wife's is fine I don't know how likely that it's. Although my wife car is 5 years newer so the technology might have changed.
My old sigma alarm was a nightmare anywhere near a tetra transmitter.
It'll be interference from another source, wifi, electrical or dodgy satellite receiver.
I don't think I live on a layline.
I'm not a wurzel.
The nearest sub station is about 300 metres away.
There are only tangfastics in the glovebox.
It's not a combine harvester is it m8?
My MIL's car does this outside our house. If I turn off my wi fi router, all is fine. Took a while to discover.....
There are only tangfastics in the glovebox.
Might want to check the BBC news website regarding Tangfastics and car electrical systems.
The nearest sub station is about 300 metres away.
Are you sure ?
Can you post a scale plan view as proof !
micky - it can't be cos it's not brand new
Not picked up a rare furry new pet and fed it after midnight. 😀
micky - it can't be cos it's not brand new
Ahh didnt think of that.
"Cos I've got a brand new combine harvester and I'll give u the key" i thought the person he gave the key to might be unlocking it.
Have you tried threatening it with a hammer?
I'd guess the receiver in your car's central locking thing is being jammed by a local source. Your wife's car probably has better RF filtering on the receiver and is better protected. You don't live near an Airport or local radar station eg Menwith Hill?
Any of your neighbours recently changed broadband provider and got a new wireless hub? Or some other new toy that works over wireless? As above, most likely interference from something and since it only started last week it's unlikely to be something like a sub station.
Its yer wife sitting in the kitchen with the other remote. .
You bet my words. .
She's laughing at you, right now as it happens. ..
It's the gubbermint getting to you through your car, you clearly need to give the car a tin-foil hat - start by covering the roof, you may need to go the whole hog though:
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Could be a Satellite LNB, they are known to go awry and start putting out their LO. If anyone remembers Ionica, they had dedicated teams swapping out faulty satellite LNBs as they jammed their base stations.
I hasn't changed the battery because of this
change the battery anyway - the battery may just be depleted enough not to overcome interference when you're at home but it but still have enough oomph to work elsewhere.
A few years back I had problems with a cordless speedo not working in the garage. It turned out to be interference from the cordless phone in the house.
Maybe something similar?
Do you live on an Indian Burial Ground?
Approaching the car from a different angle when its at home compared to when you're away from home?
The one time my Toyota Verso did this was in the middle of Manchester city centre. It wouldn't start the engine because the immobiliser was still armed.
The guy who came out to try and fix it said he has it all the time and he thinks it is something to do with the cctv cameras.
I was slightly sceptical, but he towed me about 200 metres away and the car started fine.
So yes, something to do with interference.
Any of your neighbours got a new job, a new works van parked close by?
A guy i used to work with had trouble opening his Mondeo when the-next-but-one neighbour parked his van on his own drive. A little further up the road was fine. On a couple of occasions he had to ask him to move so he could open it!
All to do with the equipment he was carrying they thought.
Its not a combine its an 07 Ford Focus.
I have walked around the car panning the button.
The only thing that has changed locally that I know about is the people opposite opposite have had their drive done and are parking their Focus of the same sort of age on the road. Their car isn't opening when I get to open mine.
Spare keys aren't kept at ours so can't be the wife.
No CCTV in the area, I live in the suberbs of north Birmingham, no need for CCTV around here.
No Indian burial ground, the local park was used as a POW camp during WW1 tho.
I can't imagine covering the car in tin foil will help much.
I will threaten it with a hammer and if that doesn't work I will replace the battery in the key.