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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / December 2006

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Deliberate blocking of keyless entry, or just accidental effect of something else?

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Nate Nagel - 12 Dec 2006 00:06 GMT
Apparently the keyless entry on Vlad the Impala does not work at my
local Harris Teeter.  The last time I was there, I noticed when exiting
the store that I had to open my door with the key.  I just assumed at
the time that either a) there was a fault in the car's system since it's
 been flaky since new - most annoying symptom is not unlocking all the
doors on the second button press like it's suppose to - or b) batteries
finally going dead in the remote.  Well, it worked when I got home and
has been working since.  Tonight I stopped at the store again on my way
home from work and the remote again did not work when leaving the store.
 It worked again when I got home.  Both times the "lock" command
apparently worked as the doors were locked when I came out of the store,
but they would not unlock without the key.

Is this some kind of active jamming that the store is doing to prevent
people from unlocking other people's cars in the parking lot and
ransacking their stuff?  Or is this just an unintentional side effect of
something else?  It has only ever happened at this one Harris Teeter,
and unfortunately I only have the one car with keyless entry so I can't
say whether it affects any other vehicles.

nate

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Scott Dorsey - 12 Dec 2006 02:00 GMT
>Apparently the keyless entry on Vlad the Impala does not work at my
>local Harris Teeter.  The last time I was there, I noticed when exiting
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>apparently worked as the doors were locked when I came out of the store,
>but they would not unlock without the key.

This, in short, is what happens when you use unlicensed radio spectrum
that is shared by everyone under the sun.  You get interference from
all kinds of other sources.

If it were actually licensed spectrum, you could call the FCC and maybe
they might show up with a spectrum analyzer some day.  But in the unlicensed
ISM bands, it's basically a free-for-all.

>Is this some kind of active jamming that the store is doing to prevent
>people from unlocking other people's cars in the parking lot and
>ransacking their stuff?  Or is this just an unintentional side effect of
>something else?  It has only ever happened at this one Harris Teeter,
>and unfortunately I only have the one car with keyless entry so I can't
>say whether it affects any other vehicles.

It will affect other vehicles, although maybe not all of them.  But unless
you want to try and pick it up on a scanner with a directional antenna and
track the source down, you'll have a hard time interesting anyone.  It is
almost certainly unintentional.
--scott
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"C'est un Nagra.  C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

« Paul » - 12 Dec 2006 02:01 GMT
> Apparently the keyless entry on Vlad the Impala does not work at my
> local Harris Teeter.  The last time I was there, I noticed when exiting
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> nate

Probably pretty unlikely Nate.  Too much liability and violation
of Federal law if they got caught.
More than likely all the electronics there is interfering with your
microwave transmissions.
There is a Radio Shack nearby in which my cell phone absolutely refuses
to work.  All the RF screws a lot of things up.
sdlomi2 - 12 Dec 2006 20:16 GMT
> Apparently the keyless entry on Vlad the Impala does not work at my local
> Harris Teeter.  The last time I was there, I noticed when exiting the
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> nate

   Did you look back to see if your remote either opens or closes HT's
automatic doors?  Bet they are on same frequency!  s
 
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