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01-08-2004, 09:26 AM | #1 |
Scooby Newbie
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Will my cellphone set off my airbag? - Real question
When you’re done laughing…..
When ever I set my cell phone below the cigarette lighter it will trigger a relay somewhere on the left side of the driver. When ever I’m receiving a call this relay will trip. Nothing changes in the car, no lights or shudders or any noticeable change, but you can hear the relay. I have not been able to find what relay. But I’m 99% sure it is caused by my phone, because it will correspond to every call I receive. I think that the airbag controller is located under that "pocket". As I’m sure most of you know your cell phone, when it’s on, will periodically send a signal to the network to “register” itself. I have a Nokia 3360 and I’m on ATT’s network here in Dallas. This is what I think is tripping the relay in addition to the calls. My electrical mods are: Indiglo gauge overlays, gauge pod w/ autometer gauges, and aftermarket amps. The power for the gauges and overlays is run off the dimmed power from the factory boost gauge located at the top of the radio. The amps are powered directly from the battery. |
01-08-2004, 11:42 AM | #2 |
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Is your phone wired to your car with a hands free kit?
If not most likely it's not your phone causing the problem. Relays respond the electrical current not radio signals or cell phone signals |
01-08-2004, 11:58 AM | #3 |
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no
No, the cell phone is not connected to the car in any way (not even a charger)
Like I said - the relay sound (the clicking on/off) only happens when the cell phone is sitting under the lighter - in front of the shifter. Anyone else heard anything like this? Does your cell phone sit there with no reactions? |
01-08-2004, 12:12 PM | #4 |
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I've placed my cellphone there without problem. It is a Sprint enabled Samsung A460.
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01-08-2004, 12:16 PM | #5 |
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I haven't noticed anything in my car ever, but if my cell phone is sitting near this one clock at home and someone calls, the clock starts whirring in an electrical-circuity-sounding way a full second before the phone even starts to ring. Also, periodically, when the phone is sending out its little "hi, I'm still here" signals I'll hear the clock clicking inside. Kinda weird. I bet if it was a problem, your airbags would have already deployed (how's that for a non-reassuring or informed answer?)
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01-08-2004, 12:17 PM | #6 |
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when my nextel is near a speaker, the speaker will actually make clicking sounds from the interference. Maybe this is a similar situation?
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01-08-2004, 03:51 PM | #7 |
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Could it be that the radio signal from the phone is triggering a keyless entry or some such? I know it's very unlikely.
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01-08-2004, 07:24 PM | #8 |
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My cell makes my computer speakers buzz a second or two before it rings if I set my phone on my computer desk...
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01-08-2004, 07:38 PM | #9 |
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the RF that your cellphone puts out can very easily cause a current to develop in things like relays and speakers.
haha - you're probably flashing your highbeams at people without knowing it. If I sit next to the subwoofer in my home theater with my cellphone on, the sub goes nuts. |
01-08-2004, 10:41 PM | #10 |
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My cell phone won't cause a relay to act or anything.....but it does set off my Warn and eventually set my alarm off.....when I place it below the cigarette lighter area while its on.....
I have a Sprint Samsung a500 and a proximity sensor for my alarm...... |
01-08-2004, 10:54 PM | #11 |
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Wiredawg's situation is what I had in mind. To get to the bottom of this, one would need to know which relay is involved.
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01-09-2004, 03:37 AM | #12 |
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I ended up clipping my cell to the side of the passengers side sun visor and that seems to be the best place for it, unless it needs to charge...then I stretch the cord back past the armrest and let it hang in the rear seat footwell.
Works for me. Putting your cell phone elsewhere will dramatically lesen the possibility of triggering your SRS system. Last edited by Uncle Scotty; 01-09-2004 at 04:07 AM. |
01-09-2004, 04:01 AM | #13 |
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YES! ............. ice cream does melt fast................oh, what was the question again?
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01-09-2004, 05:58 AM | #14 |
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Yeah, I've had this problem sorta.
In every single speaker I've ever owned, including my car, I've had the whirring noise. It's actually kinda cool, I can answer the call before it rings and freak people out since I have about a 2 second head start. I don't think there is anything at all to worry about. |
01-09-2004, 06:27 AM | #15 |
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Nobody ever calls me
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01-09-2004, 06:39 AM | #16 |
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i would put my phone somewhere farther than the Airbag computer ... just to make sure...
i know for a fact that cell-phones do cause tiny electrical currents around them when receiving or sending a signal... cell phones have been know to ignite gasoline (or their fumes) while pumping gas at a gas station. that alone makes for a good reason to put it somewhere else ... the glove box is a good option (allthough its pretty close to an airbag also (but not the computer itself, so its probably better)... under the armrest would be another solution ... ... now ... just imagine what they are doing to your brain .... |
01-09-2004, 08:12 AM | #17 | |
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Quote:
In response to the original question, if it reassures you, EMI testing (electromagnetic interference) is a regular part of vehicle development. Every vehicle gets put through a barrage of testing whereby various parts of the car are turned off, on, and in various combinations, and the electrical system is loaded up and the vehicle is bombarded with various electromagnetic crap. I've seen such tests, but I am not at all familiar with the details. Suffice to say that I have seen these tests come up with interference problems that go back to engineering to fix. I've seen some really drastic/expensive hardware measures to deal with bad EMI test results. Safety systems (air bags, ABS, throttle-by-wire) always get the extra special treatment at these tests. I would find it difficult to believe that they do not test for phones. I mean, they even test to see if AM reception is being compromised by electromagnetic emmissions from the car - that's the kind of detail they go into. Last edited by Orson; 01-09-2004 at 08:19 AM. |
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01-09-2004, 10:14 AM | #18 |
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Cell phones can definately produce small currents in nearby electronics. Energy changes mediums all the time...that's a little gas can push a big car really fast. But it wouldn't be able to without it's force being increase by the transmission. Well, I'm betting most relays on cars are 12v, and a cell isn't going to generate 12v into a nearby circuit. The reason you can hear it in speakers and such is because they're amplified. So unless the relay for you're SRS is amplified, it's not going to do much. Whatever relay it is triggering probably has some amplification in the circuit...so I have no idea what it could be, really.
Uhhh, move your cell phone a few inches further away, that should do it. Try it with a speaker, see how far you can get before it stops making noise. It disappears pretty quickly. |
01-09-2004, 10:34 AM | #19 | |
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Quote:
Nope sorry, just an urban myth. Watch Myth Busters on TLC, they tried it and proved its not possible. Static electricity will possibly do it, but not a cell phone. |
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01-09-2004, 04:13 PM | #20 |
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If my cell phone is laying next to my DVD player remote, a good 1 second before my phone rings the remote locator beeper goes off.
Kinda wierd. |
05-30-2008, 07:50 PM | #21 |
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when my phone is about to ring, i get a massive erection. kinda wierd, too. comes in handy sometimes, usually not though.
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05-30-2008, 09:29 PM | #22 |
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While 600 milliwatts is the maximum RF signal the phone can put out it shouldn't cause a problem with the SRS system. By placing the phone near sensitive low level inputs can cause certain things to happen I wouldn't worry about the airbags.
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05-30-2008, 11:44 PM | #23 |
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There was no need to bump this 4-year-old thread just to make OT comments.
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