Monday, July 12, 2021

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   Someone I'm acquainted with recently sent this tip to a few news stations.  It's included here with permission:

Vehicles with inadequate grounding and high frequency current

There are auto repair businesses in the St. Louis area who are not repairing vehicles correctly and then billing with invoices that make it difficult to understand what was done.  In some instances, a vehicle is returned to the customer with an issue that requires unnecessary repairs down the road.  One issue I've encountered involves a vehicle that no longer is adequately grounded and experiences excess high frequency current in the electrical system.  It can lead to other parts failing sooner than they would otherwise but there's 2 little known effects people should be aware of:

  1. Multiple radio signals can be emitted from different points on the vehicle. High frequency current is normally used to power radio antennas which is why this happens to the vehicle but it can cause interference with other wireless technologies.
  2. If two vehicles with this issue pass each other on the highway the combined effect from both can affect either driver's muscles.  Movement needed just to keep a vehicle centered in the lane requires more effort away from the direction of the other vehicle otherwise it will drift with even a little curve in the road.

It's similar to why someone being electrocuted by high voltage shouldn't be touched directly when freeing them.  If that happens the rescuer's muscles can clench up on contact too and both die.

My vehicle is one that had this issue but you don't need to take my word on that.

It's very simple to check any vehicle for the problem as long as it has a working AM radio.

What gives it away is static interferences on each AM station and what should be quiet gaps between stations:

  • If the static is loud enough to interfere with listening no matter the channel, it's a strong indication.
  • If any channels also have a whining sound audible that rises in pitch when the vehicle accelerates, that's another indication.
  • If the static jumps in volume when the vehicle is driven under a metal bridge, or passes a semi with a metal trailer, or when going under high voltage power lines, then it definitely has the issue.

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