Forum Discussion

ajriding's avatar
ajriding
Explorer II
May 27, 2019

Unplug All The Charger/Converters

Recently saw a video from a good mechanic.

On the vehicle of newer cars n trucks a lot of things are electronic and even wireless (like the key)vehicle.

Issues can occur. Electronic noise can interfere with the vehicle computer system.

Sometimes it is the little DC plug phone chargers and cheap-o inverters even that can wreak havoc on the electrical system. It is usually the very cheap/low-priced phone charger plugs (in the $1-$5 range), not the high quality $25 ones.

If you have issues, if you cannot start the vehicle, then just unplug all those lil rascals and try again.

Better yet, he concluded, is to use a nice inverter wired directly to the battery and power your devices off that since it can produce clean power. An inverter turns DC power to AC (household) power, but should nowadays have DC USB outlets in it also.

No discussion necessary as this is not an opinion piece, just information to keep in your noggin in case you have vehicle issues and a lot plugged in
  • Bluetooth and Alexa systems are more vulnerable and sensitive. Integration with automotive systems could cause some interesting effects. But I call hogwash even with nuclear EMP effects. A Carrington grade event would have to be to the second power to affect automotive grade electronics. Excepting Bluetooth and Alexa.

    Mercury vapor streetlight "damage" in Honolulu was caused by massive amounts of salt water corrosion.

    Just imagine YOUBOOB in the Starfish Prime nuclear test era.
  • Giving credit where credit is due...........................

    I freaking HATE alternator voltage regulators built-in to ECU units because of psychotic charging curves.

    However it is rare, very rare to see that sub component fail.
  • People believe anything as long as it is "video" from a "mechanic"..

    That mechanic is a hack, period.

    "Inverters" by their nature can and often do CREATE huge amounts of RFI (Radio Frequency Interference).

    Vehicle systems are pretty "hardened" against most normal interference, As a Amateur Radio operator, I have not owned a vehicle which has had "issues" with 40W or 2mtr/440 transmitters from the 70's up to and including a 2019 vehicle.

    I even know a few "Hams" that even run HF rigs with 100W of output with no harm to the vehicle.
  • If no discussion is necessary why post it on an open forum?

    Having supported doctoral students doing research for then Daimler Chrysler, they test those vehicle computer systems pretty strenuously. Those tests exposed the computer and other electronic systems like the various data bus to a wide variety of interference, RFI, EMI, thermal and mechanical stress, you name it.

    Ok so maybe it's not impossible for a small after market accessory to cause a malfunction, it's highly unlikely.

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