Electronic issues in St Leonard's Road Car Park

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I had to get my car recovered from this car park yesterday after the engine
immobiliser kicked in and would not let me start it. This is the second time it
has happened and I have experienced several instances of remote
locking/unlocking failing in this car park on at least three different cars.
While waiting for the tow truck I also learned that at least two other people
have had similar problems.
 
Has anyone else had issues or is it limited to an unlucky few? Is it the site
of an old Saxon burial ground? Or perhaps there's a CB radio enthusiast in the
area?

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I had a similar problem a few weeks ago, where the remote key fob for my
Renault Twingo didn't work. The only point of entry was the passenger side
where I was able to unlock the car.
 
I parked a few spaces away from the ticket machine, on the same side as the
wooden fence. I am not sure if there is some strange magnetic field or perhaps
wi-fi signal from a nearby BT-Fon mast that is interferring with some
immobilisers. But if you've had an issue and I have too, perhaps the car park
area needs further investitgation. Does this happen if you park nearest the
road ?

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I have investigated this on a previous occasion following a concern from a
Windmill Road resident. Here is the comment I got back from the City Council's
Car Parks team:
 
"A quick check online reveals several recent cases where vehicle remote locking
does not work in specific areas of the country.
 
Hospital radio is still often quoted, however there are also reports of the
problems being caused by a wireless doorbell or other similar low-powered
transmitting device very nearby.
 
It could be that one of the residents near to the car park has recently had a
new doorbell fitted."
 
I wonder how many others are affected?

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My husband tells me on several
occasions remote locking did not work in St Leonards CP. This was some weeks
ago. We have a Nissan Note.

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I've noted this problem for a year or two, and feared an expensive session at
the garage sorting out my car's electrics until I realised that remote locking
works anywhere but in the St Leonard's Road car park. Just occasionally remote
locking *does* work. The problem applies in the car park and in the adjacent
on-street parking.
 
Mark's post prompted me to switch off my home wi-fi briefly to check that I'm
not responsible for the problem! Still no joy. No wireless doorbell here as
that was hopeless when I tried.
 
I helped a visitor in the car park one evening, who was emptying her boot of a
huge load in order to climb through to the driver's seat. I suggested she use
the mechanical lock in the driver's door, which got her in without further
unloading.
 
For interest, my car key uses 433MHz. I guess other frequencies don't suffer
the problem.
 
Apologies for the late response - IT issue!

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Just to let members of the Forum know that City Council staff did a door to
door canvass of the houses round the car park recently, and on the basis of the
replies the problem is a) intermittent and b) in the area by St Leonard's Road
itself, on the street as well as in the car park. Everyone the council officers
met was asked to check things like doorbells and video equipment, and posters
have gone up in the car park warning people to check their keys work before
locking their car.
 
It would be really helpful to know of any further issues, so we can help
pinpoint where the problem is coming from and stop it.
 
Alex Hollingsworth
Executive Board Member for Planning and Transport
Oxford City Council

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This is a two-sided problem, as wireless doorbells are also very frequently
triggered by people starting cars with remote controls in the street outside.
Wireless doorbells are generally unreliable, silly things but it is virtually
impossible to get any other sort these days, unless you go to an architectural
reclaim site.

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The trouble is there are so many bits of equipment using the 433 MHZ there's
bound to be an increasing amount of intereference. Gadgets include wireless
doorbells, TV wireless remote re-senders, mains power monitors, wireless power
socket remote controls, wireless weather stations and wireless central heating
controls. You might also find licensed radio amateurs on this frequency!

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I've attached the Council notice about radio interference in the car park.
 
Howard Bentham covered the issue this morning on BBC Radio Oxford, and BBC
South Today ran the story this evening. We're on the map!
 
Howard Bentham: http://www.bbc​.co​.uk​/programmes​/p02s9984​#auto
BBC South Today: http://www.bbc​.co​.uk​/programmes​/b05xqj5s (not yet available at
the time of posting)

St Leonard's Road car park RF interference notice.JPG 307.30kb

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The correct South Today link:
http://www.bbc​.co​.uk​/iplayer​/episode​/b05xqj9k​/bbc​-oxford​-news​-08062015 (08:33 -
10:25)
 
Howard Bentham's coverage is at intervals throughout his radio show.
 
An amateur radio enthusiast was scanning the car park this evening and told me
that he's back to meet a BBC reporter in the morning.

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I understand that Ofcom has identified a rogue device in a local home and taken
action to have it switched off. I'm impressed by their speedy intervention.
Thanks Alex Hollingsworth for the council's involvement.
 
Today I've been able to:
- lock the car reliably
- use remote-controlled AC sockets (which have been desperately unreliable for
years)
- pick up the signal from an outdoor weather sensor from the comfort of home
 
I replaced my wireless doorbell in November 2011 and recently disposed of it so
I can't test that.
 
With residents' and visitors' equipment and repair costs, and council and Ofcom
investigation, not to mention the inconvenience, this issue must've cost
significantly more than whatever appliance caused the problem. I'm pleased that
it has been resolved.

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Glad to hear from Rich that things might be fixed. Just to update you, on
Friday Ofcom came with more powerful equipment, and located a rogue signal
coming from a particular house. Apparently the householder wasn't in, but they
put a note through the door explaining that they thought the problem was a
rogue TV set-top box transmitting much more powerfully than it should have
been. If things are now better it might be because they've switched it off.
 
Thanks for the kind words, but I want to pass on the plaudits to others who are
more deserving. First, the Council's car park staff who did the door to door
work, put up the posters, and generally got people to contact Ofcom so that
they came out twice to try to find out where it was coming from. And second, to
the woman who first contacted the Council to say she'd had a problem when using
the car park (we've written to thank her), because without her and those who
posted to this forum, it would have taken much longer to get the situation
sorted.
 
The lesson here is if this happens, to contact Ofcom or the Council because a
single complaint might be enough to uncover that there is a bigger problem.
This forum did a great job in helping to publicise the story, and that's what
in the end seems to have sorted the problem. Thank you.
 
And if the problems start up again, please both post here, and contact Ofcom.