Prius causing other cars to malfunction?

[RinMI]

A coworker of mine asked me today if I had heard of other cars acting strange around my car. At first, I thought he was trying to say he had a modern day Herbie. His story was as follows:

He was driving along on a state highway and his radio started acting strange. Eventually, his radio volume reduced significantly. He looked around and there were nothing around save for a silver Prius behind him. As the Prius passed him the radio got worse and then as the Prius continued ahead of him the radio volume got better the farther away the Prius was from him. He stated that his radio has never done this before and hasn't done it since.

Any ideas? If it is true, which he swears it is, I could only think of possibly the Pri in question giving off a very significant electromagnetic field (possibly the result of a shoddy fully electric upgrade?). Or maybe his car is receiving interference from the Pri due to a flaw in his own radio's installation?

[TonyPSchaefer]

Prius had a Ham radio installed?
Prius had an iPod FM transmitter?

I've never heard of this.

[auricchio]

This has never been reported before.

Because the guy was moving, he doesn't know if the cause was something in the area. It's most likely he just drove out of the interference area.

Even if it's an area in which he normally drives, the cause could have been some construction or maintenance equipment in a nearby building.

[Bob Allen]

What would be totally cool is a Prius that could kill the horrible base sound from nearby car stereos.

One of the worst aspects of living in the city are the *@# idiots who sit in their cars in front of our house killing their hearing while driving us nuts. I heard one in the Battery Street Tunnel here in Seattle; he was a full ten car lengths ahead of me, but his stereo reverberated through the tunnel.

[Darwood]

I'd guess the Prius next to him had either a fuzzbuster or an iPod tuner.
We have an iPod tuner and it basically emits the iPod output to the radio frequency you want, so that you can pick it up on your car radio.

[RinMI]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Aug 2 2007, 02:29 PM) [snapback]489431[/snapback]</div>

This has never been reported before.

Because the guy was moving, he doesn't know if the cause was something in the area. It's most likely he just drove out of the interference area.

Even if it's an area in which he normally drives, the cause could have been some construction or maintenance equipment in a nearby building.
[/b]

The area where he was driving is an area where I also frequently drive and is rural area with very few to no buildings near the roadway. He also corrected me on one thing, he stated that he was playing a CD, not listening to the radio as I mistakenly posted before.

[TonyPSchaefer]

I think we need a Mythbusters episode dedicated to Prius and hybrid myths.

They can start with this one, move on to EMF, and conclude by blowing something up. I'm not sure what, but I only watch the show to see what they blow up.

[RinMI]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Aug 2 2007, 02:36 PM) [snapback]489442[/snapback]</div>

I think we need a Mythbusters episode dedicated to Prius and hybrid myths.

They can start with this one, move on to EMF, and conclude by blowing something up. I'm not sure what, but I only watch the show to see what they blow up.
[/b]

Forgive my ignorance ... EMF?

[christob]

EMF: Both a British band awhile back (think "Unbelievable") and here, Electromagnetic Field. (At least one previous poster had a high level of concern over the potential effects of EMF produced by the battery, as it concerned seating children in the back seat.)

[abq sfr]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RinMI @ Aug 2 2007, 12:33 PM) [snapback]489438[/snapback]</div>

The area where he was driving is an area where I also frequently drive and is rural area with very few to no buildings near the roadway. He also corrected me on one thing, he stated that he was playing a CD, not listening to the radio as I mistakenly posted before.
[/b]

Prii do give off a lot of electromagnetic radiation, but only in certain parts of the radio spectrum. Ham radio operators know this, its difficult or impossible to work below 30 mhz in a Prius without extensive extra shielding of wires and components in the car. AM/FM frequencies are apparently not in Prius offending frequencies, too low and high. If it was a CD player I doubt if it would be affected by a Prius even if you were using an FM modulator to play through it through the radio. Interesting... the Prius should be considered an unintentional radiator by the FCC, I'll have to look in the owners manual to see if it has the required disclaimer:

"This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation."