Unlocking your car through your head...

[andyjo1982]

So got into a full scale arguement about weather or not it makes a difference if you use your remote to open your car whilst holding it against your head. A work collegue swears it does and i'm sure its bks. Someone put us out of our misery please!!!!!!

[Cost Captain]

yes it works, never heard a convincing explanation as to why.

Any if anyone wants to tell me it doesn't, i've just spent the last 3 years moving/unlocking/locking customer cars, and it makes a surprising difference.

[TonyHetherington]

After a similar conversation a friend and I (with a few cars at our disposal at the time) tested it.

We'd walk away from a car and find the point at which it no longer works. Then, we would put it to our chin and it would work.

Can't fault man logic, so; it works.

[ExPat2B]

It does work, and it is very easy to verify it does work. Simply walk away from the car, locking it so the indicators flash untill you are out of range. Then put it to your head and try again. You will get an extra 20 yards or more of range. Works as your body acts as an aeriel.

[BelperJim]

Just about doubles the distance on my remote.

[Dr G]

Two theories:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Car+key+not+working%...

1) It works, human antenna.

2) Lifting it to head height would increase range anyway.

It's an amusing trick regardless because it does work

[Cost Captain]

andyjo1982 said:

So got into a full scale arguement about weather or not it makes a difference if you use your remote to open your car whilst holding it against your head. A work collegue swears it does and i'm sure its bks. Someone put us out of our misery please!!!!!!

shame... you shouldn't have said who thought what, so when the pistonheads masses gave their verdict you could pretend to agree.

and now that i've quoted you, you can't hide it!

[8400rpm]

Yes, it does work. Makes quite a bit of difference with the remotes on both my cars.

Sometimes if I'm inside and I can't be bothered to go out in the rain/cold, it might not work, stick it to my head and it will.

[Super Slo Mo]

I'm a bit vague regarding the exact reasons, but the RF signal can use your skull as a resonance chamber, thus amplifying the signal. It's probably not something you want to make a habit of.

[andyjo1982]

Cost Captain said:

andyjo1982 said:

So got into a full scale arguement about weather or not it makes a difference if you use your remote to open your car whilst holding it against your head. A work collegue swears it does and i'm sure its bks. Someone put us out of our misery please!!!!!!

shame... you shouldn't have said who thought what, so when the pistonheads masses gave their verdict you could pretend to agree.

and now that i've quoted you, you can't hide it!

Hardly anything to be embarassed about, is it? So i didn't realise i could open my car further away than i need to.

[done by a diesel]

J.C on top gear did it to a merc on the track

[mattman]

definately works - a couple of us were doing it from the top floor of the Fujitsu tower in Bracknell to a car parked right at the far end of the car park.

I guess a slight problem is when you do this and some little scrote jumps in and hotwires the car!

[ad551]

Clarkson demonstrating it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jACSPipPSE

[wolfy1988]

Hmmm seemed to work on all my old cars but not on our new shape Mondao?

Different kind of transmitters perhaps?

[jammy_basturd]

Dr G said:

Two theories:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Car+key+not+working%...

1) It works, human antenna.

2) Lifting it to head height would increase range anyway.

It's an amusing trick regardless because it does work

Very easy to discount the second theory. When you get to the distance at which your you can't lock your car normally, but you can with the fob to your head, just hold the fob above your head but not touching it. If the car doesn't unlock then theory 2 is out the water.

[JM]

andyjo1982 said:

So got into a full scale arguement about weather

But what about the weather? Never mind remote central locking, you had an argument about weather, so what was it?

[Ed.]

I thought it was because the radio waves get bounced around in your skull then directed out your eyes and mouth in the direction you are looking. Maybe I should try looking to the side and report back?

[Hip2Bsquare]

I only find that it works if I press the remote to my temple and stare with wide open eyes at my car.

If I close my eyes it doesn't work.

I think it must use my vacuous void in my head to amplify the signal and transmit it through my eyes.

[HalfMoon]

It's also really handy when the batteries in the 'plipper are low. Our Disco seems to get through them voraciously and I end up holding most remotes to my head now as a matter of course...

[Vipers]

Tried with the key fob to my head, and my trousers fell down...............