Ticking? sound

[ragnarcarstam]

I have got hearing aids.
When I am in the car, ignition on, there is a ticking (I can't find a better word in my dictionary) sound. If I sit in the passengers seat, it is very disturbing.
If I try to cover the opening over the pillar between front and back door, right hand side, it diminishes. Ayone with similar problem, and/or solution?

Best regards

Ragnar

[Cubist]

Hi Ragnar,

Can you still hear the noise if you are in the drivers seat and someone else in the passenger seat?

The reason I ask is that some models are equipped with a sensor that detects the presence of a front seat passenger. It is designed to warn the occupant to fasten their seat belt and to arm the collision airbag. I do not know if the sensor is disabled when the belt is fastened or if fastening the belt simply switches off the warning. It could be though that your hearing aids are picking up the clicks emitted by the sensor.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Cubist

[BrianG]

All X350 models will have this problem, which is caused by the ultrasonic occupancy sensor system for the front seat passenger that disables the airbag if the passenger leans forward. You will notice the little airbag light in the veneered panel above the glove box comes on when the passenger leans forward, showing that the airbag is temporarily disabled.

My wife has two pairs of digital hearing aids of two vintages: the older set is hardly affected; the 'new improved' set have a severe problem of a pronounced click or ticking noise when she sits in the front. The clicking results from interference with the hearing aid from the ultrasonic transmitter which, although normally inaudible to normal hearing at a frequency of 40kHz, is sampled by the digital system and causes 'aliasing' - resulting in random noises. You may have some luck if you ask your audiologist to ensure that the upper frequency response of your aids is turned off as much as possible beyond about 12 or 15kHz. My wife's ones have been adjusted, but with limited improvement.

Unfortunately I have not found a way to turn the system off, although it is apparently less noticeable in the back seats. You could cover the sensors in the dash around the centre console and the sides. I had thought of disconnecting the sensors but probably messing with any of these would upset the integrated safety systems in the rest of the car.

[Cubist]

It would be safest I think merely to use less sensitive hearing aids in the car.

[ragnarcarstam]

Thank You for Your comments.
To cubist: Yes I can still hear it ,but not as irritating when I am driving.
Even without a passenger it is less troubling in drivers seat than in the passenger seat.

To Brian G.
I have one 2004 and one 2008, same problem.I bought the 2008 when I still had only the old hearting aides, lost one, and realised the problem as much worse when i got my new ones.
Yes, I too think it is the security system.
When I use my new and improved set, the ticking is very irritating. When I use the old one in my right ear, and the new in the left, I am not troubled (left hand drive). Many of my friends also have hearing aids, when they are sitting up front, they are very disturbed.

To Cubist: Yes I now use the old one in right and new one in left.
Curious though, same brand, same model, but from different dates.

I think I will talk to the hearing aid manufacturer too, they might be able to adjust my new ones.

What about covering the one in the pillar between the doors?

Whom should I write to if I want Jaguar to have opinion on this.
Best regards

Ragnar

[Cubist]

What about covering the one in the pillar between the doors?

Hi Ragnar,
Glad to hear, pardon the pun, that the source of the noise has been traced.

It's never a good idea to disable a sensor or inhibit its performance - particularly those associated with driver/passenger safety.

I would try the Jaguar Website as a first port of call to get the Customer Service contact details.

That said I suspect there is little they can practically do to help you other than perhaps providing the operational frequencies of the sensor to help you select Hearing Aids that cannot pick up such sounds.

Best I can do I'm afraid.

Good luck,
Cubist