Found Custom Circuit in Car, Please Help

Hello,

I know this might not be the correct place for this question but I didnt know where else to post this, where enough people would see it.

My car needed to have some things fixed on it and when I got it back I noticed this strange looking box in the trunk and I have been around cars for a long time and never ever seen anything like this. When I asked the guy who fixed it, he said it was there to help with the radio, but I know its not because when I disconnect it...the radio still works. I tried everything accpet from beating this guy to the ground and unless I know for sure what it is, I dont want to cause any problems.

I'm not sure if its a tracking device, or some kind of listening device. Please try and help me figure this out. I dont know where else to turn for help. Here are the pic's:

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Again, please try and help me out on this. I have shown this to alot of people and everyone says that they dont know what it could be used for. Thanks so much for your effort.



Thanks,
Jon

Exactly where in the trunk did you find it?
What was it plugged into?

It's a relay for the government satellites that beam thoughts into your head. Wearing a tinfoil hat is all you need to do.

Huh. I see a relay (the regular coil-and-contacts kind), a bipolar transistor, a few logic gates, and a bunch of passive components.

Can't figure what it might be there for. Maybe a turn-on relay to avoid the POP when the amps come on? But that looks like a single pole relay from a web search, it could protect a single channel like a subwoofer but not stereo speakers. Also there's more components than should be necessary. Another thought was a cutoff if the battery voltage got too low, but still, too many components.

Sometimes aftermarket stereo systems require the stock amplifier to be bypassed so the balance/fader controls work correctly. Try using those controls with the box disconnected... What kind of a$$hole mechanic wouldnt answer your question with a decent answer?!?!? Id beat him to the ground anyway.

I think that one big component (321nd009) is a relay though, so maybe its for the power antenna? Trunk lock?

well there doesn't appear to be anything suspicious on the board, no microcontrollers or radio circuits or anything, so I think you can rule out any sort of tracking device or anything.

If the mechanic put it in there and couldnt' give you a better answer, well, the truth is maybe he doesn't know :lol: a lot of the maintenance for cars is dictated by factory service manuals, so maybe he was simply instructed to install it. could be some sort of band-aid fix for some sort of electrical problem found in the cars after they were made.

I had a stereo system that was pre-amp out (amp was in the rear of the car).

So it was radio to AMP in rear to the speakers. Radio died, I bought a new one, no sound. I by-passed the amp in the rear, but it is just wire for that
as I did it my way, no cool little box.

It has 8 leads, front left, front right, rear left, and rear right maybe. Nothing on there that would indicate a transmitter I see (so skip the tin foil on head idea).

The relay, does look like a some pop eliminator (delay startup; see Oznog response), a some surface mount on it. In a metal box, no antenna, doubt it sends anything to anywhere but the speakers. If in the rear of the car, probably an amp bypass or conditioner of some kind. They are probably messing with you when you ask about it or they have no clue what it is but it fixes a problem with your radio.

Did they change the radio out and replace it with a different model?
If so you probably received a lesser model.

Maybe they want to steal your XM signal (kidding)

Another thought, maybe a fix for a future failing power antenna motor as the factory unit does not cut out in time?. Maybe a circuit to cut on and off the power antenna.. But 8 wires.. Best guess speaker related.

But I do not believe they are spying on you, rather fixing something.

On another note.. Looks like a lot of 1989 parts on the board.. What year is this car?? Even the relay.

Definately not homemade. Any chance you could follow the wires or antying?

Looks like maybe just a simple timing module, to delay an interior light, run the antenna up and down, lock doors after the trunk is closed?

I've seen body control modules that were similar, they did things like let the electric trunk release work only once after the keys were removed from the ignition and the drivers door opened. That way the trunk release button on the dash won't work after a set period of time after you get out of the car, or the gas cap cover won't open in the same way.

So you know,

My 'homemade' projects look a LOT better then that! Come on, all-thru hole, wire jumpers, single sided, also its hand-assembled

I would rule out anything that came directly from the factory/OEM. After 5 years of analyzing automotive/marine/aerospace circuits I can almost guarentee thats an aftermarket unit.

Unless the car is from early 90's that is. NO ONE uses single sided pcbs with so many through hole components. Its all SMD now. So much Thru-hole is way too expensive so produce compared to smd. Of course some parts will always need to be thru-hole.

Judging on my experience, I would bet thats not OEM.

You could of course find out by looking in a service manual for that connector and its pin-out.

I'de agree with everyone that its some sort of timing switch or somthing.

what will happen if u remove that .?

Wow...except for the post who said to wear some tin...I want to thank everyone for truly trying to help me out.

There were lots of really good answers...to answer some of the questions. Yes, from what I can tell, everything does still work when I disconnected it. Yes, I really...really want to beat this guy, but I need a better reason to explain to the judge why, other then he will not tell me what it is.

So...from everyone looking...you all say it doesnt seem to be a listening or monitoring device, so I guess this is good.

Question, thu. What if there was some kind of hidden in car cell phone system, and when someone tried to call the car, it would allow them to listen in on everything...what something like the device I found, do this?

Also someone asked about what it was connected to, it was connected to some wires in the trunck area, I think it was connected to some kind of wiring harness.


Thanks again for all the help...this site rocks!!!

ACCTeam said:

Question, thu. What if there was some kind of hidden in car cell phone system, and when someone tried to call the car, it would allow them to listen in on everything...what something like the device I found, do this?

Click to expand...

No, it's just a few cheap logic chips and a relay, as already suggested it's probably a timer for something?.

If this has only been added recently, without you asking for it, it's presumably some kind of manufacturers modification?, so you should be able to find out from them - possibly even a safety modification?.

Hi
IF you think it plugs in to the car's stock wiring harness, figuring out what it is might be easier if you can determine which of the car's circuits it's on.

Turn the ignition on, and check each lead in the (unplugged) plug for power with a continuity tester (or DVM, or some other way). When you find one with power, then have a helper pull out the fuses one by one until the tester goes out to isolate which circuit it's on. Then check the fuse number and refer to the fuse box cover or owners manual to see which circuit that fuse protects.

If you think you are being monitored, go on ebay and look for "paranormal meter or ghost scanner" (basically a cheap RF meter). Probably 15-25 dollars.

With the car off, read the instructions, get in the car and scan for meter movement, move it all around the car.. You might get readings around the radio and other electronics where low level noise might be present..
His luck he will be parked under a cell tower.

But if there is a cell running or transmitter in the car, you will see the needle move. Note you are a in metal box, so you will know if there is a transmitter in there..

Or buy a a good RF scanner $150+. I will buy it from you after you use it for $20 so get a good one. And hey guys, this was my idea so I want first dibs.

Cellphones and transmitters send out RF waves and you will see them on a RF/signal meter.

There is a radioron fellow in the groups that might have a better ideas.

But the circuit you found in the car has chips from the 1980's and the device is not high tech (well it had SMT), if I recall TTL, misc and a relay.. As Nigel said, everyone made it VERY clear. Delay circuit probably.

Though 8 pins make me think it could be speaker related.

1st. is your car an import. many imports have shotty audio systems (from 1980-late 1990's) and they use all kinds of devices to help fix it.

2nd. most pre 2002 automotive PCB's still used through hole. reason for this is that many still havent bought the equipment for SMD boards.

3rd, what color are the wires running into the harness. If you have 4 colored pairs (I.E. red with brown stripe & red, blue with light blue stripe & blue, green with pink stripe & green, ect) then it is speaker related. automotive manufatures will use one group of colors for each speaker.


MOST IMPORTANTLY WHAT IS YOUR MAKE AND MODEL. Also if you dont mind, what is your license plate, social, first borns name and so on. that way i can program it into your locator beacon there and everone can see that info. LOL