Low frequency vibrations stall cars

[snopes]

Comment: Fact or Fiction: Powerful low frequency vibration from
locomotives cause car engines to stall on tracks.

Back in 1974 a relative tried to beat a train in a brand new Chevy. His
car stalled on the tracks. He escaped the car, but the car was totaled. He
was told by the insurance company that low frequency vibration causes the
car engine to misfire or stall. I experienced something similar in an old
truck. I was far enough from the train that the grossing guards had not
yet been activated. When I crossed the tracks, my truck started misfiring
immediately. Is this a myth or is it fact?

[Troberg]

I seriously doubt it, as the passing of the rails is almost instantaneous. I don't have the papers here, but it should be a roughly similar time span compared to the time it takes to pass a traffic counting tube, and that's measured in milliseconds. A low frequency vibration would not have time to pass on to the car, as it would have a longer cycle than the time the car is in contact with the rail. Add to this how the tires and suspension would eat the vibration, and it seems even more unlikely.

[Der Induktionator]

This is true, but more due to statistics. I can't comment on the low frequency bit.

If you cross train tracks while the gates are down or the red lights are flashing, your chances of having the car stall and get hit by a train before you can get it started again are much higher, especially if you have to drive slowly to drive around the gates while they are down.

If you cross only when the gates are up and the lights are not flashing, if your car stalls, you are much more likely to be able to re-start the car before a train arrives.

[snopes]

Working hypothesis: It's not unusual for automobiles to stall or misfire, but people take particular note and remember instances of such only when they happen in close proximity to railroad tracks.

- snopes

[KirkMcD]

Whenever may car has stalled, it has never come to an immediate stop.
Why aren't these cars coasting across the tracks after the engine cuts out?

[quiltsbypam]

Originally Posted by KirkMcD

Whenever may car has stalled, it has never come to an immediate stop.
Why aren't these cars coasting across the tracks after the engine cuts out?

If they're going slowly, there wouldn't be as much forward momentum. Plus, IME, a lot of tracks are on a bit of an incline, which would negate the slow monentum.

Does that work?

[zerocool]

Originally Posted by snopes

Working hypothesis: It's not unusual for automobiles to stall or misfire, but people take particular note and remember instances of such only when they happen in close proximity to railroad tracks.

- snopes

Yes, I went to school on a manual transmission bus, and I never remember it stalling except for the one time it stalled on the train tracks. I took that bus for about 6 years, so it must have stalled other times, but I just don't remember them.

[Der Induktionator]

Originally Posted by KirkMcD

Whenever may car has stalled, it has never come to an immediate stop.
Why aren't these cars coasting across the tracks after the engine cuts out?

Because they have to slow down to drive around the gates while they are down.

if this was true, then cars with the extreme bass would stall out as thery drove around.

[RichardM]

As an electrical engineer, member of SAE, competitor in the sport of performance rally and shade tree mechanic, I can think of no system besides the driver that would be affected by low frequency vibrations. Given that this is based on an alleged event from 1974, it is possible that the float valve in the carborator might the culprit but the damping on these is (was might be better used and almost every new car for the past many years has been fuel injected) such that I can't see vibrations affecting them.

[Em]

Every time I see this thread title, I read it as "Low frequency vibrations call stars". It conjures up some interestingly cataclysmic mental images.

[musicgeek]

Originally Posted by mountainman1956

if this was true, then cars with the extreme bass would stall out as thery drove around.

Actually, this is what I thought the thread would be about, as it can happen with an improperly installed subwoofer and a weak battery. With some of the extreme bass aftermarket installs, a capacitor is installed between the battery and the amp so loud bass notes don't pull too much current and stall the car.

As to the train track issue, I've got nothing.