this post was submitted on 16 May 2026
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If this is a more complicated version for you and you want a quick and dirty one, just disconnect the fuse marked DCM in the fuse box under the steering wheel. This will kill it's power, however there is a built in battery in the DCM module that will take a few days to die. This does cause the microphone to not work as well, but its an option. I did it when I bought my '21 RAV4 Hybrid over 2 years ago and it hasn't caused more issues than the microphone not working.
Why does a car need a microphone?
For hands free phone calls
but my phone has a microphone
Yes, and many regions currently ban any phone usage while driving, including taking phone calls. A hands-free system makes this task much easier.
For voice calls with your phone, some cars have voice activated features, etc.
It's all crap I don't need.
My sentiments there. I was wracking my brain trying to find a use case where I would actually need my car to hear me, and I now miss my '86 SAAB 900 SPG
+1...I had 1981 Saab 900 while working at a Volvo dealer and my last one was a 9-3. I miss Saab.
Our 2016 car has voice controls - had it for 3 years before I realized.
Works like shit too.
So my mom can call me because she's lost, but doesn't want to stop to check her Google maps because she's in a "dangerous part of town" (downtown Seattle).
(My mum's not a bigot btw, she just lived in a village of 1000 people until she was 29 and anywhere with more than 20 people at once makes her anxious. Costco trips also have her on alert like she's part of Seal Team Six)
Bluetooth phone calls?
I suppose, though a BT headset seems less intrusive
It is against traffic laws to be wearing anything on your ears in many places. I got pulled over in Colorado in around 2010 for having one ear of a wired headset on. Didn’t get a ticket, but still sucked.
It’s something about being able to hear sirens and stuff around you. It’s dumb because people will blast music as loud as they want but having one ear covered gets you in trouble.
Deaf people can drive though
Oh, I know. And I wonder how many people with large hearing aids get pulled over too.
Deaf people spend their entire live deaf and they adapt. They don't suddenly become deaf when they start driving.
Except for the ones that don't. Do you really not know about hearing loss?
Some drivers suddenly become deaf but don’t suddenly stop driving though too.
Agreed. That sounds like needless legislation.
More to do with the Doppler effect than anything dealing with sound deadening. You also don't point the pipes the direction your going .
Don't give those assholes any ideas.
Even if they did, it would work terribly.
Aside from phone calls, I do find it handy to use with CarPlay when I need to get directions while driving or respond to an SMS.
Or just kill the antennas with these.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BXUYDMM and https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DCBBYQR6
To kill the antenna with these you need to pull trim off the car to access the antenna plugs. Pulling the fuse takes 30 seconds and doesn't require tools unless you have fat fingers like me and can't grip the fuse to pull it.
Also, this could kill your FM/AM radio access depending on how things are wired and that may not be for everyone.
Good to know these exist though
Is that supposed to be.....hard? I've removed trim panels from so many different cars, it's such a trivial thing that I don't even think about it anymore. 99% of trim panels are held in with plastic clips, you just grab it and tug a bit harder than normal. Pops right off.
True, but onany cars pulling the fused trips other errors. For instance on many Jeep/Chryslers you get check engine lights.
How does it work? Where do you put these things?
There are a number of writups online, but basically you disconnect the antennas at the head unit, and replace with these. Without them there is no resistance so the system knows things are wrong (and damage can be caused), while these fool the system into thinking there is no signal.