FordPass is watching us?

[jblc]

When I unplugged my modem and pulled my telematics fuse it was all "oh look at Mr. Tinfoil hat man". I get proven right again.


I hate those things. The surveillance state of Britain is the near future of the US. Funny thing is for now Flock gets used primarily in rich neighborhoods to safeguard working and retired elites, places like McLean and Georgetown, instead of crime ridden areas to actually combat the violence. I bet you'd come up on their system just for having out of state (or maybe out of town) plates.

I tried the same when I first got my vehicle, but somehow mine still gets traffic info even after fuse 9 (telematics) is pulled. The modem display, in the Settings menu, does not list a serial number, so I thought that was everything. (I never used FordPass because I read their privacy policy, and it was clear they would share data.)

What else did you do to disable data transmission?
I'm also not sure how to disable wifi connection capability, besides turning it off in software.

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[MountainGoat]

I tried the same when I first got my vehicle, but somehow mine still gets traffic info even after fuse 9 (telematics) is pulled. The modem display, in the Settings menu, does not list a serial number, so I thought that was everything. (I never used FordPass because I read their privacy policy, and it was clear they would share data.)

What else did you do to disable data transmission?
I'm also not sure how to disable wifi connection capability, besides turning it off in software.

So does all the stuff work like normal with the plug pulled ? Radio, navigation etc And where can I find this plug?

It's right in the passenger footwell, you can access it just by dropping the glove box down (like you do to change the cabin filter). Radio works fine, I don't have sirrus or in-vehicle navigation but android auto works. If you start Fordpass it can't connect and will just throw error messages.

Wifi, yeah I just turned off. I wasn't as worried about that and bluetooth.

 

[TJC]

When I unplugged my modem and pulled my telematics fuse it was all "oh look at Mr. Tinfoil hat man". I get proven right again..

The fuse in position 9 is double fusible, essentially 2 fuses in one for circuits 8 and 9.. Did you replace the #8 fuse with a single micro fuse? I think 8 is for the alarm horn.

BTW, Wear your tinfoil hat proudly! He who panics first panics best.

You really want to be looking over the horizon and planning/reacting accordingly. Situational awareness.

 

[MountainGoat]

The fuse in position 9 is double fusible, essentially 2 fuses in one for circuits 8 and 9.. Did you replace the #8 fuse with a single micro fuse? I think 8 is for the alarm horn.

BTW, Wear your tinfoil hat proudly! He who panics first panics best.

You really want to be looking over the horizon and planning/reacting accordingly. Situational awareness.

No, but I had disabled that in forscan previously so I wouldn't notice. I was setting off the alarm just by having the fob in my pocket. It still beeps when I double tap the lock button though. I have single fuses for both 8 and 9.

 

[TJC]

Sounds like you reenabled telematics. Did you experience any adverse affects when you pulled the telematics fuse?

 

[MountainGoat]

Sounds like you reenabled telematics. Did you experience any adverse affects when you pulled the telematics fuse?

Not other than Fordpass not working. But I pulled the modem plug at the same time.

 

[9zero1790]

id be happy without all the tracking but i do want sat radio to work

 

[TJC]

I am still somewhat confused and think I am misunderstanding.

Below are two fuses. The left is a 10A, and the right is a combo 10A 2 circuit fuse which I am guessing share a common power source (the middle pin). The combo fuse on the right is what is installed in slot 8 & 9 in my 2020 Ranger. If you remove the fuse you lose Telmatics and the Anti-theft alarm horn. If you want to enable the theft horn (circuit 8), you can install the fuse on the left. But you can not install 2 individual fuses in the 8-9 slot... at least on my 2020 Ranger. If I want to enable both circuits I need to reinstall the original 3 pin combo fuse.

As a side note I don't like the idea of combo fuses... seems wasteful / more expensive to me.

I do like what you have done and I have already disabled Telmatics, and installed the single fuse in slot 8 for the Anti-theft Horn. Tomorrow I will pull the plug on the modem. I declined FordPass when I purchased the truck. Does this trip any codes? Guess I can check that tomorrow as well.

Thanks for the info.

I've been meaning to get to this for a while now.

 

[Jason B]

I am still somewhat confused and think I am misunderstanding.

Below are two fuses. The left is a 10A, and the right is a combo 10A 2 circuit fuse which I am guessing share a common power source (the middle pin). The combo fuse on the right is what is installed in slot 8 & 9 in my 2020 Ranger. If you remove the fuse you lose Telmatics and the Anti-theft alarm horn. If you want to enable the theft horn (circuit 8), you can install the fuse on the left. But you can not install 2 individual fuses in the 8-9 slot... at least on my 2020 Ranger. If I want to enable both circuits I need to reinstall the original 3 pin combo fuse.

As a side note I don't like the idea of combo fuses... seems wasteful / more expensive to me.

I do like what you have done and I have already disabled Telmatics, and installed the single fuse in slot 8 for the Anti-theft Horn. Tomorrow I will pull the plug on the modem. I declined FordPass when I purchased the truck. Does this trip any codes? Guess I can check that tomorrow as well.

Thanks for the info.

I've been meaning to get to this for a while now.

Yeah, but think of all that space they save by using a combo fuse. BTW, I never knew those existed.

 

[TJC]

Yeah, but think of all that space they save by using a combo fuse. BTW, I never knew those existed.

Me either!

 

[MountainGoat]

I am still somewhat confused and think I am misunderstanding.

Below are two fuses. The left is a 10A, and the right is a combo 10A 2 circuit fuse which I am guessing share a common power source (the middle pin). The combo fuse on the right is what is installed in slot 8 & 9 in my 2020 Ranger. If you remove the fuse you lose Telmatics and the Anti-theft alarm horn. If you want to enable the theft horn (circuit 8), you can install the fuse on the left. But you can not install 2 individual fuses in the 8-9 slot... at least on my 2020 Ranger. If I want to enable both circuits I need to reinstall the original 3 pin combo fuse.

As a side note I don't like the idea of combo fuses... seems wasteful / more expensive to me.

I do like what you have done and I have already disabled Telmatics, and installed the single fuse in slot 8 for the Anti-theft Horn. Tomorrow I will pull the plug on the modem. I declined FordPass when I purchased the truck. Does this trip any codes? Guess I can check that tomorrow as well.

Thanks for the info.

I've been meaning to get to this for a while now.

Ah, yeah I took another look at it, forgot what it looked like. I see it was three prong and it counts fuses by odd numbers. So I guess the #8 is on the left/driver side and 9 is on the right?

 

[TJC]

Yep. That is how it appears to me. Even on left side. Odd on right side. With at least some of the fuses sharing a common power source in the center.

Thanks for validating.

Just checked out the pricing of the Micro2 and Micro3 fuses, and they are much more expensive than the standard Blade fuses used in old autos.

 

[MountainGoat]

Yep. That is how it appears to me. Even on left side. Odd on right side. With at least some of the fuses sharing a common power source in the center.

Thanks for validating.

Just checked out the pricing of the Micro2 and Micro3 fuses, and they are much more expensive than the standard Blade fuses used in old autos.

Yeah I have a couple laying around but all 5 amps

 

[SigOris]

Should come as a surprise to no one. Everything you do is being tracked, monitored, and sold. We'll likely never get back up that particuar slippery slope unless WWIII and the demise of everything electronic happens.

from a Libertarian post: name me five things that aren’t Taxed, Regulated, or Banned ?

 

[TJC]

As noted earlier, MountainGoat inspired me to refocus on eliminating the Telematic's embedded in my Ranger. Based upon his and others previous efforts, I pulled the Telematics fuse 9, added a single 10A fuse in fuse slot 8 for the security horn. I then unplugged the cellular modem in the passenger foot well. I didn't even drop the glove box, simply looked up from the foot well and removed the big plug in the white socket. I left the 2 antenna cables plugged in.

I then hooked up my xTools D8 and scanned for any DTCs. I had one in the APIM area. It reported that there was no communication with the Telematic Control Module A. Just what I was hoping for. No other systems were affected.

So Telematics have been successfully disabled - no calling home to Momma!

It may (maybe not with the Telematics fuse pulled) still collect data, but it is definitely not going to be able to send that data anywhere. The picture below shows the error code with explanation.

For those interested, here's a video overview from Ford on their Telematics at work in fleet vehicles.

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