engineer Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Van is off, some doors are open, how do I turn off or shorten timing that exterior and interior lights are on? Also, when I open another door, light cycle on starts all over again. Pain when out camping or at swap meet. 2017 XLT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willygee Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 2016 TCXLT ..Exterior...pull hi/lo dimmer lever twice...interior....is on a timer,i'm going to add a switch to mine. gspam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G B L Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Let us know how you make out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickster Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 I complained about the entry illumination to my dealer, and expressed my concern that it would drain the battery on my 2017 TC XL Cargo Van, since it is being converted to a weekend camper. The service tech hooked up their Integrated Diagnostic System computer to the vehicle's On-board Diagnostic port and scrolled through the Body Control Module menus, but couldn't find any way to shorten or turn off the unwelcome 10-minute "Welcome Lighting." So, I spoke with the dealership's service director, who went online and looked through Ford's technical bulletins for customer complaints about battery drain caused by the long open-door lighting delay. Sure enough, Ford had come out with a firmware update for the TC's Body Control Module. Once my vehicle's module had been updated with the new firmware, the tech was able to access the menu to turn off the lighting. The software update and programming change was covered under my warranty. Now that I am finally in "Dark Mode" I am a happy camper. Moral of the story: Keep complaining until you get results. Let us know how you fare with your dealer. mrtn, windguy, Bart Luther and 2 others 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 35 minutes ago, Mickster said: I complained about the entry illumination to my dealer, and expressed my concern that it would drain the battery on my 2017 TC XL Cargo Van, since it is being converted to a weekend camper. The service tech hooked up their Integrated Diagnostic System computer to the vehicle's On-board Diagnostic port and scrolled through the Body Control Module menus, but couldn't find any way to shorten or turn off the unwelcome 10-minute "Welcome Lighting." So, I spoke with the dealership's service director, who went online and looked through Ford's technical bulletins for customer complaints about battery drain caused by the long open-door lighting delay. Sure enough, Ford had come out with a firmware update for the TC's Body Control Module. Once my vehicle's module had been updated with the new firmware, the tech was able to access the menu to turn off the lighting. The software update and programming change was covered under my warranty. Now that I am finally in "Dark Mode" I am a happy camper. Moral of the story: Keep complaining until you get results. Let us know how you fare with your dealer. great post ,thanks. When you open a door, do any interior lights come on or are all ext and int lights off/dark? Do you know if the setting option is all or nothing or if the on duration can be changed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandytc Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Mickster, first off, welcome to the forum. With your first post, you bring the answer to a question that has been asked many times. I'm sure many TC owners will thank you. It seems your dealership stands above the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beta Don Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 13 minutes ago, Dandytc said: It seems your dealership stands above the rest. I agree. No way I could ever get that sort of service from either of the dealers near me. "Can't be done"and "If it didn't come equipped that way from the factory, you can't add anything now" are their favorite answers to my questions - Then you go on-line and discover that it's just that they don't know . . . .. and don't care Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtn Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Impossible with my dealer, they are collectively dumb as a bag of hammers except a few specialists like body works manager and one sales guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickster Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Sorry to hear that your local dealers have been uncooperative. I might have had a slight advantage, because I purchased my TC brand new from the dealer I took it to for this issue, and my salesperson was willing to provide after-the-sale support to make sure that I would be a happy customer of his. He was the person who spoke with the Service Director and urged him to see if Ford had put out a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that addressed customer concerns regarding the automatic lighting and battery drain problem. If the dealership is still uncooperative after you have spoken to their Service Director, call Ford's Customer Relationship Center at 1-800-392-3673. Also, keep in mind that no dealership wants to receive damning reviews on Yelp, so you might have additional leverage by threatening to use social media to complain. Just refuse to take "No" for an answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickster Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Windguy, "Dark Mode" in the Body Control Module does not affect the interior lights. For maximum stealth, I used the three-position switch to turn off the cabin light, so it doesn't come on with an opened door. I also disconnected the cargo area light, since it had no switch. I don't know if the firmware update allows you to set a shorter duration for the exterior lights. windguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 On 9/19/2017 at 8:48 AM, Mickster said: Windguy, "Dark Mode" in the Body Control Module does not affect the interior lights. For maximum stealth, I used the three-position switch to turn off the cabin light, so it doesn't come on with an opened door. I also disconnected the cargo area light, since it had no switch. I don't know if the firmware update allows you to set a shorter duration for the exterior lights. okay, thanks for the clarification. Just to summarize, the firmware update will enable a tech to disable the exterior lights from coming on when the door is open/closed. It does not affect the interior lights. Does your service ticket from Ford have any reference info regarding this service item, like an SSM# or Firmware #? It would be very cool to see a list of features that can be enabled/disabled by a service tech. I seem to remember the day time running lights is one of the features. I had mine done as an option at the factory, but would like to know what else is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickster Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 Sorry, I don't have any more information than I have already shared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 On 9/28/2017 at 4:35 PM, Mickster said: Sorry, I don't have any more information than I have already shared. No worries, thanks Question - Did you remove the cargo light to disable it and if so how do you pop that fixture out? I'm assume there are some type of clips holding it in but would rather ask before cheesing it up trying to pry it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickster Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Sorry for the belated reply. As I recall, I did not pry the fixture out. I simply squeezed its top and bottom and pulled it straight out of its receptacle. Then, I disconnected what I think was the ground wire, and secured it out of the way with a twist-tie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 On 10/2/2017 at 11:45 PM, windguy said: No worries, thanks remove the cargo light to disable it and if so how do you pop that fixture out? I didn't give it any thought at all when I wanted to switch out the interior lights with LED lights. I got a trim panel tool, and popped them out. I should have taken a photo to share. But trim panel tools are just like little plastic pry bars. Wedge it in, give it a little nudge, and it pops out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 On 10/15/2017 at 6:16 PM, Mickster said: Sorry for the belated reply. As I recall, I did not pry the fixture out. I simply squeezed its top and bottom and pulled it straight out of its receptacle. Then, I disconnected what I think was the ground wire, and secured it out of the way with a twist-tie. Thanks. Will try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Luther Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 I am trying everything I can to have the dealership reprogram my body control module they seem willing to help but just can't get it right Ford customer service has been no help on the technical side and I can't get to the actual TSB to provide them with exact information and they can't seem to find it does anybody have the name of a dealership or service director that has been able to complete this firmware update successfully my dealership would like to contact someone that has done this so they can complete the job on my van and get me out of their hair thanks for any available information Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeMan Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Tried to have this done also this morning with my dealership and had no luck also. They said it couldn't be done then I mentioned a TSB and a firmware update, he did find something in the ford site but not really sure if he found the right one. They tried again but had no luck. He said he put a request into ford for help. He said he get back to me. Sure. Any help would be great as this is also such a bummer for camping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Luther Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 (edited) Mission accomplished, lights don't stay on when doors are open . After a week at the dealership refusing to except no for a answer the function is now disabled. The dealership said they finally found the right technician who had experience with police cars and" Dark mode " .I can confirm that a 2016 transit titanium can have the this function disabled. Good luck ! Edited October 30, 2017 by Bart Luther desert_connect 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williaty Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 2 minutes ago, Bart Luther said: Mission accomplished, lights don't stay on when doors are open . After a week at the dealership refusing to except no for a answer the function is now disabled. The dealership said they finally found the right technician who had experience with police cars and" Dark mode " .I can confirm that a 2016 transit titanium can have the this function disabled. Good luck ! Can you PLEASE contact your dealer service and get any additional information you can so that the rest of us can go to our dealers armed with as much info as possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Luther Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 I have asked so others don't have to go through the hassle of what I had to go through. Ford customer service won't give me any specific technical information regarding my service ticket and the dealership will not either. "Dark mode" was the key term. Other than that I was not and will not get any further information from them .I even offered cash for the info and was told they could not accept and just to be happy they could help with my problem. Kind of weird? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williaty Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 Ford just pisses me off. After 15 years of owning, racing, and professionally race modifying Subarus, Ford is unbelievably customer hostile in comparison. I like my van but I'm growing to dislike the company it came from more and more. Willygee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLDSCHOOLFOOL Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Reading this thread is not very encouraging. I just know if I go back to the dealership they're going to piss me off......and then I'll get arrested.........then the wife will be mad and probably beat me....then I might be divorced......I just don't see how it can turn out very well. It shouldn't take a software engineer to turn off lights. Who the heck ever thought this feature was a GOOD thing anyway? joyous 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 22 hours ago, Bart Luther said: I have asked so others don't have to go through the hassle of what I had to go through. Ford customer service won't give me any specific technical information regarding my service ticket and the dealership will not either. "Dark mode" was the key term. Other than that I was not and will not get any further information from them .I even offered cash for the info and was told they could not accept and just to be happy they could help with my problem. Kind of weird? Thanks for trying to help us. Glad you got yours fixed. Seems like your service paperwork would have some type of info on it in terms of steps performed or a SSM or TSB reference. Sure does seem strange with the secrecy behind this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willygee Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Police cars and "dark mode"...i may run an ad in craigslist to see if i get a response from a "ford" tech..pay him on the side or something..and thanks Bart for the perseverance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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