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Can the automatic locking be turned off?


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Just for my own curiosity ... why disable the locking system?  It's been a standard function for a long time in so many cars I don't even realize it's happening anymore.  I drive rental cars all the time for work, and they all have this feature ... well, if they don't I haven't noticed.  The unlock feature has always been controllable ... to allow for all doors, just driver door or no doors to unlock.  I always program "no doors" when I am in big cities.

 

But again, I can't imagine a situation where I'd want doors unlocked while in motion.  Or, at least, no situation where I couldn't hit the unlock button manually to temporarily unlock the doors.

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For me it's a maintenance issue.

 

Assuming you keep your vehicle locked at all times between trips, adding an extra lock/unlock cycle in the middle of each trip will at least double the total number of cycles on the lock mechanism. If you keep your vehicle in a garage and keep it unlocked at home, it will be even more than double the number of cycles. Any mechanical device is going to be more prone to failure with additional cycles, although sometimes too infrequent use can also be bad.

 

If you minimize the number of cycles, it's likely you are also minimizing the chances of failure during your period of ownership.

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4 hours ago, Mike Chell said:

I can't imagine a situation where I'd want doors unlocked while in motion.  Or, at least, no situation where I couldn't hit the unlock button manually to temporarily unlock the doors.

 

I haven't actually done this yet, but one day soon I'm going to shove a canoe in the back and the doors will be open. I don't want the auto-lock continuously trying to lock an open door. Not sure if that's the way it will go but I'm sure its going to give me some sort of heartburn moving with the doors open. Maybe that will be one less thing to deal with at that very moment.

Besides, when I want the doors locked I know how to lock them. When I want them unlocked I know how to unlock them. I don't need Ford Motor Company trying to make that decision for me. And that is probably the biggest reason. When I can no longer think for myself, just change my diaper and lock all the doors.

 

And it took me four attempts this morning to get the auto-lock feature disabled because that one doesn't chirp as it said it would. The auto-unlock did.

Edited by OLDSCHOOLFOOL
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Apparently I was wr...wr...wrong. I just took the van out at lunch and the auto-lock is NOT disabled. I must have hit the power unlock button while the engine was on this morning. If you do that it doesn't lock automatically when you begin to move. Nothing new there, that was always the case. Now I'm a little pissed.

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This feature and many others can be configured using Forscan. Once you take the plunge and learn how to use it, you can be free from others deciding what is best for you ?

 

But, seriously Forscan allows you to change things " just because "....and that makes me happy.

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You need a Windows PC and an adapter. Here are excellent instructions from the Ford Fusion forum

http://www.2gfusions.net/showthread.php?tid=4573

 

The TC is built on the Focus platform. Module changes must be made using pre-programmed functions in Forscan. You can't change individual bits like you can on  Fusion and F150s.

 

There is a learning curve but Forscan gives you a free, powerful tool to read and change the ECU settings in your vehicle. You may be able to add options like DRL, alarm etc.

 

Dark mode was added to the BCM programming in late 2016. You may be able to activate it with Forscan. But if your build was earlier, the dealer would have to update the programming first. I have an earlier build so I don't know if the Forscan setting for Dark Mode (I think it is called approach light) works.

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Not to hijack the thread ... ooPs ... too late!  <G>

 

Does Forscan have an option for turning the stock reverse camera on and off? The system on my 2010 kinda looks factory and I get a pilot light on the rear view mirror, but no pic. Kind of a bummer as it's a cargo van with no windows in the back. Be interesting to see if cycling it between on and off might "fix" it. 

 

PS ... I've since had another camera installed using my radio head, but it'd be nice to have the original setup on all the time as a rear view mirror. I'm thinking that'd be easy enough to do by jumping or shorting the signal wire from reverse if factory programming doesn't allow that ...

 

 

Edited by sKiZo
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I don't know... But definitely "maybe". Forscan will show your existing configuration for 50+ parameters. Many parameters have a menu of items to choose possible changes. Sometimes they work, other times they don't and/or cause strange behaviors. So you have to be careful. This scares a lot of potential users away. The possibility of failure is increased because Forscan spends little or no  time programming features specifically for our unusual vehicle. But some of us can't turn down the challenge...even if it means bricking your ecu and going to the Ford dealer for help.

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3 hours ago, sKiZo said:

Not to hijack the thread ... ooPs ... too late!  <G>

 

Does Forscan have an option for turning the stock reverse camera on and off? The system on my 2010 kinda looks factory and I get a pilot light on the rear view mirror, but no pic. Kind of a bummer as it's a cargo van with no windows in the back. Be interesting to see if cycling it between on and off might "fix" it. 

 

PS ... I've since had another camera installed using my radio head, but it'd be nice to have the original setup on all the time as a rear view mirror. I'm thinking that'd be easy enough to do by jumping or shorting the signal wire from reverse if factory programming doesn't allow that ...

 

 

Cameras seem to be problematic:

http://forscan.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4408

 

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10 hours ago, Mike Chell said:

Speaking of hijacking ...

I am sure this has come up before, but I am relatively new to Ford diagnostic systems ...

They really chose, "foreskin" ... I mean, "forscan" for the name of their scanner?

See, I knew somebody had to go there..........

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11 hours ago, Don Ridley said:

I don't know... But definitely "maybe". Forscan will show your existing configuration for 50+ parameters. Many parameters have a menu of items to choose possible changes. Sometimes they work, other times they don't and/or cause strange behaviors. So you have to be careful. This scares a lot of potential users away. The possibility of failure is increased because Forscan spends little or no  time programming features specifically for our unusual vehicle. But some of us can't turn down the challenge...even if it means bricking your ecu and going to the Ford dealer for help.

It sounds a little hit & miss. Never going back to the stealership.

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