[idanny76]

I have a 2012 Ford Fusion SEL 2.5L. I have a dash-cam and it has constant power. I read in some places like Reddit and other places that the power shuts off to the power port in 20 minutes, other say 30 and some say 2 hours. I waited 3 hours and the port was still supplying 12v to the dash-cam. I know, because I have a port adapter that has 2 USB ports with a light. I saw on YouTube that with ForScan that the power point timeout can be changed and even disabled. I am guessing the only fix for this is through ForScan.

The other question and it might be a very simple one.... I have the child safety off on both of the rear doors, but in order to open the door you have to unlock it first. I have been in other vehicles, where you can just pull the handle to open the door and it automatically unlocks. From what I see the child safety basically does not allow the door to open even if the lock is off. Shouldn't the door open with the handle when the child safety lock is off without needing to unlock the door first?

 

[bbf2530]

Hi id76. Vehicles typically have switched power ports and/or non-switched or un-switched power ports. Or a combination of both.
The timeout of non-switched port can not be changed using FORScan. They are live all the time.
The timeout of Ford/Lincoln switched powerports is typically 10 minutes, or when a front door is opened. Just like the other accessories.

So from your description, you have your dash-camera plugged into a non-switched power port, and that port would not be re-programmable to being switched. You would need to hard-wire to a switched circuit in the fuse box (or splice into one). Or plug into a switched port, if one is available.

Regarding your locks question: For this thread, I am sort of assuming you are discussing opening the back doors from the inside with the Child Locks off but while the door is locked otherwise?

If yes...Ford rear doors have not unlocked from the inside with just a handle pull while locked for many years now. Not without first using the lock button (on the door), or the power lock buttons on the front doors, to unlock the door first in earlier years, or with two pulls of the door handle in current years. More explanation below...

You have a late 1st generation Fusion. So if the rear doors have lock buttons (as my 2007 MKZ and early Fusions did), then you simply need to unlock the lock button first. Then you can open the door from the inside, if the Child Locks are off.
If it does not have a lock button (as my 2018 MKZ and 2nd generation Fusions do not), then pull the door handle twice to open the door from the inside. If the Child locks are off.

In the off chance you are discussing opening the doors from the outside, (which I don't think you are, but will play it safe and answer anyway): No, for safety purposes, the doors must be unlocked from inside first, in order to open a rear door from the outside. Otherwise, anyone could jump into your car while it is stopped.

Let us know how you make out and good luck.

 

[idanny76]

Hi id76. Vehicles typically have switched power ports and/or non-switched or un-switched power ports. Or a combination of both.
The timeout of non-switched port can not be changed using FORScan. They are live all the time.
The timeout of Ford/Lincoln switched powerports is typically 10 minutes, or when a front door is opened. Just like the other accessories.

So from your description, you have your dash-camera plugged into a non-switched power port, and that port would not be re-programmable to being switched. You would need to hard-wire to a switched circuit in the fuse box (or splice into one). Or plug into a switched port, if one is available.

Regarding your locks question: For this thread, I am sort of assuming you are discussing opening the back doors from the inside with the Child Locks off but while the door is locked otherwise?

If yes...Ford rear doors have not unlocked from the inside with just a handle pull while locked for many years now. Not without first using the lock button (on the door), or the power lock buttons on the front doors, to unlock the door first in earlier years, or with two pulls of the door handle in current years.More explanation below...

You have a late 1st generation Fusion. So if the rear doors have lock buttons (as my 2007 MKZ and early Fusions did), unlock the lock button first. Then you can open the door from the inside, if the Child Locks are off.
If it does not have a lock button (as my 2018 MKZ and 2nd generation Fusions do not), then pull the door handle twice to open the door from teinside. If the Child locks are off.

In the off chance you are discussing opening the doors from the outside, (which I don't think you are, but will play it safe and answer anyway): No, for safety purposes, the doors must be unlocked from inside first, in order to open a rear door from the outside. Otherwise, anyone could jump into your car while it is stopped.

Let us know how you make out and good luck.

Thank you for taking the time to educate me and give a detailed explanation. I really appreciate it and I am very grateful, thank you.

Yes I was talking about opening from inside. I haven't bought a brand new vehicle since 2003. I had a 2000 Honda passport I sold two years ago and bought the Ford Fusions. I have had the 2012 Ford Fusions for 3 years now and still have my 2003 Dodge Caravan. So this is all new technology to me. It was just seemed like a neuseance to have to unlock all the doors so the person in the back could get out without unlocking it first. But I know now it has nothing to do with the child safety lock.

I will check tomorrow if the power port in the arm rest storage is a switched power port and just see if I can run the cable there.

I ordered an obd2 with a switch to use with forscan, but will just return it. I was thinking maybe I could update the vehicles firmware for the transmission and other electronics through forscan, but not sure if that would be a wise idea.

 

[bangster]

Gen 1/1.5 the power ports are always hot, Gen 2 they are on a delay (I forget what the default is) that can be changed in Forscan.

I had my dashcam powered by a fuse tap in the fuse box, but since I have the auto dimming mirror, there is a switched 12v at the mirror. I have pins poked into the back of the connector and it is working just fine. A 4 inch USB cable to the dash cam and no running wires along the A pillar.

 

[idanny76]

Hi id76. Vehicles typically have switched power ports and/or non-switched or un-switched power ports. Or a combination of both.
The timeout of non-switched port can not be changed using FORScan. They are live all the time.
The timeout of Ford/Lincoln switched powerports is typically 10 minutes, or when a front door is opened. Just like the other accessories.

So from your description, you have your dash-camera plugged into a non-switched power port, and that port would not be re-programmable to being switched. You would need to hard-wire to a switched circuit in the fuse box (or splice into one). Or plug into a switched port, if one is available.

Regarding your locks question: For this thread, I am sort of assuming you are discussing opening the back doors from the inside with the Child Locks off but while the door is locked otherwise?

If yes...Ford rear doors have not unlocked from the inside with just a handle pull while locked for many years now. Not without first using the lock button (on the door), or the power lock buttons on the front doors, to unlock the door first in earlier years, or with two pulls of the door handle in current years. More explanation below...

You have a late 1st generation Fusion. So if the rear doors have lock buttons (as my 2007 MKZ and early Fusions did), then you simply need to unlock the lock button first. Then you can open the door from the inside, if the Child Locks are off.
If it does not have a lock button (as my 2018 MKZ and 2nd generation Fusions do not), then pull the door handle twice to open the door from the inside. If the Child locks are off.

In the off chance you are discussing opening the doors from the outside, (which I don't think you are, but will play it safe and answer anyway): No, for safety purposes, the doors must be unlocked from inside first, in order to open a rear door from the outside. Otherwise, anyone could jump into your car while it is stopped.

Let us know how you make out and good luck.

So when you say to hard-wire to a switched circuit in the fuse box (or splice into one).... You mean something like in this YouTube video?

 

[bangster]

Yes, a fuse tap into a switched fuse, 12v>5v USB power step down module to the camera.

 

[idanny76]

Yes, a fuse tap into a switched fuse, 12v>5v USB power step down module to the camera.

The guy on the YouTube video was able to make the power port switch from non-switched with the hardwired tap. Not sure how it was done. He seemed to linked the power port with a switch fuse. Confused on how that works.

Comments on the video on how it works.

 

[bangster]

I am not sure why you would want to hack into the power point and then have it always taken by one single thing, when you can just do part of that hack and just connect the dash cam to it. I am sure they either use a relay or cut the wire from the fuse box that is always on and use one that is switched.

I like that my power ports are always on. My car can sit for days and I have a small solar panel that plugs in and helps maintain the battery. I also pick USB power plugs without LEDs that consume less than 1 milliamp when nothing is plugged in.

But again, I also don't see the need to run wires from the fuse box when there is switched power right at the mirror. 3d print a small box for a 12v>5v down converter, attach a cut off USB cable, and it all small and attached to the mirror and dash cam.

Pins crimped on the red and black wires, pushed into the back of the connector on the mirror (and secured by heat shrink).

 

[idanny76]

I am not sure why you would want to hack into the power point and then have it always taken by one single thing, when you can just do part of that hack and just connect the dash cam to it. I am sure they either use a relay or cut the wire from the fuse box that is always on and use one that is switched.

I like that my power ports are always on. My car can sit for days and I have a small solar panel that plugs in and helps maintain the battery. I also pick USB power plugs without LEDs that consume less than 1 milliamp when nothing is plugged in.

But again, I also don't see the need to run wires from the fuse box when there is switched power right at the mirror. 3d print a small box for a 12v>5v down converter, attach a cut off USB cable, and it all small and attached to the mirror and dash cam.

Pins crimped on the red and black wires, pushed into the back of the connector on the mirror (and secured by heat shrink).

When you say mirror.... You mean the rear view mirror?

 

[bangster]

Yes, the rear view mirror.

This is the same connector, but from an S, it is missing a lot of wires, and I don't know what options you have, so the switched power and ground might be different. These are the same dupont pins I crimped to larger gauge wire for the 12v source, these are just jumpers I am using, but same ends. I used 2 layers of heat shrink (I removed the wires from the connector), little zip times would work also.

 

[idanny76]

Yes, the rear view mirror.

This is the same connector, but from an S, it is missing a lot of wires, and I don't know what options you have, so the switched power and ground might be different. These are the same dupont pins I crimped to larger gauge wire for the 12v source, these are just jumpers I am using, but same ends. I used 2 layers of heat shrink (I removed the wires from the connector), little zip times would work also.

I'll look into it this coming week. Thanks for the info.

 

[bangster]

Blue wire is 12v switched (actually accessory delay, so will stay on after you turn off the car until you open the door or it times out).
Black with a yellow stripe is ground.

Other possible wires are Reverse (for disabling the auto dimming, and for the LCD display of the backup camera), mic + and -, the compass + and -, and the video in.

I am installing a mirror with the LCD, my mic in the roof on my 2012.

 

[idanny76]

Blue wire is 12v switched (actually accessory delay, so will stay on after you turn off the car until you open the door or it times out).
Black with a yellow stripe is ground.

Other possible wires are Reverse (for disabling the auto dimming, and for the LCD display of the backup camera), mic + and -, the compass + and -, and the video in.

I am installing a mirror with the LCD, my mic in the roof on my 2012.

I was wondering what that was on the driver side roof.... I would have assumed the mic for the voice commands would have been in the steering wheel or center console. I really would like to make the power port switchable like the person on the YouTube video did. Not sure how it was done completely yet. Its like he tapped the power port to one that was switched with the ignition. So just by hardwiring two fuses together it makes an always on power to a switchable?

 

[idanny76]

I was going to use a fuse tap from the power point to a controlled ignition fuse. I just notice the fuses for both power points are in the fuse box in the engine compartment. Not only are the fuses in the engine compartment, but they are not mini type fuses but are the large square fuses. I guess the idea behind the fuse tap is no longer a viable option. I could hardwire the dashcam to a ignition control fuse, but I don't want to be splicing wires and rewiring to a ignition operated fuse. I could do what @bangster suggested and tap into the rear view mirror power.

I think my best choice is to replace the car port adapter to one that does not have an led light, since I have the camera to only record 20 minutes after parking. Will try that first and see how it goes.