Pulling Telematics Modem Fuse 20 under dash

[FordFamily4Fun]

Buy a 5 Amp micro 3 fuse, the same that's in F19/20. There are two links in the fuse. One is F19, the other is F20. Cut one of the links. Plug in the fuse so the intact link is in the F19 position. That will disable the Telematics modem. Your lights will still work.

Micro 3 fuses have three pins. The center pin is common. In this case the contact for the center pin is always hot. The outside pins are fuses for two different circuits. In this case, one is F19, the other is F20.

According to the printed manual, F8/9 is a spare fuse. Only one side of F21/22 is used. Both are micro 3 5A fuses.

Appreciate it. Already mentioned I was going to try cutting the metal barb on three prong fuse 19/20 on the 20 side and see what happens. Also mentioned you know if it works as Ford connectivity on the infotainment will just show a constant connecting circle with no connection happening. Will be back home with the Bronco in a few days and give it a try. If that works, it is an easy enough simple fix for everyone.

Sponsored

 

[CalvinT]

Looking at the 2022 owner's manual. It looks like F35 may be a spare 5A micro2 fuse.

I'd try a micro2 fuse as Ogre suggested before cutting the prong. But then I'm lazy.

 

[FordFamily4Fun]

I knew I signed my rights away when I agreed to to the FordPass! Does it still take info if I didnt? Not that I really care anymore, everything in our houses are doing it...tvs..refrigerators...phones..thermostats..ring cameras and doorbells....
Now if I can only find the airtag my wife hid in vehicle!

Haha. There are apps that scan for air tags. Nothing in my home is connected to the internet. Dumb TVs. The worst is your phone. While you need a Pixel, this will give you phone privacy from data brokers/Google-Android (can't unlock bootloader on Apple phones to do this). I have three Pixels running GrapheneOS. Just like Android but no account, no data being slurped by Google and separate apps.
https://grapheneos.org/

EDIT: Obviously my laptops (running privacy Linux OS) and phones connect to the internet when home. I have an ISP, but not other devices in home connected to internet except laptops and phones - which all use a VPN so my ISP can't see and sell the websites I visit. If you want online privacy, the below is a good guide. Just a few basic things go a long way without getting bogged down. VPN, privacy browser and privacy search engine. I recommend Proton VPN, download and use Brave browser, and set Brave browser to use Startpage search engine (gives Google search results without Google tracking). While I do more, these three things will be huge in protecting your personal and private data from big tech and data brokers.
https://www.privacyguides.org/en/tools/

 

[CalvinT]

Now you just need to keep the Borg from wondering why you're hiding. Attempting to not stand out can make you conspicuous.

I'm not saying you're wrong. Just saying you need to look more generic.

My TV and Blu-ray player don't know the internet exists. When I broke down and bought a Windows laptop, I kept it from creating a microsoft account. And I do use Protonmail. I also don't use the standard DNS server.

I'm trying to figure out Zigbee and Z-wave since I don't want to use any "smart home" technology that requires an internet connection. That means avoiding any produts sold in "Big Box" stores.

I firmly believe that technology should serve us. We shouldn't serve it. If a technology doesn't make our life easier and less complicated, it has no reason to exist.

I'll get off my soap box now.

 

[FordFamily4Fun]

Now you just need to keep the Borg from wondering why you're hiding. Attempting to not stand out can make you conspicuous.

I'm already well known to my town council and school board for calling them out on insane taxes, cooking the books where I have proven so, etc. I really make them look bad in public meetings. Would not surprise me if they have had the local police try and look into me for dirt. How do the police circumvent the Fourth Amendment to get dirt on you without a probable cause warrant signed by a judge? They buy the data from Google, Apple, Microsoft, your ISP, etc. , or more likely from data brokers that have everything you do online already. Since I may be on their radar, they can buy all the data they want and find very little on me. For this forum, I used an email alias and a username never used before and use an always on VPN with kill switch with a privacy browser that blocks the tracking websites will do through Google Analytics and other tracking tools. The gov can look all they want (if they were to be doing so) and find very little of an online footprint and I will maintain my privacy - which the Supreme Court has ruled is a constitutional right.

EDIT: And, my name is not Kyle and I am not from Augusta, GA. While I do own a Bronco, the vehicles and models listed are not correct. I have fun with this. For me, it's just one of my hobbies. If you are into the privacy world, you just get used to using pseudonyms and not leaving a trail. Most could care less about privacy, and that's fine too. To each their own.

 

[thepear]

I thought of the same thing with the fuse but I just decided to unplug the TCU so it gets no power. For any reason I need to utilize it, I just need to plug it back in. With cutting the fuse I would have to have a spare around that still works. It should take 30 seconds for me to connect the connector back in.

I verified all communications are disabled by going into the about screen for the modem and instead of it showing it's MAC Address and S/N it just sits at the screen for about 30 seconds and errors out. I also did a Master Reset on the system before pulling it to disconnect any association.

I decied to do this when I got a message while I was driving that stated:

"You can share information with us about what is listened to in the vehicle for product improvement and development purposes"

I noped out of that that real quick and pulled the plug on the modem. I did this over a half year ago and so far I have not noticed any issues so far.

 

[FordFamily4Fun]

I thought of the same thing with the fuse but I just decided to unplug the TCU so it gets no power. For any reason I need to utilize it, I just need to plug it back in. With cutting the fuse I would have to have a spare around that still works. It should take 30 seconds for me to connect the connector back in.

I verified all communications are disabled by going into the about screen for the modem and instead of it showing it's MAC Address and S/N it just sits at the screen for about 30 seconds and errors out. I also did a Master Reset on the system before pulling it to disconnect any association.

I decied to do this when I got a message while I was driving that stated:

"You can share information with us about what is listened to in the vehicle for product improvement and development purposes"

I noped out of that that real quick and pulled the plug on the modem. I did this over a half year ago and so far I have not noticed any issues so far.

Sounds like the way to go. Appreciate it. Do you have some general directions for forum members to disconnect the TCU to make is easier for them?

 

[thepear]

Sounds like the way to go. Appreciate it. Do you have some general directions for forum members to disconnect the TCU to make is easier for them?

Sure, pretty much just followed this thread:

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...t-t-to-t-mobile-almost-there-need-help.50157/

Then I just unplugged the cable leading to it but here are the steps:

Open the glove box
push the tabs to remove it from its rail
then disconnect this cable leading to the TCU

Afterwards if you go into "Connectivity" then "Connected Vehicle Features" it will spin and time out or give you the error below.

I was surprised that it was this accessible and Ford didn't bury it far back behind the screen requiring us to remove half the dash to access it. I am curious if unplugging that fuse provides the same error. I cannot confirm if the TCU isn't located somewhere else on different models or years. I have a 2023 MY Bronco 4 door Badlands.

Carplay works and that's what I mainly use, even the MPH for the road that I am on in the gauge cluster. I bet that it will stop getting updates and slowly be out of date but the funny thing is, I only had a 3 month subscription (I think) but it's been 6 months and it still provides me the info. Either this is normal behavior once it runs out or an update never went to the car to disable the feature after it expired. I did get an email saying it would be awhile back.

If I ever want to update the car I would just plug that connector back in and push the update to the car and then disconnect it instead of going with the fuse route.

 

[FordFamily4Fun]

I was surprised that it was this accessible and Ford didn't bury it far back behind the screen requiring us to remove half the dash to access it.

Wow. That is easy. I assumed it would be hard to get to. Thank you!

EDIT: Here is a YouTube on how to open up the glove box. You can see the TCU on the right, and change your cabin air filter if need be

 

[flip]

GPS is passive in that you can't track someone by GPS via the satellite. You need that person transmitting their GPS location - either by car modem or cell phone. As I posted, I have taken care of my cell phone for all this data brokering/selling of personal info. I'm trying to figure an easy enough fix for the Bronco so everyone can do it. If not, I'm pulling apart the dash, pulling out the infotainment system and yanking the modem behind it. If that throws a permanent service alert, so be it. It seems as simple as pulling fuse 20 under the dash, which will give you a permanent service alert but your lights may not work/Bronco may not start because Ford does not want to make it that easy, but I'll look around a little more for a way that does not throw that alert where the Bronco works fine. Otherwise the dash comes apart.

 

[FordFamily4Fun]

Wow. That is easy. I assumed it would be hard to get to. Thank you!

EDIT: Here is a YouTube on how to open up the glove box. You can see the TCU on the right, and change your cabin air filter if need be

Done! Now I was not using a flashlight, but I figured it out. The clip/wiring you take off the TCU is not squeeze on the wide sides up and down. Use a small screwdriver on the side of the clip facing towards the glove box area. Depress the middle prong with a small screwdriver and it pops out.

 

[Epiphany]

I firmly believe that technology should serve us. We shouldn't serve it. If a technology doesn't make our life easier and less complicated, it has no reason to exist.

Absolutely nailed it.

I did this over a half year ago and so far I have not noticed any issues so far.

No issues but what features did you lose?

 

[thepear]

Absolutely nailed it.



No issues but what features did you lose?

No features that I care about so none hahaha.

But in all seriousness, since this severed the connection to all Ford servers anything that relies on that communication. BlueTooth and CarPlay/Android Auto still works and I only use that so everything else doesn't bother me. Maybe someone else can create an extensive list but as far as I can think of:

FordPass app to lock/unlock, start/stop, check tire pressure, Locate vehicle, etc.
Infotainment/Sync updates
Built in Navigation live traffic
updates to the road speed limits you're on
updates to built in navigation app for roads/maps
Anything Alexa related

Like I said there's probably some more nuances but to me I haven't noticed a single one gone yet. If for any reason I want to restore the connection I just plug the TCU back in connect it back to Ford servers.

The built in navigation still works if I open that up, I see a map of where I am at and my current location, I haven't tried but I don't think routing me to a destination would work.

I could see the The FordPass stuff being nice to have but I already have a remote starter on my key fob, the door pin to lock/unlock my car without my keys, and ended up installing an extra AirTag in case I need to locate the vehicle.

 

[Epiphany]

Thanks for taking the time out to write out that response and kudos for your efforts here.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

I'm already well known to my town council and school board for calling them out on insane taxes, cooking the books where I have proven so, etc. I really make them look bad in public meetings. Would not surprise me if they have had the local police try and look into me for dirt. How do the police circumvent the Fourth Amendment to get dirt on you without a probable cause warrant signed by a judge? They buy the data from Google, Apple, Microsoft, your ISP, etc. , or more likely from data brokers that have everything you do online already. Since I may be on their radar, they can buy all the data they want and find very little on me. For this forum, I used an email alias and a username never used before and use an always on VPN with kill switch with a privacy browser that blocks the tracking websites will do through Google Analytics and other tracking tools. The gov can look all they want (if they were to be doing so) and find very little of an online footprint and I will maintain my privacy - which the Supreme Court has ruled is a constitutional right.

EDIT: And, my name is not Kyle and I am not from Augusta, GA. While I do own a Bronco, the vehicles and models listed are not correct. I have fun with this. For me, it's just one of my hobbies. If you are into the privacy world, you just get used to using pseudonyms and not leaving a trail. Most could care less about privacy, and that's fine too. To each their own.

How are you getting around credit cards/banking?

Sponsored