Experience with disabling the "Telematics control unit module"?

[A Sturdy Beast]

Mine has been out for five month, a month after I've got the Maverick. There's no nagging about enabling it, or the error that shows up with FORScan. The downside is that doing so does disable the FordPass connection and of course, starting the Maverick with the app and in vehicle WiFi. I installed the Ford Perimeter Plus Vehicle Security System, that included remote start via the FOB, the usual "Lock-Unlock-Lock" sequence...

While the FordPass had been disabled, I doubt that SIM card had been disabled. Ford still gets the "telemetry" of your driving and the vehicle operation data. How else would Ford know "how good driver I am and offer insurance for my Maverick? Not to mention that the dealer has no issue with looking up the milage, when the Maverick is serviced.


That might be applicable for California residents, but not in other states. The FordPass app has the "opt-out" for California residents only...

I didn't install Ford Pass.

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[cyberdog]

The Telematics might also include the ability to actually use the head unit with voice commands, or your phone tied into it. Typically, the voice commands after pressing the 'talk' button on the steering wheel, are considered part of the Telematics in some instances. - Curious if that basically cripples the voice/multi-media functions of the head unit.

If it wasn't for the odd look I'd get, I'd ask my brother. As a Ford Master-Tech, he'd probably have smoke coming out of his ears, thinking he's going to need to fix my Maverick when I try it.

 

[Skyline]

I didn't install Ford Pass.

I don't believe that it matters. Ford knows what you purchased, how much you paid, the performance data of the truck, etc., by the VIN. The FordPass allows you to see some of the data of your truck that Ford deems you can see and start your truck remotely with the app. Not installing the app isn't necessarily prevent Ford from collecting all of the data..

Curious if that basically cripples the voice/multi-media functions of the head unit.

Disabling the telemetry unit does not cripple the phone-calls/ multimedia functions of the head unit. You can still connect via Bluetooth/USB cable. You could even use Apple Play, if you have Siri enabled on your iPhone which mine does not have. I don't know about Android phone, never had one, but they'd probably work on the same way...

 

[A Sturdy Beast]

I don't believe that it matters. Ford knows what you purchased, how much you paid, the performance data of the truck, etc., by the VIN. The FordPass allows you to see some of the data of your truck that Ford deems you can see and start your truck remotely with the app. Not installing the app isn't necessarily prevent Ford from collecting all of the data..

I think it does matter. By turning off the modem when the truck presented the telematics notice, coupled with not installing Ford Pass and not agreeing to its TOS and privacy notice, I have not consented to data collection.

 

[YazYaz]

https://www.heavy.ai/technical-glossary/vehicle-telematics#:~:text=Vehicle telematics combines GPS systems,with the vehicle's internal behavior.

Its the device that tells Ford everywhere you go, speed, acceleration, miles, braking, idling, etc. and can even monitor conversations inside the cab. Ford stores and sells this information.

All the great things that law enforcement or your insurance company can get a court order for in any legal action.

Ford Pass is a great convenience but comes at the cost of NO privacy.

Telematics is not Ford Pass and Ford Pass is not Telematics. They both do use the onboard modem.

 

[everdrive]

I have had this fuse out for nearly a year, haven't noticed anything that doesn't work like it should.

That's great! I'm glad we could get some confirmation.

 

[commadorebob]

I think it does matter. By turning off the modem when the truck presented the telematics notice, coupled with not installing Ford Pass and not agreeing to its TOS and privacy notice, I have not consented to data collection.

You gave it when you bought it.

 

[A Sturdy Beast]

You gave it when you bought it.

I disagree.

 

[MMaverick]

I disagree.

I also disagree. I will also be adding a clause to my purchase agreement that states I do NOT agree to any data collection for reuse by Ford or any third party. So it will be in writing.

 

[RedRider]

I also disagree. I will also be adding a clause to my purchase agreement that states I do NOT agree to any data collection for reuse by Ford or any third party. So it will be in writing.

LOL. I guess you're not planning on receiving your new vehicle, eh? Ford obviously cannot hobble their engineering dept. and agree to your requirements, so they cannot possibly build the vehicle to your dark-helicopters-are-watching-me requirements. I cannot think of a vehicle by any manufacturer being built today that does not have telematics instrumentation to give them the real-world feedback that they need to build better vehicles, so I guess you're going to have to drive some old clunker instead.

 

[colinl]

Mine has been out for five month, a month after I've got the Maverick. There's no nagging about enabling it, or the error that shows up with FORScan. The downside is that doing so does disable the FordPass connection and of course, starting the Maverick with the app and in vehicle WiFi. I installed the Ford Perimeter Plus Vehicle Security System, that included remote start via the FOB, the usual "Lock-Unlock-Lock" sequence...

While the FordPass had been disabled, I doubt that SIM card had been disabled. Ford still gets the "telemetry" of your driving and the vehicle operation data. How else would Ford know "how good driver I am and offer insurance for my Maverick? Not to mention that the dealer has no issue with looking up the milage, when the Maverick is serviced.


That might be applicable for California residents, but not in other states. The FordPass app has the "opt-out" for California residents only...

I am not sure why no one else has noticed and commented on this part of your reply. By out, I assume you mean that you've pulled BCM Fuse 11, for Telematics.

In regards to the first, Ford can and probably does offer financing and insurance based on many factors. Insurance companies in particular always market to 'good drivers' because that's who they want, but they don't necessarily need inside information to do that outreach.

So, I don't consider marketing outreach to be evidence that your driving data is still being shared with fuse 11 pulled.

In regards to the second, are you really sure about that? Numerous members here are dealership employees and if you gave one of them your VIN they can try to pull location, status & errors from your truck. If they succeed, you are right. Whatever fuse 11 does, it would not inhibit that type of dealership (and Ford corporate) access.

...Which leads me to the last part of what I find interesting. If these things are true, what benefit is it to pull fuse 11 if FordPass doesn't work, and then data is still going out?

 

[MMaverick]

LOL. I guess you're not planning on receiving your new vehicle, eh? Ford obviously cannot hobble their engineering dept. and agree to your requirements, so they cannot possibly build the vehicle to your dark-helicopters-are-watching-me requirements. I cannot think of a vehicle by any manufacturer being built today that does not have telematics instrumentation to give them the real-world feedback that they need to build better vehicles, so I guess you're going to have to drive some old clunker instead.

They don't need real world feedback to build better vehicles. If that were true then we would still be driving the clunkers from the 50s. You can try to label me any way you want but without knowing me that is an asinine statement.

 

[colinl]

They don't need real world feedback to build better vehicles. If that were true then we would still be driving the clunkers from the 50s. You can try to label me any way you want but without knowing me that is an asinine statement.

Your clause will either be non-binding / non-enforceable, or if the dealership for some reason thinks it could be enforceable, they will not agree and will not sell you the vehicle unless you remove that clause.

I could try to write in all kind of things to a sales contract. Any of them that aren't strictly financial I would expect to get shot down immediately. You have absolutely no leverage, they will happily sell that truck to someone else.

 

[Darnon]

I also disagree. I will also be adding a clause to my purchase agreement that states I do NOT agree to any data collection for reuse by Ford or any third party. So it will be in writing.

Your purchase contract is with the dealership, not Ford, so meaningless.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

Be aware that no one, at least no one who is talking here on MTC, knows how much data might be stored on your Maverick and where. It might all get downloaded through the OBD port when your vehicle is serviced.

You're implying there is a storage device, which is pretty unlikely that it stores more than a few points of data. There "may" be a buffer big enough to compensate for when the modem is trying to transmit data and runs into a hiccup and has to try again, but that buffer is probably pretty small, and probably doesn't keep stuff when the power is turned off.

Just a guess, but it doesn't make money sense for Ford to install the modem spy features AND storage feature AND a way to download via OBD.
(OBD is OLD and connected to the computer in a different way than was ever meant for downloading "black box" info...)

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