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FORScan Side Effects? Changing Power Point Time Out
I am thinking about "FORScanning" 12v Power Point Timeout from factory 75 minutes to either zero or max of 18 hours. This is to power Dashcam in "Parking Mode". (Key Off). I am hoping the Battery Monitoring System is smart enough to kill power to the Power Point if voltage drops too low. First I plan on disabling timeout to see if this works. If it does not, then I plan on changing the time out to the max I can get away with....probably 18 hours
With less than 1000 miles on my truck, I prefer to proceed cautiously. BEFORE I try to change this, I would like to know if anyone is aware of any negative side effects that might result from messing with this.
I have to wonder if this is a better alternative or not...............
I suspect you could connect the timer directly to the battery (through an inline fuse of course) so that the timer would receive a constant ON voltage. Then, you could wire the dashcam to the timer and set the timeout to your liking without mucking with the ECU.
I was excited when I saw this. Have never heard of it.........and I am a TECHIE! But, daggone it, after reading so many poor reviews on Amazon, I am not so excited anymore.
Still thinking about using FORScan to change timeout and see what system does to protect battery from discharging.
before you play around in Forscan make sure you take pictures, save your asbuilt etc so you can revert back to stock if needed
Roger on that. If you saw the very elaborate backup scheme for my computer data, you would KNOW that I will be backing up AsBuilt ..........in NUMEROUS places.
after reading so many poor reviews on Amazon, I am not so excited anymore.
I have no idea that it was even sold on Amazon.
Only thing that I can tell you is that at work, we use it on our fleet. I have personally installed on my own cars, and a few friends' cars. Honda. Ford. GM. Toyota. Dodge. They all worked flawlessly. Leave the lights on and radio playing, the battery cuts out as expected. Turn off the lights and radio. Then a few pumps of the brake pedal, and the car starts right up. I have yet to see a failure. As a matter of fact, I have 1 that is about 10 years old, which I used on my Explorer, then installed into a Honda. Works fine. Buddy's daughter always leaves lights on and stereo pumping. He told me that it as already cycled about a dozen times, and each time would have been a jump start and/or depleted battery which would need to be replaced.
Only thing that I can tell you is that at work, we use it on our fleet. I have personally installed on my own cars, and a few friends' cars. Honda. Ford. GM. Toyota. Dodge. They all worked flawlessly. Leave the lights on and radio playing, the battery cuts out as expected. Turn off the lights and radio. Then a few pumps of the brake pedal, and the car starts right up. I have yet to see a failure. As a matter of fact, I have 1 that is about 10 years old, which I used on my Explorer, then installed into a Honda. Works fine. Buddy's daughter always leaves lights on and stereo pumping. He told me that it as already cycled about a dozen times, and each time would have been a jump start and/or depleted battery which would need to be replaced.
Glad to hear about so much positive experience with this device. It's reassuring enough to put it back on the table as an option for what I am trying to accomplish.
Thanks!
Just a suspicion that this is meant for fleet use. In most cases, it's vehicles with a lot of auxiliary devices and/or flashing lights. Sometimes you're at a location for hours with the lights flashing on the car and the engine off. Allows you to restart the car, then turn the flashing lights back on. Of coure, you're not mounting a light bar. But you can see how this would be great for when you're outdoors, offroad, hunting, camping, fishing.......and you want to have lights on, but you don't want to run the engine, and you're worried about the battery draining. Individual buyers from amazon.com may not be using and/or installing the item properly.
Just a suspicion that this is meant for fleet use. In most cases, it's vehicles with a lot of auxiliary devices and/or flashing lights. Sometimes you're at a location for hours with the lights flashing on the car and the engine off. Allows you to restart the car, then turn the flashing lights back on. Of coure, you're not mounting a light bar. But you can see how this would be great for when you're outdoors, offroad, hunting, camping, fishing.......and you want to have lights on, but you don't want to run the engine, and you're worried about the battery draining. Individual buyers from amazon.com may not be using and/or installing the item properly.
Seems pretty simple to install and use, however if it DOES disconnect the battery, then there is a learning process that must gone through for the electronics, and radio presets, time, seat memory, etc might have to be reset. I am hoping that the OEM system will shut down power to the power point if battery drops too low, in which case no relearning, resetting, etc required. Just have not seen anywhere that the system will disconnect power points if necessary.
No matter what, I will be carrying one of these with me.
The NOCO GB40 with 1000 amp is good enough to start any small car, pickup truck, or van. That's actually what I bought way back when. It works like a charm. It worked so well, I kind of went overboard. I now have a GB150, with 4000 amp in the garage. Probably will be able to jumpstart a bus, or my brother in law's tractor trailer. Although I've never, ever heard of an 18 wheeler needing a jump start because he forgot to turn off the radio.
The NOCO GB40 with 1000 amp is good enough to start any small car, pickup truck, or van. That's actually what I bought way back when. It works like a charm. It worked so well, I kind of went overboard. I now have a GB150, with 4000 amp in the garage. Probably will be able to jumpstart a bus, or my brother in law's tractor trailer. Although I've never, ever heard of an 18 wheeler needing a jump start because he forgot to turn off the radio.
I had a GB150 in my cart when I decided it was overkill. Pretty certain the GB40 would suffice, but went for GB70 just to get a little extra OOMPH if I need it.
Back on topic.......Does anyone know if the system will disconnect power to the power points if battery goes low because of a power point drain with Key Off? This would be after FORScaning the power point to disable timeout.
I guess I am just going to have to do it and see what happens.
Hi @tperk100
Did you find time to test it? I have Mustang and I noticed that power point timeout stopped working today. USB and 12v power outlet go off inmediatelly after ignition is off.
I do not know if it can be related to low battery? Battery monitoring shows 11.9V and as i remember it worked with such level before but can be wrong.
02-15-2019, 12:37 PM
