Which ports are auto off and which ones are always on?

[Chaarlemagne]

I have a new to me 2016 Explorer Sport and I'm trying to determine which of the following do/don't turn off when car is off:

Cigarette lighter port under radio
USB under radio
USB in center console
Wall plug in back of center console
USB port(s) on back of center console

If anyone here can break down which are always on and which turn off with the car (or if a set time after ignition is off, how long) I'd appreciate it. Right now I'm going through testing with a home security camera, plug it in, wait an hour, see if it's still connected. But there has gotta be someone here with this knowledge.

Also,thr power going to thr rear view mirror, if I buy a tap for that to add a usb (for a dash cam) is that gonna turn off automatically?

 

[ProjectSHO89]

None of them are "ALWAYS HOT". One way or another, they're all controlled by software in the BCM which controls three different relays which supply the actual switching.

Have you checked the owner's manual for a description of how to expect them to work?

Power to the vanity mirrors is switched by logic and a relay inside the BCM.

 

[Chaarlemagne]

None of them are "ALWAYS HOT". One way or another, they're all controlled by software in the BCM which controls three different relays which supply the actual switching.

Have you checked the owner's manual for a description of how to expect them to work?

Power to the vanity mirrors is switched by logic and a relay inside the BCM.

I do not have original owners manual, and the PDF I found online was somewhat vague in regards to the power. Says (on select models) a lot. And I wasn't referring to the vanity mirrors, I was talking about the rear view mirror. Has a power line running to it, likely for the auto dimming but I'm not sure.

 

[ProjectSHO89]

The PDF manuals from Ford should be identical to the same printing of the hard copy.

The rearview mirror does have a power line that is fed from the RUN/START relay in the BCM. YE-GY wire at the mirror.

 

[Chaarlemagne]

The PDF manuals from Ford should be identical to the same printing of the hard copy.

The rearview mirror does have a power line that is fed from the RUN/START relay in the BCM. YE-GY wire at the mirror.

OK, maybe I'm just slow then because I looked through it and couldn't find any info on the power ports other than that they exist.

Speaking of me being slow, what does that mean in regards to when it has power and when/if it cuts off?

 

[ProjectSHO89]

OK, maybe I'm just slow then because I looked through it and couldn't find any info on the power ports other than that they exist.

Then I'd conclude that's the extent of the information that Ford provides.

what does that mean in regards to when it has power and when/if it cuts off?

All controlled by the BCM and its internal programming.

 

[Chaarlemagne]

Then I'd conclude that's the extent of the information that Ford provides.


All controlled by the BCM and its internal programming.

OK, gotcha. So how could I go about finding out what the BCM is programmed to do regarding the individual ports? Is there a way to do this?

 

[ProjectSHO89]

So how could I go about finding out what the BCM is programmed to do regarding the individual ports? Is there a way to do this?

Use your camera as you initially described and you should be able to unravel it.

Yeah, I know. Right back to where you started. At least you have an idea of what to look for.

 

[Chaarlemagne]

Use your camera as you initially described and you should be able to unravel it.

Yeah, I know. Right back to where you started. At least you have an idea of what to look for.

I suspected as much. So far I learned that it seems as though the USB up front shuts off somewhere between 20-45 minutes after ignition, and from researching on the forum someone said the mirror power shuts off at some point too. Slow but steady progress.

 

[ProjectSHO89]

Well, the mirror is on a separate relay called the "Battery Saver", located inside the BCM. I didn't poke through the service docs to see if a timing interval was given. On other and older Fords, it's typically around 35-40 minutes.

The rest of the ports are serviced by several different relays.

 

[mguy13sport]

I'm pretty sure the 12v ports are always hot. The BCM will turn things off if it detects a battery drain. I have cameras front and back plugged into the 12v Cargo and Arm Rest. They are able to record even with the car off but only if motion is detected.

 

[J_C]

The wiring diagrams I have for a '14 show all 3-4 potential locations for the 12V/cigarette lighter are always live, wired straight to the battery junction box, no BCM controlled relay between them. However it also reads "Power Point Activated" making me wonder if there's some switch integral to the socket that turns it on when something is plugged in. Even if that is true, the supply wire to it would be live till that point.

 

[ProjectSHO89]

I'm pretty sure the 12v ports are always hot.

The wiring diagrams I have for a '14 show all 3-4 potential locations for the 12V/cigarette lighter are always live, wired straight to the battery junction box, no BCM controlled relay between them.

If he had a '13 or '14 (actually, '11-'15) then, your correct observations would apply for the OP. However, he has a '16.

There was a major electrical re-design between the '15 and the 16 model years. You have to use the applicable service data for the model year in question which is what I did.

 

[peterk9]

I have a new to me 2016 Explorer Sport and I'm trying to determine which of the following do/don't turn off when car is off:

Cigarette lighter port under radio
USB under radio
USB in center console
Wall plug in back of center console
USB port(s) on back of center console

If anyone here can break down which are always on and which turn off with the car (or if a set time after ignition is off, how long) I'd appreciate it. Right now I'm going through testing with a home security camera, plug it in, wait an hour, see if it's still connected. But there has gotta be someone here with this knowledge.

Also,thr power going to thr rear view mirror, if I buy a tap for that to add a usb (for a dash cam) is that gonna turn off automatically?

If getting an answer is an issue, why not just plug something into the power points/ports and see which remain active?
As far as lights go, the Battery Saver program will turn OFF anything left ON after 10 minutes when the vehicle is turned OFF. The parking lights are the exception.

Peter