My fuses never shut off, need alternative solution?

darkgiant

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2016
Messages
35
Reaction score
1
Country
United States
I have a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid that I am trying to hardwire via a fuse tap and cig light adapter attached to it. In my previous vehicles (mainly Toyota's) this was very simple as I tap into the cig/AUX lighter fuse as it shuts off automaticallyt when the car shuts off. However upon measuring just about every fuse on this Ford Escape Hybrid, every single fuse is active even when the car is shut off. Because of this, I am not sure what to do here, as I'd like to have my dash camera automatically shut off when the vehicle is shut off. Is there any idea on what I can do here? The car cig lighter ports near the radio are also on when the car is shut off... so I am not sure what can be done here as I would like not to kill the cars battery.
 
I ran into sort of the same problem tapping into the fuse box of my cheap little Suzuki car, but in the end i did manage to find a fuse that came off with the key, but not before i had tried a lot of live fuses and gone WTF a few times.
The devise Harsh link to are nice got it myself to test and for a year almost it have functioned 100%, and it let you tap into a always live cigarette socket or in the fuse box, and then give you get 3 switched 12 V plugs and even 2 USB plugs too.

Some times i think a mechanic can reprogram a thing so its not live all the time.
 
You may have to wait around 15 minutes for the car to go into sleep mode (yes, modern cars have a sleep mode). It will shut down the power on some things in the car, like the radio, interior lights etc. It is best to stay inside the car then lock the car and wait then use a voltmeter to check the fuses. Remember that once you hit the unlock button for the doors the car will wake up and start sending power to all of the circuits.
 
Thats right forgot to mention that, some cars of the newer kind can keep cabin light - accessory sockets ASO on for a good while after key off.

Some times it take one Dane to get another one to function right, that's just how it is over here :giggle:
 
Sorry for the super duper late response here, I somehow didn't get any notifications on this post!

I will try the suggestion on locking the car doors and then checking if the fuses are still alive as fortunately for the Ford Escape the fuse box is easily accessible, even with the doors locked. I would buy the device suggested above, but I would much rather prefer the amount of actions required and keep the process as simple as possible of having the dash cam power on when the ignition is switched on.
 
I had a C-Max hybrid 2016 and the power turned off after 20 minutes. I liked it because it gave the dashcams a delayed shutdown
 
Most radio fuses seem to be on the ACC circuit. Does your radio stay on forever after you leave your car? Turn it on.. shut off your vehicle and periodically over the next hour (ish) to see if it is still on. Try the same with.. heater.. wipers.
 
Just wanted to provide an update, I tried several fuses (fog lamps, interior lights, horn, and now key ignition) but nothing seems to shut off the fuse as the power stays on, even past the 20-minute mark.

No idea what else I should try as the dash camera always seems to be powered on overnight. I am surprised something such as the Key Ignition fuse stays on for so all the time.
 
Wanted to bump this as I am still looking for viable ideas!
 
Some cars have model-specific owners or enthusiasts forums. If you can find one for yours, they can usually get you the answers you need. If that approach doesn't work then ask to speak with a mechanic at the dealership- don't settle for talking with the serviuce manager as they generally don't know more than how to schedule appointments. I get better results talking to the guys at the dealer's parts counter- more often than not one of their mechanics will be there getting parts and you can get the answer faster.

Many newer cars (even 2008 models) have computer-controlled power schemes and it's entirely possible that there is no viable circuit to easily tap into at the fusebox, so you either manually control the cam or devise a switching circuit yourself. I run some of my cams off of a toggle switch; it's not hard to get into the habit of flipping the switch whenever I touch the key ;)

Phil
 
I have a 2012 Ford Escape and I know that I have at least 2 fuses that shut off when the vehicle is off. I will say it did take me an incredibly long time to find which ones shut off because most of the fuses do always have power. I suppose it is possible that the 2008 and/or hybrid is significantly different, but I feel like you should have some options in there.

Give it another shot and if you still can't find any, I could go take a look at my fuse panel to see which ones I'm using. Let me know.
 
I have a 2012 Ford Escape and I know that I have at least 2 fuses that shut off when the vehicle is off. I will say it did take me an incredibly long time to find which ones shut off because most of the fuses do always have power. I suppose it is possible that the 2008 and/or hybrid is significantly different, but I feel like you should have some options in there.

Give it another shot and if you still can't find any, I could go take a look at my fuse panel to see which ones I'm using. Let me know.

I appreciate the response! I suppose I can give this another try... if you do have the fuses that shut off, I would appreciate that!
 
UPDATE:

So I figured on what would've been my tenth attempt of re-checking all my fuses with my multimeter (okay, not really 10, but sure feels like it...), I saw one fuse labeled "PATS TRANSCEIVER" that shuts off when the car shuts off, and turns on when the car is turned on. I placed my fuse tap here, as it only uses a 5A fuse, and woolah, my dash cam turns off when the car is shut off and turns on when the car is turned on! It is tucked in a corner that was very hard for me to place the tap in, but I managed to squeeze it in there, it may be perhaps how secluded the location is I missed this fuse multiple times. Nonetheless, things are now all good!
 
My last vehicle..a 2009 Chevy Cobalt LT...had two power ports. Each one of them had power to them continuously. It didn't matter if the engine wasn't running or the ignition switch was turned to the off position and no key in it. They always had power. I bought the car brand new and lost it last fall when a 87 year old man rear-ended it while I was in my dentist's chair getting a root canal worked on. The car was totaled by his insurance company. But the real pain in the butt was I always had to manually shut down the dash cam before leaving and locking up the car for the night. Same deal with the next day... I had to remember to manually turn it back on. Once while I was leaving on a two week trip across country, I forgot to power down the dash cam where I paid to park it close to the airport. Needless to say I returned two weeks later to a dead car battery and needed to have it jump started.
 
Back
Top