What's In ALM's Garage?

[5.0ALM]

Hey I couldn't even properly distinguish a manual from an auto so maybe that Captiva was the car I deserved.

Just as well your Dark Horse will be an auto.
.... oh wait.

I'll be able to help you with distinguishing problem soon.... I really must get around to fitting the Raceseng weighted shift knob, that arrived over 12 months ago.

Should be no confusion with this one!

So many projects, and so little time.

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[bfets]

Just as well your Dark Horse will be an auto.
.... oh wait.

I'll be able to help you with distinguishing problem soon.... I really must get around to fitting the Raceseng weighted shift knob, that arrived over 12 months ago.

Should be no confusion with this one!

So many projects, and so little time.

Now you're talking! I reckon that'll look very good and match those Brembo's.

Are you still planning on hooking up a rear camera to your dashcam as well?

 

[5.0ALM]

Now you're talking! I reckon that'll look very good and match those Brembo's.

Are you still planning on hooking up a rear camera to your dashcam as well?

Yes, it's a 2-Ch system.
https://www.mustang7g.com/forums/threads/whats-in-alms-garage.161630/page-10#post-3326755
Front + rear cameras.

I'm especially paranoid about idiots behind me, given my daily before the RAV4 was a '98 Mitsubishi Delica van, which was written off 4 years ago by a junkie in a beaten up box slamming into the back of me.

Hitting the HD towbar caused the passenger side chassis rail to crumple.
When that happens it's generally a total loss, especially for an older vehicle.

This junkie didn't want the Police involved (gee, I wonder what was in their vehicle?) and did a runner from the scene, refusing to hand over their details. Which then brings on 3+ years of paying higher premiums (irrespective of whether you stay or change insurers) because of making a claim and not being able to provide the other driver's details.
Photos after the event are not enough in this case.

I like the Viofo A329 has a Starvis 2 sensor in the rear camera.
Some 2-Ch offerings only have a Starvis 2 sensor in the front camera only, and cheap out in the rear camera.

Call me old fashion, but I think it's a false saving (and foolish) spending $90k on a car and then skimping on something like a decent dash cam setup.

 

[5.0ALM]

Not so Stoopid?

Stoopid #2

Being my first Mustang, I was thoroughly overwhelmed with the vehicle settings and quirks in the first few weeks of ownership. I learnt what I needed to know, and since then it's been a slow drip feed of learning on an as-required basis.

The thing that annoyed me the most, second to mastering the touchscreen and getting Waze up and running irrespective of what was on the screen, was the dreaded double honk when exiting the vehicle.

I searched on this forum and found an answer that had you holding the key fob by the rear window as you exit and locked the vehicle with the other hand (using a finger on the "lock" door handle sensor).

I've been doing this for many weeks now, and it's become 2nd nature, with a 99% success rate.

I was about to load up the car with cameras and head out to a nearby industrial area (today being Sunday, nobody would be around to annoy with horn honking) to shoot a video on this.

For some unknown reason, for the first time in two months, I started poking around in the vehicle settings again, and found this...

My searching on various Ford forums weeks ago led me to believe it couldn't be disabled, unless using Forscan, which is why I hadn't bothered with the settings since.

Hopefully this means no more double honking - I absolutely hated that.
Any imbecile who needs that feature should consider taking the bus instead.

Hence, feeling stoopid I didn't find this 11 weeks ago.

For some reason I though this would stop the double-honk when exiting the vehicle, having just shut it down.
But, nope.

Because I'm conscious of my surroundings, double-honking at 06:30 in the morning is not cool. Even more so when a Quiet Start schedule has been set.

 

[Stevefreestyle]

No worries.

You'll find the S650 detects low battery volts and puts itself into a power-saving mode, where current-consuming features are disabled. I've noticed this when I haven't driven the vehicle for a few weeks, whilst checking the FordPass app. The remote connectivity is shut off, along with other things. If I can remember, I'll grab a screenshot next time.

The battery should be topped up after your drive anyway.

Not being installed yet, I obviously haven't played with A329 in a real-world situation, but the motion sensor should detect when the vehicle is stationary after n minutes and put itself into the parking mode you have set.

Hi Adam, great work, however as you indicate It could possibly cut off at a certain state (%) of battery charge, rather than a specific time duration.

 

[5.0ALM]

Hi Adam, great work, however as you indicate It could possibly cut off at a certain state (%) of battery charge, rather than a specific time duration.

Steve, its certain there would be a low voltage cutout to refelct state of charge, but I'd expect the "default" timeout duration to be fixed. Some numpty made a vague comment on YT that the duration could be set in Forscan. Of course, it was a typical pointless YT comment with no actual details.

 

[5.0ALM]

Under the Hood Inspection

After 1600km and 11 weeks of ownership, it was time to have a poke around under the hood.


Strut Tower Brace Badge

First, checking the install (a fancy way of saying "stuck on" ) the strut tower brace badge.
"Installed" on 27-10-2024, and the adhesive showing no signs of releasing.

I did have concerns about how good double-sided "trophy tape" would perform in a hot environment, but no worries!

A shame the edges have printing defects, but not so noticeable when you're standing back from it, but I couldn't be bothered dealing with a vendor that doesn't ship outside of the US.


Radiator Cover Removal

I'm actually doing some research work on a front parking camera project.
The driver's low stance and not being able to see where the nose really is does annoy me.

Removing the radiator cover is straightforward, 6 retainer clips are easily removed with a trim removal tool.

Two clips are recessed and you'll need some sort of "L" shaped tool to pry them up.
I just happen to have this, which I think was a part of a dentistry kit.
Use whatever you have.

Having been in the electronics game since Adam was a boy (see what I did there!) I'm into the habit of putting screws etc into containers, so they don't go missing. Ask me why I do this!

Nothing worse than re-assembling something, only to discover a vital widget has gone missing, or discovering later, a widget was left over!

My project investigations for a front parking camera lead me down towards the lower grille.


Mystery Loom

Not sure what this loom is for.

The connector seems to have a weather seal plugged into it.
By the looks of it, there's a nipple which could be cut to facilitate a wire.

To say I'm curious what this is for is an understatement.
That would make an ideal power feed for a camera.

Anyone else have something connected to this loom?


BCMC/BJB Junction Box

(Body Control Module C/ Battery Junction Box)

Weeks ago I made myself a reference fuse box document..
It's one of those things you never think about... until you need it.
Will start a specific topic and post the PDF for that.

I can tell you unused fuses F125 and F140 (both 5A) are fitted.

They both remain on for the same amount of time the mirror USB does after engine switch off, that being 1H 19M ish.

All other missing fuses don't even have sockets to plug a fuse into.
Obviously a generic fuse box used across multiple models, and populated to suit.

 

[5.0ALM]

OEM Battery Inspection

Battery cover removal is easy, with only three retainer clips.

Cover removed and behold, a Motorcraft BAGM-48H-760.
If the image perspective looks weird, it was taken from front-on and flipped both V & H.

I hate to think how much a dealer is going to want for a "genuine" replacement.

No problem with either terminal.

The white powdery looking "stuff" got an immediate reaction!

It's obviously outside of the battery box area, and left over residue from the last wash.

I was under the pump doing two cars at once, and to be honest, didn't even lift the hood during that detail session.

Same same with the cover itself.

A quick wipe away with some 10:1 Greenstar APC got rid of that.

No issues here, so cover back on.


Firewall

Unless there's is an easily accessible plug that wasn't obvious, I learnt pretty quickly that running a cable through the firewall for the camera isn't going to be easy... to the point of abandoning that idea altogether. So, it has to be wireless.

I then dragged out some old drone FPV gear, namely a 5.8GHz video TX with a tiny camera wired up. That was powered temporarily from the fuse box and a clip lead onto a GND point.

Inside the cabin I had a 7" monitor with an integrated 5.8 GHz receiver running off it's own internal battery.

Obviously, I'm not going to end up using anything like this, and it was purely a test to see if a 5.8 signal could penetrate the firewall with the bonnet down, which it did. Never assume anything at microwave frequencies. (I've been a licensed ham radio operator for 40 years).

If I go down this path, a 5.8 GHz link is a no-brainer, as it's well away from the vehicle's 2.4 GHz WiFi and Bluetooth.

Sorry, no pictures of this project yet.

 

[5.0ALM]

The connector seems to have a weather seal plugged into it.
By the looks of it, there's a nipple which could be cut to facilitate a wire.

Mystery solved.

It's the temperature sensor.
It looked like a retainer clip that was holding the connector in place.

Better call Specsavers.

 

[5.0ALM]

It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature

Two days ago I was sitting in the car, on the passenger side, going over settings.
Engine not running, but "ON".

Primarily to check the "Key Detection" setting was actually still disabled.

Because I was wondering why the F##K I still got a double honk when key detect was disabled, the last time I exited the vehicle.

Navigating to the Owners Manual, and this...

Interesting that only one window of the screen had that non-sync look about it.
That window came good when going "Home".

Four minutes later, the center screen goes to black:

Note how the Instrument Cluster was unaffected.
With recall 24C35, I've never seen reference to the center screen, it's always been about the cluster screen.

No touch inputs on the center screen would change this situation.

Using a physical button on the steering wheel to change drive modes brought the screen back.
It's been ok since, as if nothing happened at all.

$90k for a car full of bugs.
If this was some generic and bland 4 cylinder shit box, I'd be returning it and demanding a refund.
But it isn't.

 

[jimgt2k24]

Good find. This is mentioned in the 2025 owners manual.

For some unknown reason, for the first time in two months, I started poking around in the vehicle settings again, and found this...

My searching on various Ford forums weeks ago led me to believe it couldn't be disabled, unless using Forscan, which is why I hadn't bothered with the settings since.

Hopefully this means no more double honking - I absolutely hated that.
Any imbecile who needs that feature should consider taking the bus instead.

Hence, feeling stoopid I didn't find this 11 weeks ago.

 

[5.0ALM]

Dash Cam Install

I've been putting this off for over three weeks now.
Probably the thought of pulling off trim pieces, but know this, it's an easy install, especially if you utilise the rear view mirror USB port.

I make no apologies for the length, 21 minutes, as the aim is to show everything that's involved.
A lot of install videos gloss over things.

Timecode chapters are there, if you want to skip through bits.

Grab a beer, coffee, whatever takes your fancy...

 

[5.0ALM]

Touchscreen Cleaning

No excuses - long overdue!

 

[5.0ALM]

PoMS Day

Today was PoMS day.

Piece of Mind Service is a complimentary inspection performed at the 2 ~ 3 month mark, just to make sure there is nothing obviously wrong with your new car.

The checklist:

Whilst it was in, I got them to disable the wretched double-honk.

(LOL - that should be upon exiting)

And yes, I did ask!
Dealer-level action to address the 24C35 Recall hasn't filtered down yet.
They haven't been told anything, yet.


Expecting the loaner to be some clapped out shitbox, I was pleasantly surprised it was an Everest Trend. The Trend must be the big mover in the range, (one up from the poverty pack), because their lot had quite a few of these.

As optioned with the $2,500 Touring Pack, a brand new MY2025.25 drive away is ~$75K.

Coincidentally, one of these is on my wish list, but in the Tremor trim that has the 3.0L V6 turbo diesel, and not the sluggish 2.0 bi-turbo diesel that was in the Trend.

Here's a novel concept...

Physical HVAC controls!

That will never catch on.

 

[bfets]

Touchscreen Cleaning

No excuses - long overdue!

Wow. Was surprised by this one. Trace-less is supposed to be life changingly excellent. I have a bottle I've not tried yet. I'm hoping I didn't waste $50 only to have it be useless.

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