Unlocking via Intelligent Access

[hybridbear]

Both the Focus Electric & the Fusion have Intelligent Access. The Focus shares the same key & door handles as the C-Max. The Fusion has different door handles and a different key. When approaching the Focus (or my parents' C-Max) you place your hand through a handle and all doors unlock. If the doors are already unlocked the car doesn't do anything. In the Fusion the doors make the unlock sound and the lights illuminate anytime you put your hand through a handle, even if the doors are already unlocked. Is there something defective with the Fusion or do all Fusions with Intelligent Access do this? It's rather strange to hear the car keep unlocking the doors when they're already unlocked. Thanks!

[murphy]

Mine does that also.

[jeff_h]

Mine does that also.

 

Same here, and the reason why I leave the fob on the other side of the garage when washing the car, or the spray hitting the handle (with fob in range) will make the doors lock and unlock over and over again...

[hybridbear]

This seems like a strange design and inferior to the design of the Focus/C-Max Intelligent Access which doesn't constantly unlock the doors when they're already unlocked.

[FordService]

Both the Focus Electric & the Fusion have Intelligent Access. The Focus shares the same key & door handles as the C-Max. The Fusion has different door handles and a different key. When approaching the Focus (or my parents' C-Max) you place your hand through a handle and all doors unlock. If the doors are already unlocked the car doesn't do anything. In the Fusion the doors make the unlock sound and the lights illuminate anytime you put your hand through a handle, even if the doors are already unlocked. Is there something defective with the Fusion or do all Fusions with Intelligent Access do this? It's rather strange to hear the car keep unlocking the doors when they're already unlocked. Thanks!

 

 

Mine does that also.

 

 

 

Same here, and the reason why I leave the fob on the other side of the garage when washing the car, or the spray hitting the handle (with fob in range) will make the doors lock and unlock over and over again...

 

I can see how that would strange. I'm doing some research into this now. Do the doors stop unlocking once the ignition turns on? Or once the handle is no longer being touched? Have any of you spoken with your dealer about this?

 

Rachel

[hybridbear]

FordService, on 14 Oct 2014 - 09:10 AM, said:

I can see how that would strange. I'm doing some research into this now. Do the doors stop unlocking once the ignition turns on? Or once the handle is no longer being touched? Have any of you spoken with your dealer about this?

 

Rachel

I don't think we've ever tested it with the ignition on. The doors only unlock when you touch the handle. So, for example, suppose my wife and I both walk up to the car with our respective keys on our person. I open the left rear door to put stuff inside the car and the doors all unlock & the lights flash. My wife then touches the right rear door handle and the doors unlock & lights flash again as she opens that door the put stuff in the car. The lights flash & doors unlock again as she grabs the right front door handle to get in the car and again when I grab the left front door handle to get in the car.

 

It's certainly possible that this is working as designed, it just seems like a strange design compared to the way the Focus/C-Max works.

[murphy]

I think it's working as designed.

 

If you have the fob in your pocket while washing the car every time a door handle is hit with water the lights flash and the doors unlock. I think the programmer took a short cut and unlocked the doors every time an unlock event happens rather than remembering the state of the door lock and ignoring the event if the doors were already unlocked.

[hybridbear]

I think it's working as designed.

 

If you have the fob in your pocket while washing the car every time a door handle is hit with water the lights flash and the doors unlock. I think the programmer took a short cut and unlocked the doors every time an unlock event happens rather than remembering the state of the door lock and ignoring the event if the doors were already unlocked.

But wouldn't you agree that it's a poor design? Especially considering that other Ford vehicles don't behave that way.

[murphy]

But wouldn't you agree that it's a poor design? Especially considering that other Ford vehicles don't behave that way.

It's definitely a poor design. That is what I was implying by saying the programmer took a shortcut.

[Da0ne]

yea mine does this also as HB said i get in the car first, then the wife touches the handle and the doors unlock again after im inside although it doesnt happen when the car is on, i did find it strange as my Lexus doesnt do that. I will ask my boy he just picked up a Cmax energi if that happens to his

[FordService]

I don't think we've ever tested it with the ignition on. The doors only unlock when you touch the handle. So, for example, suppose my wife and I both walk up to the car with our respective keys on our person. I open the left rear door to put stuff inside the car and the doors all unlock & the lights flash. My wife then touches the right rear door handle and the doors unlock & lights flash again as she opens that door the put stuff in the car. The lights flash & doors unlock again as she grabs the right front door handle to get in the car and again when I grab the left front door handle to get in the car.

 

It's certainly possible that this is working as designed, it just seems like a strange design compared to the way the Focus/C-Max works.

 

I agree, hybridbear. I've reached out to my subject matter expert for details about this. I'll let you know once I've heard back from him. :)

 

Rachel

[FordService]

Well, I learned something new today; I just heard back from my expert. :)

 

It is within normal operation; most vehicles with the Intelligent Access key will do that. Basically, it's the same as hitting the unlock button on the inside of the door. Even though it's already unlocked you can still hit it and it cycles the locks to unlock position. So each time you touch the inside of the handle with a key in your pocket is same thing as hitting the unlock button on the inside of the door. Same thing will happen when hitting the lock sensor on the handle also.

 

Rachel

[Waldo]

The Focus and C-max use the "European" strategy of having one central lock/unlock button. That button has to have logic built into it that decides if you really want to lock or unlock. That same logic is used with the door handles, it already knows if they are locked or unlocked. The Fusion is a "dumber" system and just straight unlocks when you press an unlock button and locks when you press a lock button, no matter which button that is. Incidentally, my 2010 MKT with Ford's original Intelligent access system works exactly like the Fusion.

[hybridbear]

Well, I learned something new today; I just heard back from my expert. :)

 

It is within normal operation; most vehicles with the Intelligent Access key will do that. Basically, it's the same as hitting the unlock button on the inside of the door. Even though it's already unlocked you can still hit it and it cycles the locks to unlock position. So each time you touch the inside of the handle with a key in your pocket is same thing as hitting the unlock button on the inside of the door. Same thing will happen when hitting the lock sensor on the handle also.

 

Rachel

Thanks for putting effort into researching it.

 

The Focus and C-max use the "European" strategy of having one central lock/unlock button. That button has to have logic built into it that decides if you really want to lock or unlock. That same logic is used with the door handles, it already knows if they are locked or unlocked. The Fusion is a "dumber" system and just straight unlocks when you press an unlock button and locks when you press a lock button, no matter which button that is. Incidentally, my 2010 MKT with Ford's original Intelligent access system works exactly like the Fusion.

This is true of the Focus, but I'm pretty sure that the C-Max has the lock/unlock buttons on the doors like the Fusion. However, for the Focus this makes perfect sense, thanks for the wonderful explanation.

 

Edit: I confirmed that the C-Max has a similar lock/unlock button to the Fusion. The center console has a light to tell if doors are locked or not, but it isn't a button.

http://image.motortrend.com/f/wot/47-no-more-ford-to-lower-c-max-fuel-economy-ratings-395047/59392423/2013-ford-c-max-energi-interior.jpg

[Waldo]

Thanks for putting effort into researching it.

 

This is true of the Focus, but I'm pretty sure that the C-Max has the lock/unlock buttons on the doors like the Fusion. However, for the Focus this makes perfect sense, thanks for the wonderful explanation.

 

Edit: I confirmed that the C-Max has a similar lock/unlock button to the Fusion. The center console has a light to tell if doors are locked or not, but it isn't a button.

http://image.motortrend.com/f/wot/47-no-more-ford-to-lower-c-max-fuel-economy-ratings-395047/59392423/2013-ford-c-max-energi-interior.jpg

 

The C-Max still uses all the electronics from the Focus though, so it must still use the same control modules. Ford still hasn't completely consolidated it's electronics between Europe and North America.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Waldo

[FordService]

Thanks for putting effort into researching it.

...

My pleasure, hybridbear! :)

 

Rachel

[Iwejun]

My BMW has the same design, carry the fob in your pocket and while washing it doors lock and unlock parking lights go on. No biggey.