Disconnected Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Mics

[IWear7]

Disconnected the ANC Microphones this morning to eliminate the problem of the sub firing when the ICE came on. It only took about 15 minutes to disconnect all three microphones. Here are the steps:

 

 

1. Pop the cover for the screws on the handles over the passenger and driver door.

 

2. Remove the handles (2 Screws).

 

* My Fusion has a sunroof, so these next steps may be a little different for non sunroof models. I could pull the headliner down where the sunroof opens and do the work.

 

3. Pull down the head liner (NOT THE "FABRIC/CARD BOARD" LOOKING PART! That part is attached to another piece that pulls down very easily then snaps back in place when finished.

 

4. The plug is about 3 to 5 inches from the microphone. Unclip the lock and unplug.

 

5. Pop the headliner back in place and reattach the handles.

 

6. In the rear, pull the headliner down the same way from the back window.

 

7. Reach in and unplug that microphone.

 

8. Pop the headliner back in place.

 

 

No more "rumbles" when the ICE kicks in.

 

 

This was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

 

If this has been posted, I apologize.

[hybridbear]

Interesting...do you hear a difference now in how the ICE sounds with the ANC disabled?

[Paul Chin]

Thanks for the post. Not sure what you mean by "headliner" though as opposed to "fabric cardboard part". Do you mind posting a photo of exactly what to pull down?

[IWear7]

Paul...to be honest, I am showing my age. The ceilings of cars used to be glued to the top and you dared not touch them. The glue would desentigrate and the fabric would droop and flap. The part drooped and flapped we called the head liner (don't know if that is a "technical" term, but was a generic word we used). Sorry for any confusion. I will post a picture this afternoon after church.

[IWear7]

hybridbear...it is marginal. The engine is a little louder, but what is most audible is the road noise (especially on wet roads). I would rather hear that and have my radio set up correctly than hear the "burp" each time the ICE kicks in. IMO...pro out-weighs the con.

Edited February 12, 2014 by IWear7

[Paul Chin]

I got to the plug but can't figure out how to unlock and unplug it. Gah, I wish I had your expertise and could get this done in 15 minutes haha.

[IWear7]

Paul...it unplugs with a little lock clip opposite the glued side. Pry the lock clip with your fingernail. It takes a little patience. You can do it.

[Paul Chin]

Got it. Annoying buzzing is finally gone! Also, I only had to disconnect the rear mic in order to get rid of the buzzing. I guess this is because my amp is in the trunk.

[IWear7]

Great!

[JavaOops]

Disconnected the ANC Microphones this morning to eliminate the problem of the sub firing when the ICE came on. It only took about 15 minutes to disconnect all three microphones. Here are the steps:

 

 

1. Pop the cover for the screws on the handles over the passenger and driver door.

 

2. Remove the handles (2 Screws).

 

* My Fusion has a sunroof, so these next steps may be a little different for non sunroof models. I could pull the headliner down where the sunroof opens and do the work.

 

3. Pull down the head liner (NOT THE "FABRIC/CARD BOARD" LOOKING PART! That part is attached to another piece that pulls down very easily then snaps back in place when finished.

 

4. The plug is about 3 to 5 inches from the microphone. Unclip the lock and unplug.

 

5. Pop the headliner back in place and reattach the handles.

 

6. In the rear, pull the headliner down the same way from the back window.

 

7. Reach in and unplug that microphone.

 

8. Pop the headliner back in place.

 

 

No more "rumbles" when the ICE kicks in.

 

 

This was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

 

 

If this has been posted, I apologize.

Disconnected the ANC Microphones this Fternoon to elimiante the buzzing Had in the fron spekers after replacing the factory speakers. Tok longer thant the 15 minutes above but it still wasn't that hard

 

Here are the steps for non-sunnroof models:

 

1. Pop the cover for the screws on the handles over the passenger and driver door.

2. Remove the handles (2 Screws).

3. Removed the handles in th rear, to allow the healiner to come down farther.

4. Remove the top piece of the B piller but poping the bottom part out first, using a socket to remove the screw at the bottom of the top portion of the B piller. You will need to prod and poke at the clips at the top, since they are in plastic.

5. Work the seat belt thru the slot in the B pillar to move the pillar out of the way.

6. The plug is about 3 to 5 inches from the microphone. Unclip the lock and unplug. I found one that was glued clip side down so had to pull the mic a bit to get to it.

7. Pop the headliner back in place. The metal clips from the top of he B pillar needed to be reformed a bit since they distorted when pulled out from the plastic holding them. 8. Work the seat belt back thru the piller and press the B pillar back into place, and put in the screwn. Reattach the bottom part of the B pille by snapping back into place.

9. In the rear, pull the headliner down the same way from the back window.

10. Reach in and unplug that microphone.

11. Pop the headliner back in place.

12. Reattach all pull handles.

 

No more "rumbles" when the ICE kicks in. There might be a bit more road noise, but the ICE actually seems quieter now since the speakers no longer rumble when the ICE runs.

 

(KUDOS to the original poster!)

 

[cantedview]

Hi All,

I know @IWear7 has outlined above how to disconnect the overhead mics to disable Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) in most Ford Fusions, but I am checking to see if anyone has found an alternative way to do so, like following the mic cables back to a central module from which they can be disconnected, or having a dealer disable ANC through reprogramming / using FORScan or a similar programming tool set.

I found where @Darkside mentioned that the control module for the ANC may be found under the carpeted area in the trunk, but I cannot find additional details about exactly where or what to look for to track it down.

I am reluctant to disconnect the mics in the headliner, for fear of damaging the mics / headliner (aesthetically or functionally). Any additional info on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Darkside]

The device is on the passenger side, behind the wheel well cover. Should be pics in my thread. I have the Sony system, not sure what you have.

[Postman]

Thank you for all the advice I found on this thread. I installed subs and amp in my 2019 Ford Fusion hybrid. I used a LOC that I spliced into the left rear door speaker as my fusion does not have the 6x9’s in the rear deck. After installing they worked great when the ICE was not running but the moment it kicked on a loud humming would come from the subs. But if you opened a door or the trunk it would stop and play as it should. I was dumbfounded as I have never had an install do this. So I tried pulling the fuse for the ANC but then the radio didn’t work. So I disconnected the rear microphone in the headliner and that was all I had to do to disable the ANC. I did not have to touch the front mics. Thank you for the informational thread.