Any way to disable the cell phone and SOS warnings?

Sincoln

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Not a huge deal, but it flashes no cell phone and the other message saying it's not connected or whatever. Since the cell phone from 20 years ago will never find it's way back, and I'll never acquire a Ford equivalent of on-star, was wondering if I could either cut a wire, unplug something, or fool the cluster with a resistor to keep the warnings away?
 
Don’t know if this helps or not – but this is what you are looking at --
There is a cellular phone module and a vehicle emergency message module, both in the trunk. Both are connected to each other by many wires. It might be worth trying to disconnect the two modules, and see what happens.
Fuse F2.38 (10A) (hot at all times) F2.4 (10A) (hot in run) in the central junction box under the dash powers the cell phone module, and F2.38 and F2.15 (10A) (hot in run) powers the vehicle emergency message module.
Fuse F2.38 also feeds the clock and CD changer (and who knows what else).
Again, it might be worth pulling the fuses to kill the power or pulling the connectors on both the modules and see what happens.

I have a feeling it’s more complicated than that, but it might be worth a try.

If you are really interested in making the error messages go away, it might be best if you get a service manual. That will have wiring diagrams that may help determine if certain wires have to be removed/relocated.
 
Thanks for that FlaOkie. Any idea where the modules are?
 
Looks like the Cell Phone module is in the trunk under the rear window in the middle.
I think there is a shelf under there with other modules on it.
Vehicle Emergency Message System module is in the trunk – on the passenger side wall back towards the tail light.
First pic is cell phone module - second pic is vehicle emergency message module.
cellmod.jpg


vmod.jpg
 
I just found this - which indicates if you pull the fuses that are hot in run - the system will not be powered up - thus (maybe no error messages.

cell.jpg
 
Wow, thank you for the screen shots. I've seen the tray module before under the window, and should be easy to unplug and see what happens. Haven't seen the rear 1/4 one before.

I'll update with results.
 
This has been on the back burner for ages as I just ignored the warnings. Recently found a new button/latch for the sunglasses case in the overhead cluster, which depending on year/model, might have the SOS lighting, Low Tire Pressure warning, map/dome lights, sunroof switch, etc. in the overhead. While replacing the button/latch, figured I'd remove the bulbs for the SOS and low tire which has been throwing up false alarms and flashing.

The rear-most compartment (which might be an empty compartment for small storage of things like business cards in lesser equipped models) of the overhead on mine, has the "SOS" button, and I think an INFO button or whatever, along with a SOS warning light and the Low Tire light (still get a dash cluster warning for the tires so unsure why they put a secondary light way up near the headliner). You can still "open" just as if it was empty, which allows getting at the bulbs. Screwed in just above the bulbs inside the empty compartment, is a small black rectangular device with a tiny antennae wire wrapped around it. Unplug that little black box.

Next time you start your car, you'll instead be greeted with "fasten seatbelts" then it'll immediately switch to the last option you had selected in the cluster i.e. MPG average, Traction Control, etc.. So no more warnings about the missing cell phone OR the SOS being deactivated.
 
Well done!

The wiring diagram also indicates there is a low tire pressure module “mounted in the aft section of the overhead console”.
It says it controls the error messages in both the overhead console and the message center.
Maybe there is another little black box up there waiting to be removed??
 
^ Spoke too soon. Usually, start car, and the SOS and Cell Phone messages pop 1st, the I think seat belt and finally whatever. After pulling the box, it instead goes to seat belt then whatever was last selected. Going into gear (or maybe enough time passing, wasn't paying too much attention) will cause the SOS and Cell phone to then appear.

If your diagram is saying the tire pressure sensor is up there, it might be referring to the light itself. Doing the system check, it still states the tire system is OK. The box I unhooked had a small antennae, so hopefully it's not part of the keyless entry system. Don't have a key fob to verify.

Whatever I unhooked, must have caused it change priorities during initial system scan upon start up as it always did SOS/Cell phone errors 1st. Now, no errors at start up, but upon moving, it decides to list them.

Going to get heavy-handed with the boxes in the rear and see what turns them off.
 
OK, finally seem to have it squared :eek:

The small black box under the upper, center, light console on the headliner, nearest the rear-most compartment, IS for the tire pressure warnings. Since my tires are OK with correct pressure and the warning was appearing randomly, unhooking the black box disabled the tire pressure monitoring 100%. So no warnings, nothing. It's as if the feature wasn't added to the car. The center display won't show ANYTHING tire related.

To get the SOS and Cell phone warnings to vanish, unhooking the box behind the passenger taillight https://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/attachments/vmod-jpg.828569496/ as seen in FlaOkie's no.3 further up (thank you again for putting that up), completely removes the cellphone and SOS warnings. It has 2 plugs and a very tiny antennae terminal connected. I just unhooked all 3. It's behind the flimsy carpet/plastic trunk panel immediately behind the passenger tail light on the rear inner 1/4 panel corner of the trunk. Takes about 10 seconds to pull the cover aside and unhook (thought it'd need a bunch of stuff pulled down so kept putting it off). Didn't need to mess with anything under the rear deck tray.

And to be clear, you start the car, the message read out on the dash cluster completely bypasses the SOS, cell phone, tire, etc. check/warnings when starting up now. Putting the car into gear, it remains on whatever was last selected i.e. avg. mpg, trip, etc.. NO MORE superfluous warnings of 20 year old technology no longer used/needed.
 

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