Ford Testing Next-Gen Autonomous Driving

[YoDaddio]

This is the next step :)

 

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1089080_ford-testing-autonomous-driving-with-fusion-hybrid-research-vehicle

 

 

My biggest complaint with the current level of driver assistance is that my other cars don't have it. Sometimes I find myself staring at the cruise control in the Chrysler wondering why it's not slowing down as i approach a wall of stopped cars!

 

 

 

[LASooner]

I've always felt the Fusion was 1 software update away from being close to self driving, but I guess the LIDAR rig is probably a good idea. I wish the adaptive cruise would stay engaged below 20, that's my only complaint with it

[hybridbear]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing

[hybridbear]

Another article about Ford's work on autonomous driving

http://www.hybridcars.com/ford-teams-with-mit-and-stanford-for-automated-driving-research/

[hybridbear]

Cool article about Ford's autonomous FFH test vehicles, including pictures.

http://arstechnica.com/cars/2015/08/face-to-face-with-fords-self-driving-fusion-hybrid-research-vehicles/

[Texasota]

We are going to need PhDs to service these cars.

[Raymond J Ramirez]

We are going to need PhDs to service these cars.

No, you don't. All you need are the Factory Service Manuals, the correct factory specified tools, and the knowhow to analyze the symptoms, follow the written instructions, and do the indicated steps correctly (which is also known as "training"). I have all the service manuals for my previous cars, and I have done many of my own jobs. The PhD is needed for the engineers who have to breakdown the technology, write those service manuals, and choose or design the tools. Thanks to the ODB (On Board Diagnostics) standard, every modern vehicle can report what is wrong through the trouble codes (sung a pocket reader), and are totally serviceable. But not everyone is willing to get their hands dirty so they let their dealers and family mechanics do the work for them.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Raymondjram

[GrySql]

No, you don't. All you need are the Factory Service Manuals, the correct factory specified tools, and the knowhow to analyze the symptoms, follow the written instructions, and do the indicated steps correctly (which is also known as "training"). I have all the service manuals for my previous cars, and I have done many of my own jobs. The PhD is needed for the engineers who have to breakdown the technology, write those service manuals, and choose or design the tools. Thanks to the ODB (On Board Diagnostics) standard, every modern vehicle can report what is wrong through the trouble codes (sung a pocket reader), and are totally serviceable. But not everyone is willing to get their hands dirty so they let their dealers and family mechanics do the work for them.

One other item is needed to work on these HEV/PHEV cars - Ford's Computer Service Laptop with the current IDS software. Most everything is computer controlled and without Ford's proprietary software the major components are not serviceable by the general public.

Edited September 28, 2015 by GrySql

[Texasota]

Thanks to the ODB (On Board Diagnostics) standard, every modern vehicle can report what is wrong through the trouble codes (sung a pocket reader), and are totally serviceable.

In an ideal world that might be true. Unfortunately, there are numerous threads on this forum where all kinds of erratic and randomly occurring problems have been described by owners with no trouble codes reported or saved.

[GrySql]

All you need are the Factory Service Manuals, the correct factory specified tools, and the knowhow to analyze the symptoms, follow the written instructions, and do the indicated steps correctly (which is also known as "training")

When some of us bought the early Job 1 2013 FFH's in late 2012 we found that your description did not apply to most Ford Dealerships, they knew next to nothing about them.

Things remained that way for the next couple of years as Ford played catch up trying to train enough Techs in the very difficult, and different, repair of these complicated machines. Now, things have improved at most Dealerships but there are still plenty of them that are not up to par.

 

This Forum became a gathering place for a lot of owners looking for solutions that were not available at their Ford Dealer's Service Department. We have figured out quite a few answers to problems that the Dealers couldn't. Things as simple as the wrong shift knob, Daytime Running Lights (DRL's), a spare tire and jack, tire snow chains and a trailer hitch got a lot of attention here. Plus we have fun doing it. ;)

 

We hope you'll help us continue that problem solving, there is always something that pops up that needs our special group diagnostic approach.

 

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We've wandered a bit off-topic here haven't we...

Edited September 29, 2015 by GrySql