Four Sync reboots during my 9.5 hour trip today...

[Griswald]

Looks like its time to visit the dealer. I had such high hopes, my 01 Tribute went once, my 03 Tribute never went and my 03 Sport Trac only went once. 2001 to 2014 only 2 dealer visits.

 

Wonder if its a software issue or a hardware issue?

[murphy]

It's most likely caused by sloppy programming. If Sync gets confused it pops up a screen that says "Scheduled Maintenance" and starts over. I'm thinking there is a memory leak that gradually uses up all available RAM. Rather than find and fix the problem they just hit it with a "sledge hammer".

[corncobs]

I agree with murphy and since it's called "Scheduled Maintenance" your dealer might call this "normal" and can't do anything about it.

[SteveB_TX]

Curiosity has gotten the better of me... WHY would you waste time taking the car to the dealer for a simple reboot? :zombi:

Edited December 21, 2014 by SteveB_TX

[Griswald]

Curiosity has gotten the better of me... WHY would you waste time taking the car to the dealer for a simple reboot? :zombi:

Four self reboots while driving is unacceptable for anybody. Having the entire ddashboard go blank while in heavy traffic at 75 mph is not normal.

 

 

Something is broken and needs to be fixed, its not like a bulb is out or a screw came loose.

[murphy]

Four self reboots while driving is unacceptable for anybody. Having the entire ddashboard go blank while in heavy traffic at 75 mph is not normal.

 

 

Something is broken and needs to be fixed, its not like a bulb is out or a screw came loose.

You said Sync. Sync is on the center console only. It has some communication with the right dash display but it has nothing to do with the speedometer and left displays. If the entire dash is going off that is a serious problem with another system and needs to be investigated.

[SteveB_TX]

Four self reboots while driving is unacceptable for anybody. Having the entire ddashboard go blank while in heavy traffic at 75 mph is not normal.

 

 

Something is broken and needs to be fixed, its not like a bulb is out or a screw came loose.

 

Okay then. You may have said that in the OP instead of just sync reboot. :)

[md13ffhguy]

 

Okay then. You may have said that in the OP instead of just sync reboot. :)

 

It's hard to determine where Sync begins and ends... this page seems to indicate it extends to the instrument cluster displays, at which point, one might refer to it as the entire dashboard.

[Griswald]

The center console and right display went out. It is Sync, at least thats what the center screen stated was restarting.

 

Regardless, something is fubar'd

[Easy Rider]

 

Regardless, something is fubar'd

I'll bet you a beverage of your choice that their "diagnosis" will be to upgrade the software to the new version.

Maybe that will give you a chance to test this "unlockable" theory. :)

 

P.S. I decided that this would be a good time to download the new version for installation later BUT......the site is fubar'd right now and I can't even get to it. SIGH.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Easy Rider

[Griswald]

I'll bet you a beverage of your choice that their "diagnosis" will be to upgrade the software to the new version.

Maybe that will give you a chance to test this "unlockable" theory. :)

 

P.S. I decided that this would be a good time to download the new version for installation later BUT......the site is fubar'd right now and I can't even get to it. SIGH.

You probably wont believe that I averaged 42.8 mpg on my 4 day trip to visit my parents. 9 1/2 hours each way and a lot of cold weather driving around the Pittsburgh area. And thats with their winter blend. PA is $2.79, WVA is slightly less at 2.69, VA is 2.15 and NC is 2.39. My speeds were at 5 over the speed limit the whole time, too. One tank in PA averaged 39.7, winter blend no doubt.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Griswald

[Waldo]

The dealer will not be able to do anything but update the system to the latest version. Might as well do that yourself first.

[Easy Rider]

You probably wont believe that I averaged 42.8 mpg on my 4 day trip to visit my parents.

No I believe that is well within the range of "normal"; high end maybe.

 

Is that a displayed figure or manually calculated ?

 

I personally have not been able to break 40 with highway driving......except for small stretches; assume downhill or tail wind.

[Easy Rider]

The dealer will not be able to do anything but update the system to the latest version. Might as well do that yourself first.

And you believe that exactly WHY ??

 

What if his unit keeps rebooting even after the new software is loaded ?

What then ??

Edited December 22, 2014 by Easy Rider

[Waldo]

And you believe that exactly WHY ??

 

What if his unit keeps rebooting even after the new software is loaded ?

What then ??

 

Because that's what they're instructed to do.

 

Step 1, make sure software is updated.

 

Step 2. If problem persists, follow other diagnostic paths.

 

Why waste a dealer trip just to accomplish step 1?

Edited December 22, 2014 by Waldo

[Easy Rider]

 

Why waste a dealer trip just to accomplish step 1?

Be sure it's done right.

Have the original problem documented.

Having Ford via the dealer be responsible for "fixes" while the car is under warranty.

I got a letter just last week about extended SYNC warranty covering updates and the APIM hardware module.

 

I personally have a problem with auto companies trying to off-load their responsibility for fix/upgrade notifications onto the customers via the web......and the implementation of those fixes too. I think that kind of undermines my warranty.

But that's just me.

[Waldo]

Be sure it's done right.

Have the original problem documented.

Having Ford via the dealer be responsible for "fixes" while the car is under warranty.

I got a letter just last week about extended SYNC warranty covering updates and the APIM hardware module.

 

I personally have a problem with auto companies trying to off-load their responsibility for fix/upgrade notifications onto the customers via the web......and the implementation of those fixes too. I think that kind of undermines my warranty.

But that's just me.

 

So basically you're just scared of progress.

[Griswald]

42.8 is low for me.

 

I got a service appointment.for the 29th, they told me it is a 2 hour diagnostic.

 

And why should I do Fords job of upgrading their shitty software?

[Texasota]

I personally have a problem with auto companies trying to off-load their responsibility for fix/upgrade notifications onto the customers via the web......and the implementation of those fixes too. I think that kind of undermines my warranty.

But that's just me.

I have been fortunate that my dealer's service department is competent and I get great service from them, but when I can download and install software fix/upgrades myself I find that convenient and preferable to a trip to the service department. I feel that way also about updating the smart phone, the PCs, the smart TV, the wireless router, the blueray player and even the internet enabled HVAC controls for our house to name just a few devices. This is the future.

 

I recently received the recall notice about my instrument panel needing reprogramming for my 2015 FFH. I would love to be able to plug the smart phone in and have that reprogramming done right here at home. That day is probably not far off.

[murphy]

It depends on how much the "big three" are watching Tesla. Tesla updates are "over the air" and the car has its own cellphone data transceiver so it doesn't need the owner's cellphone.

 

The Energi also has its own cellphone data transceiver. I read somewhere, but I can't remember where, that the the initial load of firmware is done via the wireless data connection as the car proceeds down the production line. The path is permanently disabled once the load has been completed. I have looked but have been unable to find where I read that.

[Easy Rider]

 

And why should I do Fords job of upgrading their shitty software?

My sentiments exactly.

[Texasota]

I got a service appointment.for the 29th, they told me it is a 2 hour diagnostic. And why should I do Fords job of upgrading their shitty software?

The software being poor quality may be a valid point. Certainly the same arguments have been made about the Windows operating system.

 

But, as you described in your post, it is an inconvenience to make an appointment, take the car into the service department and wait 2+ hours for the fixes/upgrade to be installed. Given the choice, I would rather do it at home when it is convenient for me. I understand others feel differently.

[Griswald]

The software being poor quality may be a valid point. Certainly the same arguments have been made about the Windows operating system.

 

But, as you described in your post, it is an inconvenience to make an appointment, take the car into the service department and wait 2+ hours for the fixes/upgrade to be installed. Given the choice, I would rather do it at home when it is convenient for me. I understand others feel differently.

So what if there is some underlying problem and upgrading bricks the system?

 

I don't need a $32000 paperweight. If I brick my $320 computer, not that much of a big deal, I might be annoyed by losing some data. I could be paying for 5 years for a rusting hulk in my driveway that doesn't work.

[hybridbear]

It depends on how much the "big three" are watching Tesla. Tesla updates are "over the air" and the car has its own cellphone data transceiver so it doesn't need the owner's cellphone.

Didn't one of the articles about Sync 3 say that this feature is coming to Sync 3?

 

Edit: this article explains wireless updates in Sync 3. The car must connect to a WIFI network for wireless updates.

Edited December 23, 2014 by hybridbear

[Waldo]

So what if there is some underlying problem and upgrading bricks the system?

 

I don't need a $32000 paperweight. If I brick my $320 computer, not that much of a big deal, I might be annoyed by losing some data. I could be paying for 5 years for a rusting hulk in my driveway that doesn't work.

 

And what if it doesn't? Seriously, you're arguing about some crazy one in a million situation and because of that, the other 999,999 cases must suffer. If you brick the system because you have an underlying problem, you have a warranty that will cover it. If you're outside of the warranty and you had an underlying problem, you would have had to pay for it anyway, so what's the difference?