Map updates

[larrylwill]

That's exactly my problem.

[FordIVTteam]

My 2014 "Home" does not work but my POIs do, just like larrylwill. It does work if I select "Home" after selecting "My Favorites".

That's exactly my problem.

Hi Waldo and larrylwill,

 

Unfortunately, I don't have any troubleshooting suggestions to resolve this concern from home. I suggest having the service department at your dealership diagnose this issue.

 

Kim

[malibu3105]

This is an old thread, but here is an update. I own a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid Titanium. I just got a notice that there is a map update for the price of $149.00.

 

First, I will address the Garmin owners above, I bought my Garmin with lifetime updates, so I can update my maps anytime I wish. They are all free!!

 

Second, as far as my Ford Sync GPS, my guess it is worth about $50.00. Yes I paid about $800.00 or whatever it was to be included in the car. I did not realize that there was such a slow GPS or SYNC software in existence that was so slow. I use my GPS as convenience only, I have a Garmin in my car for any trip where I need quick info or changes. I also use WAZE. So no need for my Ford GPS.

 

Pay $149.00??? Knowing what I know now I would probably not pay that for the entire GPS. Also, before I buy a new car next time, I will rent one and test out the GPS and computer system to make sure I don't get junk like I did with SYNC. Most likely I will not even buy a Ford, as they have never attempted to update it to work correctly. Spending almost $40k on a car I expect more. Computers, GPS, Etc. are super cheap. Ford should have just contracted with Garmin for an awesome GPS.

 

I love my Car, 40 MPG + all the time. Sound system is great, everything is great, except for Sync, and GPS. Although I will say the A/C doesn't get very cold, but my previous car was a Grand Prix. That A/C could freeze meat!! Long live the Grand Prix :)

 

Anyway, after owning my car 2 years they want me to pay for map updates. Why, Waze is Free, Google Maps is free, Garmin is Free. LOL, they are on crack if they think I am paying $149.00 for a broken GPS.

 

For those who have never used Sync, imagine touching the screen, wait 1,2,3 seconds, then it refreshes. Ok, maybe it's only 2 seconds. But Garmin is instant. My phone is instant. If I have to make 7 or 8 clicks to find my location, it take a good 30 or more seconds, version about 5 with my Garmin.

 

Love the Car :) Hate the Sync !!

[hybridbear]

Also, before I buy a new car next time, I will rent one and test out the GPS and computer system to make sure I don't get junk like I did with SYNC.

Why not just test drive a car and test this? Why spend money renting one?

[GrySql]

During my 31 months of ownership my car has had both the LVB and HVB batteries disconnected while repairs were done by the Dealer, especially the first year.

Often this wiped the Nav unit's data clean and I would need to re-install all my Nav destinations, a laborious task.

After the second or third time this happened I gave up this silly game.

 

• My biggest suggestion for any in-car Nav system is to allow it to be backed up to a USB stick so all the data that was installed by the customer could be easily populated back into the cars system.

I hope the upcoming QNX software includes this feature, or just uses a mobile phone App for Nav.

 

Meanwhile, my Garmin is backed up to my computer and I can re-install everything should I upgrade the device or it breaks.

That big MFT screen on my dash works okay for the backup camera and other gadgets, looks nice too.

Edited June 29, 2015 by GrySql

[malibu3105]

Why not just test drive a car and test this? Why spend money renting one?

When you test drive these, at least when I did, the GPS is not enabled. since it is an option I am guessing the dealers don't want to spend the money. Or, maybe they just don't want anyone to see how bad it is.

 

In any case, none of the new cars at my Ford dealer had GPS working.

[larrylwill]

Yes the Nav units have been beat to death and everybody but Ford thinks they suck. I have Update V5 and I still get undocumented area almost anywhere I turn it on. Or what ever that message is. I used my Garmen Frday going to a place about 60 miles from here set to fastest and used the Ford Nav coming back set to fastest, The Garmin was about 10 minuets faster and 6 miles shorter.

[malibu3105]

When you test drive these, at least when I did, the GPS is not enabled. since it is an option I am guessing the dealers don't want to spend the money. Or, maybe they just don't want anyone to see how bad it is.

 

In any case, none of the new cars at my Ford dealer had GPS working.

Also, if I rent, I can rent for a couple weeks to make very sure I want that car. I may test drive several cars before making a decision. I usually order custom from the manufacture, so don't mind the wait.

[hybridbear]

When you test drive these, at least when I did, the GPS is not enabled. since it is an option I am guessing the dealers don't want to spend the money. Or, maybe they just don't want anyone to see how bad it is.

 

In any case, none of the new cars at my Ford dealer had GPS working.

I think that's just a matter of taking the nav card out of its packaging and installing it.

[talmy]

Second, as far as my Ford Sync GPS, my guess it is worth about $50.00. Yes I paid about $800.00 or whatever it was to be included in the car. I did not realize that there was such a slow GPS or SYNC software in existence that was so slow. I use my GPS as convenience only, I have a Garmin in my car for any trip where I need quick info or changes. I also use WAZE. So no need for my Ford GPS.

 

Pay $149.00??? Knowing what I know now I would probably not pay that for the entire GPS. Also, before I buy a new car next time, I will rent one and test out the GPS and computer system to make sure I don't get junk like I did with SYNC. Most likely I will not even buy a Ford, as they have never attempted to update it to work correctly. Spending almost $40k on a car I expect more. Computers, GPS, Etc. are super cheap. Ford should have just contracted with Garmin for an awesome GPS.

 

 

 

Before purchase I had heard that My Ford Touch was a train wreck. All reviews downgrade the car for this system. I've got to admit it's a confusing, slow, unpredictable mess. Not just the GPS but all functions have ridiculous quirks. In 2017 I guess they will be off the Microsoft system for the one by Blackberry which is supposed to be good.

 

The only saving grace for me is that I've never tried to really figure it out and use it to its fullest. I'm sure if I did I'd be really upset.

[larrylwill]

The best way to use it is DONT!

[malibu3105]

I don't think it's a Microsoft issue, but maybe. But how hard can it be? Control the climate, which has been in cars for ever, control the entertainment system, and actually use Blue Tooth as well as most headphones, or other Blue Tooth speakers etc.

 

As far as GPS, just use Garmin and pay them whatever. So simple. My guess is they don't really care. Or didn't. But I love tech, and when it's a botched job I really hate it. So Ford has probably lost me forever. But we will see, I have another few years on my car.

[malibu3105]

Honestly, I love my car. If I was Ford, contact Microsoft and give them 6 months (this would have been in 2013) to rewrite the OS for Sync, make it blazing fast and make it work well.

 

If the issue is that Ford is using 20 year old processors for Sync, spend $20.00 and get a dual core processor and another $30.00 and add a couple Gigs of RAM. Do a recall update the hardware / software and have happy customers.

 

But my guess is they really don't care, most people may not care either. But I do, and so here I am talking about it.

[GrySql]

I don't think it's a Microsoft issue, but maybe.

Really? The most common fix for the freezing Sync system or other interactive failures is to reboot the system. Sounds familiar to Control, Alt, Delete.

[malibu3105]

Really? The most common fix for the freezing Sync system or other interactive failures is to reboot the system. Sounds familiar to Control, Alt, Delete.

lol, but there is no CTRL-ALT-DEL on Sync. You can power off, but no reboot.

Of course it does sometimes reboot itself. it does this by going completely blank with no warning, stays completely blank for 2 or 3 minutes, and then finally starts booting up. Typical Microsoft.

[GrySql]

lol, but there is no CTRL-ALT-DEL on Sync. You can power off, but no reboot.

Of course it does sometimes reboot itself. it does this by going completely blank with no warning, stays completely blank for 2 or 3 minutes, and then finally starts booting up. Typical Microsoft.

Just kidding... :headspin:

[larrylwill]

I saw a report on the news tonight about a guy that ran over a draw bridge while using a gps. Then they went into distractions about the voice controls not working and they showed a car system not understanding, and the dash and voice was unmistakable Ford Sync..

[hybridbear]

HERE has been sold to Audi, BMW & Daimler. I wonder what this will do to the prices for our Fords to get updates... I wonder if Ford will move to a new supplier.

[dysert]

I have a 2014 Hybrid which I bought new a year ago. The dealer told me it had the latest map (which I'm guessing is probably from 2013). Does anyone know if there's a more recent map? If so, how do I get it? Thanks.

[jeffo65]

We like our MFT. Have not had any issues that weren't easily fixed. One time it would not read the thumb drive, but it was not pushed in all the way. No problems with Bluetooth, Climate or Music. We purposely did not get NAV because we use our phones for navigation. So much quicker, up to date and did not want to spend the $900 for NAV.

 

I have used SYNC for Navigation and it is just clumbsy. Once they elimated where you could send Google Maps routes to SYNC, I stopped using it.

[hybridbear]

I have a 2014 Hybrid which I bought new a year ago. The dealer told me it had the latest map (which I'm guessing is probably from 2013). Does anyone know if there's a more recent map? If so, how do I get it? Thanks.

Read the earlier pages of this thread for your answer.

[talmy]

We purposely did not get NAV because we use our phones for navigation. So much quicker, up to date and did not want to spend the $900 for NAV.

 

We have NAV. But I've found that around town the phone is more convenient -- I can just tell it (iPhone Siri) where I want to go and it does the rest. However on vacations we are typically "in the middle of nowhere" and don't have cell service, and use NAV for that. Another downside with the phone is navigation is a real battery killer, not a problem for short trips, but it would never do for a full day of driving (unless I kept it plugged in to keep charged).

[jeffo65]

 

We have NAV. But I've found that around town the phone is more convenient -- I can just tell it (iPhone Siri) where I want to go and it does the rest. However on vacations we are typically "in the middle of nowhere" and don't have cell service, and use NAV for that. Another downside with the phone is navigation is a real battery killer, not a problem for short trips, but it would never do for a full day of driving (unless I kept it plugged in to keep charged).

I have never had that issue long enough to matter. And when I have it has been on a road that was staright as an arrow out in the middle of nowhere. I use Navigation very little compared to my wife. She uses her phone navigation frequently in the city. You can load maps onto a phone/GPS and still use the GPS chip in the phone, it just wont do turn by turn notifications.

 

Whenever we travel in the FFH, the phones are plugged in, so no worry about the battery drain.

Edited September 3, 2015 by jeffo65

[malibu3105]

I have NAV and use if for simple stuff or long trips. But ... I always have WAZE running as my main navigator, and I also have a Garmin NUVI. So really the NAV on my Fusion is more for entertainment anymore. When I bought the car I assumed it would be a fully functioning asset to my car. I was wrong. Useless if the car is moving.

Map updates are expensive for my Fusion, and Free for my Garmin. And of course free using WAZE.

 

So I am happy with it. Will never update it. In fact, during the last couple of weeks the GPS could not figure out where I was. Had me a couple hundred feet over. Interesting. Maybe Satellite were having issues. But as always my WAZE was perfect.

[GrySql]

In fact, during the last couple of weeks the GPS could not figure out where I was. Had me a couple hundred feet over. Interesting. Maybe Satellite were having issues.

 

TSB 14-0037 can fix that GPS Error.

Look here:

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/9352-technical-service-bulletins-tsbs/?p=87989