Sync Update Issues

[Expedish4]

Hi Everyone,

I have been having issues with Sync for 12+ months now on my 22’. The first sign was the Ford Pass app not allowing remote start and door lock/unlock. Fast forward, I can’t connect the vehicle on app and the Sync has not updated for a while.

Current version (4.0.23306)

Troubleshooting Steps Attempted:
- Ford support reset steps
- Dealer attempted manual update (could not complete due to state of charge). I have since been leaving vehicle on battery tender.
- Disconnect battery for over an hour
- Pulled TCU & Sync fuses and reinstalled


It allows me to connect to my home WiFi but then kicks it off the network after a minute or so. I suspect something wrong with the modem or TCU.

Any thoughts? Thanks!!

 

[BrianDA]

Have you tried using your cell phone's mobile hot-spot as the internet source for your Expy to do the updates? Double check in the settings that it is set to automatically check and update the Sync software when available.

Do you have auto start/stop? If you do, does it still work or very intermittently? Does your turn signal sound and do-de-do-do-de-do sound at start now sound like they come from somewhere else? In my Expy and mine and several of my friends F-150's, when the battery gets old, there are lots of little buggy things that go on and fix themselves after changing out the OE battery.

Sounds like you already talked to your dealer? They let you walk out without doing anything?

 

[Expedish4]

@BrianDA I will give the hotspot a try. I had it back at the dealer today, they attempted multiple updates throughout the day and said it would get to the end but not complete. They requested I let them have it for a few days to sort out. I am worried I have an expensive bill coming my way.

 

[BSarchet]

This happened to my daughter’s bronco and her modem had gone offline. It was all the same symptoms you mentioned. You can check by going to the sync settings and scrolling to the bottom where it says modem and seeing if there is modem information below it. If it’s blank this is your issue. I called Ford and they said we would have to go to the dealer. I googled and found a guy that said disconnecting your battery for 10 minutes would reset it. It took it about 10-15 minutes after that to come online but it worked.

I just saw that you’ve done all this dealership troubleshooting, so I apologize if you are already past this type of stage. Sync issues can be really frustrating.

If you need more details on where to look I can look up a screen shot tomorrow.

 

[Expedish4]

This happened to my daughter’s bronco and her modem had gone offline. It was all the same symptoms you mentioned. You can check by going to the sync settings and scrolling to the bottom where it says modem and seeing if there is modem information below it. If it’s blank this is your issue. I called Ford and they said we would have to go to the dealer. I googled and found a guy that said disconnecting your battery for 10 minutes would reset it. It took it about 10-15 minutes after that to come online but it worked.

I just saw that you’ve done all this dealership troubleshooting, so I apologize if you are already past this type of stage. Sync issues can be really frustrating.

If you need more details on where to look I can look up a screen shot tomorrow.

Thank you for the info, I did try a few battery disconnects the other day with no luck. On my about screen I do see a modem number but Ford Sync support did say my modem was not responding the last time I called.

 

[BrianDA]

Are you still under warranty?

 

[Expedish4]

Are you still under warranty?

My bumper to bumper expired in June 25’.

 

[rugedraw]

Do you have FORScan or any kind of code scanner? I would offer to check with the VIN, but if the modem is offline, I will not be able to see anything in PTS.

 

[Expedish4]

@rugedraw Thank you! You can give it a shot, just sent you VIN. I do not have FORscan but do have a cheap code scanner. For additional context, I replaced the battery last week with no change it issue.

 

[rugedraw]

Your modem seems to be completely offline. Screenshot below is from the OTA dashboard on your truck in PTS. The server has been trying to send you an APIM updates for months, but it continues to fail because your truck is not pinging the server back to accept it. Go ahead and pull the codes and post them. Particularly any codes in the TCU and GWM.

 

[Expedish4]

@rugedraw Thank you for the information. My code reader said there were no codes and did not have any other faults to report.

 

[rugedraw]

@rugedraw Thank you for the information. My code reader said there were no codes and did not have any other faults to report.

Very unusual that there are no codes. It sounds like a bad TCU. You can DIY it, but you will need FDRS to program the new TCU.

 

[Expedish4]

@rugedraw Is there something else I could test to confirm it is the TCU? Is the TCU located under the dash?

 

[rugedraw]

@rugedraw Is there something else I could test to confirm it is the TCU? Is the TCU located under the dash?

It is under the console. See attached.

However, I am still confused as to why there are no codes. It is VERY rare for any of these newer vehicles to show no codes at all.....not even stored codes.

 

[Expedish4]

@rugedraw thank you for the attachments. My typical luck that I run into a complex issue w/ no codes LOL.

 

[rugedraw]

@rugedraw thank you for the attachments. My typical luck that I run into a complex issue w/ no codes LOL.

If you say the dealer tried to update the module and could not do it, chances are, you have a bad TCU.

 

[Expedish4]

@rugedraw I took it to a different dealer to get a second opinion and fresh set of eyes. They believe it is APIM module failure. $1800 repair.

 

[DieselMonk]

You got any other electrical, or other modules having communication issues, or something like a window or light not working etc to warrant an $1800 expense? And then you figure out it was just something stupid like a bad pin in the connector etc.

Did this work when you purchased the SUV or did you buy this like that? If you bought it, I wonder if someone forcefully made that thing not talk back to Ford on purpose. Does the vehicle still track location or get any telemetry about your vehicle condition (fuel, oil, tire pressure etc)?

 

[Trainmaster]

As DieselMonk says, check the obvious. Get at the TCU and make sure the antenna is connected, connectors tight, etc. Check the fuse. Do the basics that your "APIM-replacer" probably didn't do. Not many things won't throw a code. Look at basics.

 

[rugedraw]

@rugedraw I took it to a different dealer to get a second opinion and fresh set of eyes. They believe it is APIM module failure. $1800 repair.

I don't think it's the APIM. GWM maybe.....TCU probably. This is 100% a lack of connectivity issue. Notice the OTA triggers expire exactly 2 weeks after they are sent. That's because an OTA trigger (for non-inhibit updates like this one) is only valid on the server for two weeks for the vehicle to accept it before it expires. If the APIM updates were failing due to a bad APIM, they would at least download and try to install before they fail with some kind of error message as to why it is failing.



What kind of code scanner are you using? There have to be some codes.