bookemdano

Wow, shocked that they would do that--especially considering what a mess their 4G upgrade program has been. The cherry on top? Apparently, AT&T recently signed a last-minute roaming deal with T-Mobile to keep 3G devices working through at least July. https://www.lightreading.com/4g3gwifi/atandt-inks-last-minute-3g-roaming-deal-with-t-mobile/d/d-id/775491 Ford needs to reverse course on this. Of course whether they will is another question entirely.

Good stuff! I was confused for a minute looking at your picture because I thought you were saying that you used an MKX TCU in a C-Max, but after re-reading I think you're saying that you have an older MKX with a 3G TCU and replaced it with a 4G TCU from a newer MKX. Right? I hadn't ever really looked into the Lincoln side of this debacle--but now that you brought it up I'm sort of fascinated about how different it is. Because Lincoln didn't have any PHEV or BEV vehicles until 2021, the Lincoln Way app has just been for lock/unlock/remote start and a few other metrics--there were no battery-related functions. So from 2015-2017 Lincolns used 3G TCUs to connect to the Lincoln Way app, and beginning in 2018 they switched to 4G TCUs that connect to the same Lincoln Way app. That's in contrast to the Ford side where 3G TCUs only connect to MFM and 4G TCUs only connect to FordPass. So Lincoln folks are going to have a much easier time DIYing this upgrade because they don't have to worry about losing Value Charging (since their cars never used it in the first place), and they don't have the inherent complications on the back-end of needing to switch their cars from one app platform over to another. Also, a google search brought up this post from December (!) showing a push notification that a Lincoln Way user had received with pretty much the same message we Ford plebs just got last week (but with an actual "Schedule Service" link ? ) BTW, @Laminar, the type of antenna plug on the 4G TCUs is known as a FAKRA connector.There's a readily obtainable 4G antenna that the F150 guys have been using--I think maybe @bakedpatato linked it earlier in this thread. But as you discovered there's a fallback internal antenna that might be sufficient if you're in an area with decently-strong signal.

Yeah, this has not been well handled by Ford. I assume it's because Ford has discontinued all the models affected and is just tossing us some scraps. I see your point now that since all MFM users seemingly are getting that notification, maybe nothing's actually changed and 2013s still aren't eligible for the swap. Thing is, I'm not sure why they weren't included in the first place--as far as I know, all C-Max Energis use the same TCU and have the same electrical architecture. So it feels like it was just an oversight. But until someone with a 2013 actually gets an official upgrade I guess we're just left to speculate. Who did you call at Ford? I think you'd have the best chance contacting your local Ford dealership (or multiple dealerships if you have more than one nearby). It may help to point them to the CSP number 21B09, because that should pull up the info Ford sent them about the problem & resolution back in November. That said, they may see 2014-2017 on the letter and just tell you it doesn't pertain to your 2013. One thing's for sure--this notification is really going to increase awareness of this issue. I'd gather the vast majority of owners of affected vehicles have zero knowledge about this problem--even regular MFM users. So Ford and its dealers are going to get a lot of calls about this after today. Hopefully that leads to more answers.

Oh, right you are. And in fact my MFM *just* popped up that notification a few minutes ago, and I have a 2017. So it looks like all of us who are registered with MFM (and have the app installed) are getting that push notification. The message for mine is identical to the ones you guys already posted, except it uses my first name in the greeting and references my "2017 CMAX" The February 23rd date is because February 22nd is the date AT&T is cutting off 3G service (but who knows if the 3G TCUs actually go dark on that specific date). Weird that Ford seems to be saying that the 23rd is the first date you can do the swap. Maybe they're trying to prioritize folks covered under the CSP

Interesting developement! So far, the three of you who have reported receiving the notification have 2013s. Yet 2013s were not mentioned in the dealer letter that went out in November. I don't know if that was just an initial oversight on Ford's part or if they relented based on complaints to qualify the 2013 model year cars for the newer modem. Also I wonder if eventually all of us are going to get a similar notification. Not that anyone other than 2017 owners will get the CSP for free labor, but at least it seems now that all C-Max Energis have the option of a paid modem upgrade. Those of you who received this notification, how was it sent? From the screenshot posted by cr08 it looks like an email, but maybe I'm wrong about that? It's definitely not a text, unless the text was a link to a web page with that blurb on it.

Well I guess the next question would be if the part number is burned in or if any software tools can change it or fake it? Not in my wheelhouse at all, but the Forscan guys may have some ideas. First things first, we need someone who has done the official upgrade to run Forscan and let us know what the official part number is and/or tear into the left rear cargo area to take a photo of the sticker on the new TCU ?

Also, looks like February 22nd is the actual date that AT&T is pulling the plug on 3G. It will be sort of interesting to see if everything goes dark all at once on the 22nd or if AT&T is just beginning the process that day and will slowly decommission towers over the following days/weeks/months. Another unknown is if the SIM in these TCUs is authorized to roam onto any other 3G networks that might still be alive. That's a (minor) part of the reason I want to wait to swap my TCU--I'm honestly curious how long it will take before our 3G TCUs actually stop being able to communicate. I believe the 2G sunset was staged over a period of time, but wasn't really paying any attention back then since I didn't have a car with a TCU until 2019.

@David_Tucker4 and @bakedpatato Apologies if this is a stupid question, but are you sure that you have the correct settings in line 754-01-01 of the asbuilt? I think for the C-max Energi it should be B882--specifically the first 8 signifies that the car is a PHEV as opposed to a gasoline engine. Since you both used TCUs sourced from an escape, wouldn't the second digit need to be changed to 8 from 1?

Thanks for confirming. Not the answer I wanted to hear, but it's good to know that this will apparently be an issue for anyone doing a DIY swap. Hopefully a way around it can be figured out.

The whole CGEA 1.2 (aka C1MCA) vs CGEA 1.3 and I-CAN vs HSCAN3 vs HSCAN4 thing is still clear as mud to me. I've read speculation in more than one place that HSCAN3 and I-CAN are actually the same bus--Ford just renamed I-CAN to HSCAN3 at some point. But, I haven't seen anything truly definitive on that. I do know that the K TCU by default "speaks" HSCAN4, which is used on many/most 2019+ Fords. So downgrading it to the J firmware should allow it to communicate via HSCAN3/I-CAN, but I haven't tried it myself yet. I agree that MFM looks a little long in the tooth at this point--obviously Ford stopped expending resources on improving it years ago. But unlike FordPass it was designed specifically for PHEVs/BEVs and there isn't any superfluous stuff cluttering up the interface. From what I remember, FordPass dedicates some screens to pitching new Ford cars and dealership services. Obviously not a huge deal, but I'll be kind of sad to lose MFM. It was reliable and has worked well for me (albeit slowly). But anyway, at least we have options going forward.

Interesting stuff. Thanks for checking this out. I had no idea that Value Charging was so tied in with the MFM app. I guess since every Energi was outfitted with a TCU Ford felt it could do that. I left a reply for David_Tucker4 in the thread at MFM to see if he's got the same/similar issues. I encouraged him to respond here, but will continue to monitor that thread for any replies. I do plan to start messing with this myself, but (selfishly) I want to ride out MFM until it dies. I like the interface, layout and full functionality. And since it seems the transition to FordPass is permanent, I wouldn't be able to swap back in my 3G TCU. Not to mention, the TCU I picked up from ebay is a "K" model, which I don't think will even communicate with my C-Max until I downgrade it to J firmware (and maybe not even then). Hopefully we can get this pinned down so folks can make a more informed decision about whether they want to pay the Ford ransom or DIY it.

@bakedpatato you alluded to this in a previous post, but just wanted to be sure--did you say that someone else you assisted in doing a TCU swap also lost the value charging screen in their car the same way you did? If so, that's interesting because it may eliminate other variables in your case (e.g. your APM swap and your 3G TCU dying on its own even before you changed it out). I'm also curious what happens to the value charging screen if you simply disconnect your TCU entirely (and maybe follow up with a master reset)? What happens to it if you re-connect your 3G TCU? I know you can no longer provision the car in MFM, but does the mere presence of the 3G TCU (or having no TCU connected at all) affect how that screen appears in your center stack? Since value charging is completely controlled by the car I'd be honestly surprised if Ford made it completely dependent upon their telematics server side. Anyway, just an idea. Keep us posted!

Not so sure about that. For one, I think we've only had 3-4 people post here who have done the upgrade through Ford. Also, Value Charging isn't a universally-used feature. I myself don't use it even though I do regularly use the MFM app. So I'll turn this into an actual ask for anyone who has gotten the 4G modem from Ford--can you please try to test (set up/make changes to) the Value Charging settings from the FordPass app? Also, try changing them via the car's center screen and see if they sync over to the FordPass app. Hopefully we can nail down for sure if this is an issue on Ford's end (quite possible since these features were added to FordPass pretty recently), or if DIYers are going to potentially need to flash firmware from an "official" Energi 4G TCU. Edit: Wow, twice as many as I thought! Tagging the folks who have posted that they had the official 4G upgrade: @eostrike, @EddyBoston, @dbakerhmb, @SayheyBj, @oldbeyondmeasure, @EDC, @Marz, @GeR2, and of course anyone else who has had it done. Also, not sure if you saw his posts about it, but the first person in the thread to report about their official upgrade--@eostrike--mentioned issues setting up Value Charging here and here. So hopefully this is actually a bug affecting all the MFM vehicles rather than a specific issue with DIY TCU transplants.

Has it been determined that people who have done the official upgrade from Ford are able to Value Charge successfully?

You have hit upon a crucial point that I and others misunderstood about this CSP--the free labor coverage is only for people who are still within the "free trial" of MFM that came with their vehicle. For model years 2014-2018 (so all the C-Max Energis) that period was always 5 years from the date of initial purchase. For the Fusion Energi, the 2019 model year dropped the MFM free trial to 2 years, and for 2020 it dropped again to 1 year. Obviously, Ford knew that 3G was going away several years ago hence the drastically lowered service guarantee. For everyone else affected, they can have the work done but will not receive the free labor coverage. To boil it down--in terms of the C-Max lineup, only the 2017 Energi is covered under the program, because none of the 2013-2016 models would have still been within their 5-year trial period in November 2021 when the CSP was set up. For the Fusion Energi, the 2017-2020s should be covered. Where the confusion came in is over the chart on that first page of the dealer letter. But note that it is showing all affected vehicles, not all those getting free labor coverage . The letter encourages dealers to contact customers with affected VIN numbers to inform them they'll lose MFM coverage and let them know that they can pay (full parts + labor) to have a 4G modem installed. Remember that this particular letter was not sent to nor intended for customers--it was for dealers to be aware of which vehicles have 3G modems that will lose signal and stop functioning next month. The actual letter sent to owners covered under the CSP does not include that chart and makes no mention of the range of vehicles covered--it only notifies the owner that their particular vehicle is covered and provides instructions on how to initiate the repair. Not everyone who has posted here and elsewhere about receiving the CSP notice has disclosed the model year of their vehicle, but those that I have seen have all been 2017 or newer. I haven't heard of anyone with a 2016 or older vehicle receiving the CSP letter. That said, there must be some other factor at play because I myself have a 2017 C-Max Energi, with a first sale date of 12/16/16. My MFM complimentary trial period should have run through 12/16/21, and therefore my car should have been covered under the CSP. But I never received an owner letter, and the CSP does not show up under my owner.ford.com account. I also called into Ford's recall/CSP call center and they confirmed that my VIN is not covered under 21B09. Attempts to escalate with a supervisor led no where. They couldn't or wouldn't tell me why my C-Max wasn't covered, only that it wasn't. So either Ford screwed up and mistakenly didn't include some VINs that should be covered, or perhaps there is some other criterion they're using. I wonder if it could be that I am not the original owner of this car. Perhaps the MFM agreement only applies to the original owner? That would surprise me, since recalls and CSP coverage usually apply regardless of who owns the vehicle. But it's at least a possibility. So, can those of you who received a letter/notification from Ford (whether you've had the work done or not) state what model year/model your car is, as well as if you are the original owner? Note that some dealers are contacting customers about the loss of MFM functionality even if they aren't covered by the CSP. Please only respond if you received the letter from Ford or see the 21B09 CSP in your Ford account.

Check the "System Information" screen (which can be found on the MFT interface by going to Settings > Help > System Information. I think you can also get there by hitting the Voice Command button and saying "help".) On the system information screen, look for something that says "Modem ESN" On my 2017 Energi (which is SYNC3) it's called "Onboard Modem Serial Number (ESN)" Maybe someone else with an older Energi can report where it can be found with MFT. Edit: Ford did drop support for the 2G modems (err, rather AT&T did--they don't have 2G towers anymore). Ford also deprecated Vehicle Health Reports, but those have nothing to do with MFM, which is for remote start/lock/unlock/charging). The modem/TCU is in the cargo area behind the plastic trim. IIRC it's on the left side but not positive. If you google "C-Max TCU location" or replacement I think there are some helpful posts if you want to tear into it.

I believe the OP is talking about the modem/TCU, which is only present on the Energi model (IIRC) to allow trip/charge tracking and remote start/lock/unlock features. The TCU is indeed a wireless cellular modem (uses the AT&T network).

Look at your About SYNC screen (that's what it's called on my 2017 with SYNC 3, might be different on the MFT models). If your TCU (modem) is communicating with the car then you will see a modem serial number (ESN) listed. If it shows up blank then your modem is dead, unplugged or frozen up. If there is an ESN listed then it means your modem is probably fine. Do you have good AT&T coverage where you are? Have you tried removing the car from your myfordmobile.com account and setting it up again from scratch?

@Plus 3 Golfer - you're saying Ford only allows you to download an update during the warranty period? That seems insane to me. I mean it's one thing for them to not release any new updates for vehicles out of warranty. But to not even allow people to download an update that was released years ago? When did they start this policy? I distinctly remember downloading a couple different updates for my 2010 Mariner Hybrid--even as late as 2016 or so.

If you're not the original owner then there may not even be a sync update to do--Ford updates it less often than you might think. I think your best bet would be to write down the current version you have (can be found in the sync screens if you dig around a bit) and then log in at owner.ford.com, register your car's VIN number (if you haven't already) and see what version it offers there. If it's newer than the one you have now then you have the choice of doing it over WiFi or USB. IMHO it's better to do the update via USB if you can. You need a USB flash drive and the process involves downloading the update, putting it on the flash drive, inserting the flash drive in your car and then turning the car on.

Hmm, did you buy this car from a dealer? I wonder if the metal key inserts were from a different vehicle and got accidentally or purposely swapped into your fobs. If you hold them up next to each other do they look like they have an identical pattern cut into them? Does the pattern on them also match the old school key that's on the ring? I really don't think that key is original. If your car has traditional keyed ignition you get two of those old school keys (which woud have the unlock/lock buttons built into the plastic head of the key). If you have pushbutton ignition then you get two fobs with metal key inserts. You can try WD40 in the door lock--maybe there's some foreign object in there that's preventing the key from inserting all the way. You might try some compressed air blasts too. But it also sounds possible that none of your metal keys are the actual ones that came with the vehicle. If that's the case then your best bet would probably be getting a locksmith out to get your door open. Sucks to have to pay, but they can usually do it without damaging your door. You could also take all your keys (plus the car's VIN) to a Ford dealership--they can probably tell you if any of them are a match for your car. Locksmiths might also have access to that information--I don't know. Good luck!

Confused by your description of the keys. What is "the big" key you're talking about? If you have pushbutton start then you should only have two metal keys--the ones that slide out of each fob. Are your fobs original? The key inserts should be identical--if you hold both of them together they should have the same exact pattern cut into them. Are you sure you are turning them (to the right) hard enough? Possible that your door lock is stiff due to non-use. Unfortunately there's no other way in other than jimmying the door lock or calling a locksmith.

I would double check that the battery is inserted correctly and is making good contact (once you have it assembled try pressing fairly hard on the plastic above where the battery is). The key is designed to work to start the car even with no battery--that close proximity allows the car to read the key's code passively. If you can determine the battery is making good contact (be sure to check for any corrosion) then it's possible the fob has some sort of electrical fault. In that case your best bet is to buy a used Cmax key on ebay. You still have to have a dealer program it, but it's several hundred bucks cheaper than buying the key from them.

Is there a reason you can't use the one in the cargo bay? That one is always-on. I'm unaware of a method to change the console ones to be always on (short of rewiring them to an always on fuse).

FYI the later model year C-Max (definitely 2017+ but maybe also 2016) no longer use SD cards. The only way to get updated maps for the built-in nav is by paying the highway robbery fee. Built-in Nav is a huge rip-off--always has been. I think that's the biggest reason the car companies dragged their feet on CarPlay/Android Auto for so long--they knew they would be losing a monster cash cow over the years as people realize it's better and cheaper to just use their phone's navigation. OP, if you really want updated maps, I think the download option would be the way to go. From what I understand they make the process pretty easy, and as long as you have a decent-size USB flash drive you should be fine. I'm sure their support people will assist if you get stuck. But if you're doing it expecting the new maps to be much improved over the 2016-era ones you currently have, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise--sometimes changes/new construction takes a couple of years to make it into these static map updates. Yet another advantage of the Apple/Google maps--they are far quicker to update their maps with changes. Just my 2c