GeR2

This is what shows up under the Gear -> Connection tab:

On 4/9/2022 at 1:33 PM, bookemdano said:

 

Looks like it's still not connecting to the MS-CAN bus. Can you post a screenshot of the Connection settings (Car icon > Configuration)?

 

Edit: Also, if you didn't already, try installing these drivers http://sw.forscan.net/down/CH341SER.EXE

That was the driver that I installed.

As for the connection settings, this is what shows up with I select: Car > Configuration.  It does show a "Can Error".  There's 2 or 3 pages below this one.  I have screen captures for all of them.

Edit: A notable observation I made was the Settings > General menu shows "Debug Mode" selected.

Well, I received the new OBD2 scanner in the mail today.  I gave it a whirl as per the tutorial that Bookemdano was kind enough to provide.  Unfortunately, the TCU did not show up in the list.  The scanner came with some instructions.  I downloaded the driver and installed it.  It said the installation was successful.  The instructions says to use the "RTS relay" option for the ELM327 specific under the Connection tab.  After connecting to my car, it correctly identified the make / model.  It went through the connection procedure.  There was a message in the Log tab that says "The adapter is NOT recommended for this car - some FORScan functions may not be available or not properly work".  I allowed it to continue to completion and viewed the modules list under the CPU menu option.  The TCU was not in the list.  That's as far as I went.  I closed the connection in the software and then the scanner from the laptop and car.

Here are the screen captures that I took:

Notice that it says "the adapter is not recommended for this car", where I highlighted in yellow.

This shows the list of modules detected:

I'm guessing this OBD2 adapter is at fault.  Should I buy try again and buy this OBD2 scanner?

https://www.amazon.com/OBDLink-EX-FORScan-OBD-Adapter/dp/B081VQVD3F/

Otherwise, any comments and observations are appreciated.

Update about a callback from FordPass Tech Support...

Surprisingly, I received a callback from FordPass tech support.  The (non-advanced guide) agent that I spoke with came to the conclusion that my modem's software needs updating as they are showing "Failure Response(s)".  Activating came back as an error.  I'm not exactly sure what to make of this, but I was told that I would have to go to a dealer so that they may update it.  What do you guys think?  Is this a firmware issue, or is it the 4 digit modem string issue that you folks mentioned?  If you were in my situation, what would you do?

Edit:

I just now noticed that some features are back on FordPass...

Charge Settings: "Setup Preferred Charge Times", "Battery Charge Logs"

Driving Data: Under My Journeys, "EV Data / My EV Driving Data".

Vehicle / Battery Charge Status is back on my Apple iPad.

On 4/6/2022 at 9:25 PM, bookemdano said:

 

Should be fine for reading (and writing if need be) asbuilt data. I probably wouldn't use it to flash firmware, but that's not something you're going to need to do for this anyway. 

I placed the order.  I'll let you folks know when it arrives.

To cr08 and bookemdano:

No worries.  I was careful to disconnect before removing the ODB2 scanner.  Suffice it to say, all is well.

What do you folks think about this :

eBAy: "forscan elm327 obd2 adapter compatible with f150 f250 code reader code reader"

It looks similar to the OBDLink EX FORScan OBD Adapter you mentioned.  In addition, The merchant is close to me, so delivery should be quick.  

On 4/5/2022 at 11:41 AM, bookemdano said:

Great!

 

1. In Forscan, click on the top-most icon (the car with the yellow i), then click on the Connect button (see arrow: 

2. This will initiate the connection with the car. On the right side of the window, you should see various events in the log. It establishes the connection, identifies the VIN/make/model and then it enumerates (detects) every module it finds--should be around 30 in all, give or take. As part of this process it will also display any diagnostic trouble codes that are found.

3. Once it's done detecting all the modules (usually the last one is IPC - Instrument Panel Control Module), it will ask you if you want to save the corrent configuration as a profile. I suggest you do this--there's no downside and in some cases it can come in handy. As part of saving it there is a text box for you to name the profile--just accept the default name unless you really want to call it something different.

4. Now that the car is connected, you'll want to find and click on the icon that looks like a computer chip (6th one down from the top/third one from the bottom).

5. You'll see a long list on the right side (that unfortunately isn't sorted alphabetically). Look in the list for: TCU  Module configuration (AS BUILT format) and click on it.

6. Look near the bottom left corner of the window for the little play button in a circle--like this:   Click on it.

7. Forscan will pop up a scary warning that "Changing configuration is potentially not safe". Remember that at this stage we're not changing anything, so there is nothing to worry about. Click the OK button to acknowledge the warning.

8. Forscan will query the module and get each block of the as-built (programming)--should only take a couple of seconds. What you should end up with is a screen with a bunch of rows of alphanumeric strings in little boxes. 

9. The very first thing you should do as a best practice is save a backup copy of this information. That way you will always have the original configuration in case you need to refer back to it or even revert to it. The way to take a backup is to click on the "Save All" button, which is near the bottom of the screen. When you click it, a box will come up where you can choose where you want to save the backup file and what you want to call it. You can just keep the defaults and hit OK.

10. Take a picture with your smart phone (or a screenshot if you know that process in Windows) of the entire as-built data, which should start with the line: 754-01-01 and end with the line 754-05-02.

11. Since we're not making any changes at this point, go ahead and click the little stop button in a circle--like this: .

12. It's a good idea to go back to the top icon (car with a yellow i) and then click the little disconnect icon (right next to the connect button you clicked in step 1. You can then shut the car off and pull the OBD2 adapter off the OBD2 port.

13. Upload the pic or screenshot you took of your modem programming here, or you can PM it if you don't want to post it. 

 

That's it. Let me know if anything is unclear.

 

I decided to give it a try this morning.  But, before I did, I spoke with FordPass tech support yesterday.  They ran me through the activation procedure after removing the vehicle from the FordPass app and performing a reset on the Sync system.  Long story short, the problem persists.

I followed your tutorial.  Somewhere in the first few steps, Forscan showed a message indicating that my OBD2 scanner "detected not enough performance of the adapter used".  It goes on to say, "The adapter is NOT recommended for this car".  Prior to this, it asked the year of my vehicle, and it had two options 1999 and 2000 (as far as I can remember).  Eventually, it detected the correct  make and model.  It also showed a warning message that said "Demo mode is active.  Switch to real mode?"  I tried twice, selecting yes and no.  Continue reading below.

I allowed it to proceed.  On step 5, it showed the Module list.  I could not locate the "TCU Module configuration (AS BUILT format)".

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm guessing it has to do with the OBD2 scanner.  What do you think?  If it is the OBD2 scanner, would you be able to recommend one that I can buy?  Preferably under $50.

bookemdano:

I followed your tutorial.  I'm at the point where I downloaded the Forscan app and activated it with the trial key.  So far so good.  I'm going to try pairing it with my OBD2 reader as you mentioned at the end of the tutorial.  In the meantime, please post the next few steps in order to view the "String" value responsible for the lock / unlock / start features.

Edit:

Ok, so I was able to pair my OBD2 reader with my laptop while connected to my Cmax.  Forscan picked it up just as you mentioned.

On 4/4/2022 at 2:17 PM, bookemdano said:

As @cr08 said, there is basically no risk to just inspect it. Forscan (the software we're using to do this) is very good about warning you before doing anything that makes any changes to the car. At this point all you're going to do is read the As-built (programming) of the modem, take a screenshot or photo of it and post it here. We can then tell you if it's correct or not and how to fix it if you want to.

 

So if you're interested, the first step would be to get Forscan installed on your laptop and a trial license.

 

1. Go to https://forscan.org/download.html and download "FORScan for Windows v2.3.46" (current version as of today's date).

2. After it finishes downloading, find the file and install it (I assume you know how to do this. If not, let me know)

3. After it installs, it normally places a shortcut on your desktop. Double-click it to run the program.

4. When it opens, you'll see a stack of 8 icons going down the left side. The last one is a steering wheel with a question mark in the center. Click on that.

5. The about screen should appear to the right. Look for the line showing your hardware key and copy it to your clipboard or write it down.

6. From your web browser, go to this page: https://forscan.org/support/prepare_trial_el_request.php?lang=en

7. On the support request page that comes up, fill out all of the requested fields (you can use a fake name but you must use a valid email address because they email the license to you). In the hardware ID box, paste or type in the key you obtained in step 5

8. Submit the form and wait. Usually they seem to process them within a half hour or so but may take longer. Check your inbox and junk folders in case it goes there.

9. The subject of the email will be "Free 2 month trial FORScan Extended License Registration Key" and it will come from no-reply@forscan.org. Click the link in the email.

10. In the web page that opens up, click the link that says "Download Extended License Key", which should download a small file to your computer.

11. Go back into Forscan > Steering wheel icon and click "Load License Key". It should pop up a box where you can go find the license file you just downloaded. Confirm you've selected the correct file and submit it. It should restart Forscan, and when you go back to the steering wheel icon it should say "Extended license. Registered to: <your name>. Valid until <2 months from when you requested the license>

 

That's it for getting the program installed and registered. Then you'll need to connect the OBD2 adapter to your C-Max, power on the car (can do it in accessory mode by starting the car without your foot on the brake pedal) and pair the adapter to your laptop (unless you've already done that). Once it's paired, within Forscan click the gear icon and go to the Connection tab. I think it's supposed to auto-detect if a bluetooth adapter is connected, but you can double-check it there. 

 

I'll stop here for now in case you have any questions.

Thanks for the post.  I was able to save your tutorial to a word document.  I'll need some time to absorb this.  When I'm feeling adventurous (perhaps in a day or two), I'll be sure to post my questions. Cheers.

On 4/3/2022 at 9:52 PM, bookemdano said:

Most likely, yes. The string I mentioned before amounts to a four digit number that tells the modem what kind of vehicle it's hooked up to. For our vehicles it should be set to B842. The B means it's Sync3 (versus the older sync2 system), the 8 means it's a plug-in hybrid and the 42 indicates it's in North America and communicates using CGEA 1.2 parameters (basically what "language" it speaks). @David_Tucker4actually determined the correct values for that string several months ago by trial and error, before we even knew what the official Ford programming was (@oldbeyondmeasure confirmed the official programming for us in this thread a couple of weeks ago). David found that without the correct values in that string, the remote functions would either work partially or not at all.  So that's why I think it's possible that Ford didn't program the correct string into your modem.

 

If you contact Ford (either the FordPass people or your dealership), they likely would not understand the problem/solution framed that way though, as I don't think they really ever get into the nitty-gritty of changing specific values in the programming. They just use their IDS computer system to apply the proper programming to each module in the car. So for them they wouldn't be looking at that B842 string. They'd just be connecting the car up to their system and telling it to program the modem. So yeah if you approach Ford about this then you should just mention that since the remote functions aren't working you want them to re-program the module. They should understand that request.

 

I understand your trepidation about trying to do it yourself, and no worries if it's not something you feel comfortable with. After all, since you paid Ford for the modem it's really their job to fix it. But I wanted to mention it to you, because unlike some of the other nonfunctional stuff in FordPass, I don't believe the remote start/lock/unlock features will just start working on their own if they haven't worked at all since you had the modem installed. So I think you'll need to insist that they reprogram the modem at the dealership.

I have an OBD2 Bluetooth device and a Windows 11 laptop.  What are the risks of inspecting the data on the modem?  

On 4/3/2022 at 6:40 PM, bookemdano said:

Your lock/unlock/remote start buttons aren't working at all? If that's the case then I strongly suspect that the Ford dealer did not program your modem correctly. Specifically the 754-01-01 block in your modem's as-built is probably set to an incorrect value.

 

While it's true that some features in FordPass are still a work-in-progress, and sometimes it takes several days for data from your car to show up, the remote control functions usually work right away once the car is successfully authorized. If they're not working after all this time then I believe the module doesn't have the right programming.

 

You may want to return to the Ford dealer who installed the modem and make them re-program it for you. If you don't want to do that and are willing to pick up an OBD2 bluetooth or USB adapter (plus have a Windows laptop at your disposal) I'd be happy to walk you through how to check that value and correct it if necessary.

I'm hesitant to modify the settings on my own.  I'm going to call FordPass tech support and ask for their opinion.  If it is a programming issue, then I will call my dealer.  Out of curiosity, is it as simple as changing a single value in the modem's software?  

A quick update on my 2017 Cmax Energi SE...

(A quick background for those that haven't read my replies in this forum)

I brought my vehicle into a dealer earlier this year to upgrade the 3G modem to 4G.  After about two months, the Ford Pass app started to work.  It isn't fully functional yet, but seems to be slowly "getting there".

The "Vehicle" screen seems to be working fine.  Just a few moments ago I noticed something new.  Interesting that is only shows on my Apple iPad and not my Android devices.  The home screen shows a message at the bottom indicating that the car is on charge and gives the option to view "Details".  Here are the screen captures:

So, yes, the folks at Ford are working around the clock.  I'm still waiting for them to fix the problem I'm having as per lock / unlock / start from the Home screen.  They removed driving data and charging features that I'm waiting to re-appear.  As you guys gain accessibility with (previously) non-functioning features, please keep posting them here.  I'm interested to know where everyone else is on this situation, I'm sure others are too.

On 3/25/2022 at 12:24 PM, bookemdano said:

Is anyone who did the upgrade getting any trip history in Driving Data > Journeys > My EV driving data?

 

Mine is constantly blank despite several recent trips. I did not enable the journey recording, but that shouldn't really be necessary because that uses your phone and the EV driving data should all come direct from the TCU (just as it did with MFM).

Journeys works most of the time for me.  It started working after giving it "All the Time" location permission.    As for My EV Driving, I used to have access to that feature.  For some reason it has disappeared from the "My Journeys" screen.  I hope they bring it back because it's nice to see the energy usage with trip mileage.  I use the data on a spreadsheet that tracks its usage.

On 3/12/2022 at 8:22 AM, oldbeyondmeasure said:

On lock/unlock, my Android phone was touchy about me not holding my finger on the button long enough and show an error message. Of course, you might be having a different problem. I assume you can perform lock/unlock with your key fob. I was able to set charge level notification (before I could set preferred charge times, I think) and it works most of the time. I wonder if you might be having a problem with the cellular network. In my neighborhood the cell service isn't that great and so it sometimes matters where the car is parked in the driveway, believe it or not. This was a particular problem with the old 3G modem/network. I have a 2017 C-Max Energi Titanium with Sync 3 v3.0.02024.

Yes.  You have to press the lock / unlock button for a few seconds for it to initiate the request.  If I remember correctly, the MyFordMobile app wasn't like this.  Nonetheless, it's still not working at the moment.  

I'm pretty sure it's not the cellular network as I get 4 to 5 bars of signal strength.  Also, my car is parked outside in the driveway.  Best guess is that it will start working in a few days.

Update on my situation:

After 2 months since having a 4G modem installed by a dealer in my 2017 C-Max Energi SE....

The FordPass app is.... WORKING!  Well mostly, at least.  I've done nothing with the app or vehicle in the past few days.  Other than logging out and in the FordPass app and reinstalling it.  So here's what's working:

1.) The Vehicle Screen:

     a.) Location

     b.) Odometer Reading

     c.) Estimated Mileage 

     d.) Charge Level

     e.) Gas Level

2.) Status: Monitoring  Tire Pressure.

3.) Charge Settings

      a.) Setup Preferred Charge Times

      b.) Departure Times

4.) Map with correct location of the vehicle.

Stuff that's not working:

1.) I am still unable to lock, unlock the vehicle.

2.) Set Charge Level Notification.

I probably missed a thing or two, but that's pretty much it.

So, Ford has been doing their homework.  It just took a little while.  Thank goodness that I don't have to go back to the dealer!

On 3/8/2022 at 4:58 PM, MDSF said:

Here is a follow up to my previous email where I described losing all functions with FordPass after the #g to 4g modem upgrade on my 2017 C-Max Energi.

 

After 7 calls to the FordPass people (each lasting about 30 minutes each) I got in touch with Ford Canada Customer Service and was assigned a case. Here a rep took over my case and made sure the issue was resolved (covering all costs, coordinating comms between the dealership tech and a Ford engineer, etc...).

 

I brought the car in one more time to replace the TCU module. It seems that was causing the problem. Oddly enough this is the 2nd time this module has been replaced. Anyway, after changing the module and doing what needed to be done (about 3 hours) I now have connectivity with FordPass. There are still a few little bugs but now I'm able to lock/unlock the doors, remote start, locate it on the map, display battery charge and fuel level and even correctly display mileage (it used to display -1000km before). Unfortunately, alerts (i.e. window open, etc...) are still not displaying. Despite that, it's a 100% improvement over what I had for the past 2 months.

 

Credit to Ford for the help and to thank me for being a loyal customer I got another 4 years of warranty on the Sync unit (which includes the TCU) for free. Nice!

 

My faith in the company has been restored.

I'm in a similar situation.  I had the modem upgraded to 4g.  For a while, I was having problems activating my 2017 CMax Energi.  A few weeks back (give or take), I was able to activate my vehicle.  Unfortunately, that's as far as I got.  My app doesn't respond to lock/unlock, location, metrics, etc.  How far did you get with the first and second modems installed and the FordPass app? Were you able to activate your vehicle with it?

On 3/3/2022 at 12:07 PM, cr08 said:

 

If you're waiting for the activation step, there is another route that can be taken for that. A user over on the F150 forums has created a third party site that still goes through Ford but bypasses their UI and some related issues. A number of people have had better luck getting the activation to come up and go through using this vs the FordPass app:

 

https://connectedcar-sdk.com/

I was able to get past the activation step.  Activating my vehicle with the FordPass app seems to be working reliably for the moment.  It's just the FordPass app features that aren't functioning.  I'm wondering if there's something else I can try to get past this stumbling block.

On 3/2/2022 at 10:23 PM, oldbeyondmeasure said:

Some things in FordPass are working and some are not. FordPass knows the approximate location of the car, although sometimes it thinks the car is at the house next door instead of mine. Remote lock and unlock usually work. Remote start worked the one time I tried it. FordPass will usually notify me when the car is fully charged (I set that alert in FordPass). When it doesn't notify me, I assume the car is having trouble connecting to the 4G network. It is unclear at this time whether the app can update value charge times successfully; I tried again tonight and will test during the next few days. I have a 2017 C-Max Energi with Sync 3. I believe the car has the latest version of the Sync 3 software installed; I updated it a few months ago.

 

Right now, the car is supposed to be charging (with the Default value charge settings in Sync 3). The home screen was showing a charging banner a few minutes ago, but when I clicked on "Details," FordPass had a problem loading whatever it was supposed to display and decided to stop displaying the banner. So value charge is still a work in progress for me. 

I also have a 2017 C-Max Energi.  After the modem was upgraded, how much time did it take for your car to start working with the FordPass app?  Did you have to do anything special while at the dealership or on your own?

Quote

On 3/2/2022 at 5:20 PM, oldbeyondmeasure said:

I am in the USA. Once I got the 4G upgrade, MyFord Mobile stopped working. I had to use FordPass.

 

How is the FordPass app working for you? (It's been two months since I had the modem upgraded.  The Home screen remains unresponsive to locking and such, and the Vehicle screen does not show the proper metrics).

The FordPass app continues to be unresponsive for me.  The farthest I've gotten was to be able to activate the vehicle and view the features on my smartphone and tablets.  Of course, they are not functioning.  I've been calling FordPass tech support every week or so.  They keep telling me the same thing, they are still working on the problem.  

How are you folks doing with your upgraded modem?  Any progress?

On 2/11/2022 at 8:25 AM, Mpt said:

I am new here. So happy this forum exists! I just scheduled a visit to have 4G modem installed. Over the phone, the dealer quoted $340 for the modem kit. Two other dealerships i called wanted nothing to do with this recall - didn't provide cost, and said it would take "couple of months" for the next available schedule slot. My visit is in two weeks, will let you know how it goes. Cheers

I had the 4G modem installed over a month ago and it still isn't working with the FordPass app.  I've been told it's a problem on Ford's side many times now and that they are still working on a resolution.  A word of advice, before pickup up your vehicle, ask them to try activating it with the FordPass app.  If all is working well, then ask them to show you the FordPass app and make sure all the features are functioning.  

Good luck to yah!

So, it's been over a month since I had a Ford dealer install the 4G modem and it still isn't working.  I can activate my vehicle with the FordPass app, but the features are unresponsive.  I've been calling the FordPass support number, and they keep telling me that they are working on the problem from their end and that I would be contacted by an advanced guide.  I've only received one callback with no resolution.  They told me not to reset the Sync 3 system to factory settings or remove the vehicle from the FordPass app as it may cause confusion.  What do you guys think I should do?  Should I go back to the dealer or start tinkering with things?

An observation I made while activating my vehicle, the Infotainment screen displayed messages indicating that the vehicle was being activated with My Ford Mobile.  Shouldn't it say "Ford Pass" instead?  Does anyone recall seeing the same message?  Or did yours say that it was being activated with Ford Pass?

On another note, for those that can’t schedule charging times... As a temporary solution, you can always get a programmable outdoor smart plug (assuming you are charging with the stock 120V adapter).  I use one myself.  It keeps track of energy consumption, and I can program it to turn on and off at specific times.  It's all controlled by an app on my smartphone and tablet.  I found it to be very helpful.  

Thanks for the update oldbeyondmeasure.  That is exactly as it should appear.  Are you able to access data that shows how far you've driven and energy used for each trip? (This data would be helpful for me as I keep track of these statistics to help calculate the cost per trip).

oldbeyondmeasure, That's great news!  It seems Ford is making progress.  Unfortunately, the FP app on my smartphone remains unresponsive.  When viewing the FordPass app, what do you see when you open the "Vehicle" screen?

A quick update...

I called FordPass tech support.  The agent I spoke with was able to confirm that my modem was properly installed according to the information on his side.  He seemed reasonably convinced that the issue is on Ford's side.  I asked him what I should and shouldn't do.  Things I shouldn't do are, Resetting the Sync 3 system to factory settings and removing the vehicle and activating the vehicle.  Given that I was able to activate the vehicle and view all of the features on the FordPass app, he said it was ok to log off and log on once in a while.  I still haven't received a call from an advanced guide, I was told to expect a call "soon".