2014-2017 C-Max Energi 3G to 4G modem update

[David_Tucker4]

On 1/31/2022 at 12:15 PM, cr08 said:

 

If you haven't already, it looks like CyanLabs recently added some additional AsBuilt DB's including TCU AsBuilt's:

 

AsBuilt Databases - CyanLabs

 

Currently they have 'J' and 'K' series TCU's. I imagine the J shouldn't be too far off from the H series.

 

EDIT: Reviewing this, if you guys are referring to the first four bits at 754-01-01, those last two digits would make sense for us as you've found. 42 or 62 configures it for CGEA 1.2 and 1.3 architectures respectively. 82 is C1MCA which doesn't apply to the C-Max. According to my APIM AsBuilt (all I have on hand at the moment), it's referring to CGEA 1.2, but it may be 1.2 and 1.3 are interchangeable. Not sure there.

Good stuff!  More testing earlier today showed my C-MAX remote lock/unlock worked best on "42" CGEA 1.2.  Setting to "62" for CGEA 1.3 allowed locking to work, but unlocking usually would not.

[ArizonaEnergi]

I just learned of this 3G issue when a message appeared on my cell phone.  No mail from Ford received.  It appears that my 2013 C-Max Energi is an orphan regarding this upgrade, based on the info in this thread.  That's unfortunate, as I've really enjoyed the remote starting and locking over the years, especially when it's 100F+ outside. 

 

It's about time for a new car anyway, as my EV mileage is down to 15-16 on a good day.  Have enjoyed the C-Max.  Good in-town car.

 

Not sure I would pay $350-$500 + all the hassle anyway.  Getting a bit old and cranky.

[GSMacLean]

On 2/2/2022 at 9:31 AM, ArizonaEnergi said:

I just learned of this 3G issue when a message appeared on my cell phone.  No mail from Ford received.  It appears that my 2013 C-Max Energi is an orphan regarding this upgrade, based on the info in this thread.  That's unfortunate, as I've really enjoyed the remote starting and locking over the years, especially when it's 100F+ outside. 

 

It's about time for a new car anyway, as my EV mileage is down to 15-16 on a good day.  Have enjoyed the C-Max.  Good in-town car.

 

Not sure I would pay $350-$500 + all the hassle anyway.  Getting a bit old and cranky.

 

I also just learned about this issue this morning when I had a message pop up on my cell phone. What a terrible experience from Ford. The wording was "you may have the option to purchase a 4G modem upgrade kit to be installed at your local Ford Dealer." So they don't know? They're just removing functionality the car was sold with, and the only way you find out is three weeks ahead of time via a cell phone app message? WTF Ford?

 

I hate to replace my 2013 C-Max (I've got less than 50,000 miles on it!), but I use these remote functions ALL the time.

 

My biggest question is, a few years ago when they swapped out the 2G modems, why didn't they skip to 4G at the time? Or a 3G/4G capable modem? It's not like 4G didn't exist at the time.

 

The way Ford has abandoned my car and everything associated with it has really made me think twice. This is the fourth Ford in a row that I have owned, and I also have another Ford in my driveway now. My next car to replace my C-Max will not be a Ford.

Here's the notification I received:

• Quote

  02/01/2022 7:00:00 pmApplication Decommissioned

  
  Your 2013 Ford CMAX utilizes 3G wireless technology to provide cellular access to your Ford using the My Ford Mobile App. A complimentary trial was included with your Ford at the time of purchase. Cellular companies are shutting down that network.
  
  To continue enjoying features like Lock and Unlock vehicle, Remote Start and Stop, Vehicle Status, Tire Pressure, Battery State of Charge, Fuel Level, Go-Times, Charge Locations, and more beginning on February 23, 2022, you may have the option to purchase a 4G modem upgrade kit to be installed at your local Ford Dealer. Please contact or visit your preferred Ford dealer for more information. You will need to purchase the upgraded 4G upgrade kit from your dealer, download the FordPassTM App and set up an account as needed. Compatible with select smartphone platforms. Message and data rates may apply. Additional information about the FordPassTM App and how to connect can be found on our web site: https://www.ford.com/support/category/
  fordpass/
  
  Please note that the cellular 3G network decommissioning will not impact control or performance of your Ford.
  
  Include link to schedule service.

   

   

[cr08]

I got this message as well on my '13 this morning. Posted a screenshot below and specifically highlighted the interesting note about the purchase option and date. Looks like they may start opening things up to people not on the original bulletin on this date?

[bookemdano]

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.

 

[cr08]

Mine was purely through the MFM app. I had a notification from the app on my phone this morning and it shows in the messages section. So far have not gotten any emails or other notifications about it.

[GSMacLean]

On 2/2/2022 at 1:34 PM, cr08 said:

Mine was purely through the MFM app. I had a notification from the app on my phone this morning and it shows in the messages section. So far have not gotten any emails or other notifications about it.

 

Same with me. It was a notification in my MFM app. If I log into MFM on the web, I find it in the "Announcements" section.

 

Interestingly, and with the same carelessness they seem to have managed this whole process, they left the "Include link to schedule service" text at the bottom of the notice - but forgot to actually replace that text with a link to schedule service.

 

What I find interesting is the wording "you MAY have the option to purchase..."

 

Does that mean they aren't sure? Elsewhere it seems only 2014's and onward are eligible (why?). So was the sending of this a mistake?

 

When I contacted Ford this morning, they were completely clueless, they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, and knew nothing about this message. I had to explain to the Ford rep on the phone what "MyFord Mobile" was. Just pathetic.

 

[bookemdano]

On 2/2/2022 at 12:34 PM, cr08 said:

Mine was purely through the MFM app. I had a notification from the app on my phone this morning and it shows in the messages section. So far have not gotten any emails or other notifications about it.

 

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

[cr08]

On 2/2/2022 at 1:50 PM, bookemdano said:

Maybe they're trying to prioritize folks covered under the CSP

This would be my educated guess especially with the chip supply issues we're having. Focus first on those who were still under the 'complimentary' period on MFM (which I find funny considering us 2013 owners have been out of the original 5 year complimentary period for about 4 years now and it still works and we haven't been charged. lol) and then roll it out to the rest later on. That said, it seems like an awefully short period. The original 21B09 bulletin went out sometime in Oct/Nov as I recall and we're JUST into February, less than a month to the start of the proposed shutdown. Just seems very rushed if, indeed, their plan was to prioritize those on the CSP and then roll it out to the rest later on.

[bookemdano]

On 2/2/2022 at 12:48 PM, GSMacLean said:

 

Same with me. It was a notification in my MFM app. If I log into MFM on the web, I find it in the "Announcements" section.

 

Interestingly, and with the same carelessness they seem to have managed this whole process, they left the "Include link to schedule service" text at the bottom of the notice - but forgot to actually replace that text with a link to schedule service.

 

What I find interesting is the wording "you MAY have the option to purchase..."

 

Does that mean they aren't sure? Elsewhere it seems only 2014's and onward are eligible (why?). So was the sending of this a mistake?

 

When I contacted Ford this morning, they were completely clueless, they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, and knew nothing about this message. I had to explain to the Ford rep on the phone what "MyFord Mobile" was. Just pathetic.

 

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.

[cr08]

I follow the two main C-Max groups on FB and we've already gotten quite a number of posts and comments about it this morning. I'm with you in hoping this increased awareness gets the ball rolling a bit better and maybe us '13 owners will get some better confirmation on whether or not it can be done officially. That and confirmation on the Value Charging for official upgrades would be nice.

Edited February 2, 2022 by cr08

[DonaldLaird]

Add me to the list of ‘13 Energi owners who got the notification today. Hoping additional info come out for us before too long. 

[auspiciouscoconut]

I have a 2017 C-Max Energi SE, and received the letter back in October or November. I went to my usual dealer, they had no idea what I was talking about, and said I could just download the 4G upgrade. ? After a few more dead ends, I found a dealer who could order it (they charged me ~$515). In January, I dropped off the car to get it installed, and I got a call the next day that they were having an issue with the install on another C-Max, and they were waiting for a response from Ford before working on mine. That response never came, so I took my car back until they get it figured out. 

[bakedpatato]

For those of you with 2013 cars:

I took a peek at a 2013 C-Max Energi electrical diagram and it's the exact same as all other years in regards to the TCU, so I don't think there's any technical reason as to why the 2013 isn't on the list... you're definitely going to be paying for parts and .8hours of labor but there's no difference that I could tell

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by bakedpatato

[dexxer514]

I have a 2013 C-Max Energi SEL with 275 000km on it.  Aiming to push it to 350-400k.

Looooved this car so far, and still running like new.  One of the best car I had.

Had a Lexus ES300 before that, and still prefer my C-Max...

 

Got the notification in the MFM app yesterday while remote starting it in the Canadian winter! 

We sometime have -20 ot -30C here!  Can't believe they're taking the feature away in 2 weeks!

And they want 500$ to maintain a feature already paid for?

That CSP should cover all C-Max from '13 to '17 and also the parts.

 

I swapped my 2G for 3G in 2019, they should've swapped to 4G right away since it was in there pipeline cars since at least 2016 or 2017...

They knew in 2019 3G was going to cut, they know these things years in advance. It's Ford come on.

 

Now they try to annoy customers who bought a very good car to swap for a new one that will last less. 

 

They know those c-maxes are built like tanks and won't die easily.

I guess that's simply a play of planned obsolescence...

 

These 10 years old car still running? Hell nah, let's make them come and pick a new one! and wait 6 months cause they're out of stock anyway!

 

 

[ArizonaEnergi]

And I suppose this will be gone too:

 

02/03/2022 06:05:16 PM
Hello Patrick,
Max is fully charged.
Enjoy your ride!

[Nervous but Excited]

Any chance that this will be cheaper in a year from now?

[cr08]

On 2/4/2022 at 12:19 PM, Nervous but Excited said:

Any chance that this will be cheaper in a year from now?

 

Doubtful from the official side of things. You usually don't see dealer parts prices drop that quick.

 

What may happen instead is we get a better idea on how DIY upgrades are handled and be able to purchase an appropriate TCU on eBay or something to do the job. But at this moment, there's still a few lingering concerns with the DIY route that need to be figured out.

[bakedpatato]

On 2/4/2022 at 9:19 AM, Nervous but Excited said:

Any chance that this will be cheaper in a year from now?

The campaign is outright stopping in May so no, and unless your car is a Fusion Energi you'll need a less common TCU to even do a diy retrofit;

 

given how the part model for the TCU that the Cmax and Focus Electric need is explicitly stated as also compatible for F150s in that popular F150 forum post(H and J from an Escape or Transit), the price even from parts wreckers of that TCU has gone from $90 in 2019 when the post first appeared to $200+ recently

 

while newer K and L series TCUs, which possibly might be only compatible with the Fusion go for much less

Edited February 4, 2022 by bakedpatato

[cr08]

This is more of an interesting little find that really doesn't affect anything significant. But after a comment by bakedpotato over on the F-150 forums I decided to dig in to the QML files of Sync 3. These files are basically what define how the UI is displayed for those unfamiliar with it.

 

What I've found is confirmation on how the text references to MyFordMobile/FordPass are programmed. Below is a snippet of code found with the main concern. I'll explain it in plain English below the image. As an FYI: This is on the latest Sync 3.4 image. When I get time, I'll try and find a 3.3 or earlier image to check against.

 

So the main thing of note is the 'getMobileName' function at the top denoted by (1). This is the function referenced by the text on the Value Charge screen to use the mobile app to edit the settings.

 

What this function says is first under (1a), IF the vehicle is a Lincoln vehicle, it returns 'Lincoln Way' as the app name. Else, it defaults to (1b) which returns 'FordPass' as the app name.

 

The 'getMobileWebsite' function under (2) DOES have some MyFordMobile references in some circumstances (namely if you have a BEV or PHEV Ford or Lincoln vehicle per the code above. Or it is used as a last resort option if the vehicle doesn't match any of the conditions under 2a through 2c) and these only seems to be referenced in some popup messages regarding an Account expiring or about to expire or not being activated, none of which I've seen occur at any point in my vehicle even if the MyFordMobile link has been deactivated due to a reset. And I don't see any references to these in any other files so maybe they are unused functions or they're referenced in some binary somewhere that I wouldn't be able to read.

 

[spw]

Just got the message from the MFM app today 2/4/2022 regarding my 2013 Cmax Energi and the 3G to 4G transition.  Wish me luck.

Edited February 5, 2022 by spw

[homestead]

On 2/4/2022 at 4:32 AM, ArizonaEnergi said:

And I suppose this will be gone too:

 

02/03/2022 06:05:16 PM
Hello Patrick,
Max is fully charged.
Enjoy your ride!

Wonder if you could connect the car to your home wi-fi and still have it send you messages..

[cr08]

On 2/4/2022 at 9:06 PM, homestead said:

Wonder if you could connect the car to your home wi-fi and still have it send you messages..

Unfortunately, no. It relies 100% on the TCU for these functions.

[Laminar]

Since the official Ford document lists a common upgrade kit for the MKX and C-Max Energi, I'm posting this here in case it helps someone else:

 

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10204043-0001.pdf

 

I can report a successful self-upgrade to 4G.

 

I found a 4G TCU from a 2018 MKX on eBay for just under $100. Things to look for:

- The FCC ID of "LHJ-FANW" indicates a 4G modem. There are a few other IDs for different model vehicles that are 4G as well.

- The maroon antenna plug is the 4G plug. If there's a second plug there that's tan, that's for the wifi hotspot. All 4G modems will have a maroon plug, a TCU that supports Wifi will have the second plug.

 

I made some room in the trunk.

 

The passenger side cover pops loose, but it take a fairly significant amount of force. I didn't remove it entirely, just enough to pull the top back and get at the modem.

 

Before disconnecting the modem, I pulled up Forscan and trended all values available in the TCU:

 

Then I unplugged the factory TCU and plugged in the new TCU. Once booted, the TCU showed several DTC error codes - lost communication with ECU, no antenna, and a couple others. I saved the As Built of the TCU in an as-found configuration.

 

At this point, and I'm not 100% sure it was necessary, but I disconnected the vehicle battery for a couple of minutes to give everything a good reset.

 

Once reconnected, I went into the LincolnWay app and deleted the vehicle. I then went in and re-added it. It was able to find the vehicle and sent an activation request. In a few seconds the request popped up on the Sync 3 screen and I authorized. 

 

The app still didn't show I was authorized even though I got a confirmation email stating everything was good to go, so I logged out and logged back in to the app. Once I did that, everything worked and I was able to lock, unlock, and start via the app.

 

Here's what the TCU looked like after the upgrade:

 

I don't have an antenna hooked up, but I was able to easily activate from inside of my closed garage. I think the connector the TCU wants is a TS9 female, so I'm trying to find something that will work.

 

Other than that, it looks like I'm good to go for another decade or so until they decided to sunset 4G, too. ?

Edited February 7, 2022 by Laminar

[bookemdano]

On 2/7/2022 at 8:38 AM, Laminar said:

Since the official Ford document lists a common upgrade kit for the MKX and C-Max Energi, I'm posting this here in case it helps someone else:

 

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10204043-0001.pdf

 

I can report a successful self-upgrade to 4G.

 

I found a 4G TCU from a 2018 MKX on eBay for just under $100. Things to look for:

- The FCC ID of "LHJ-FANW" indicates a 4G modem. There are a few other IDs for different model vehicles that are 4G as well.

- The maroon antenna plug is the 4G plug. If there's a second plug there that's tan, that's for the wifi hotspot. All 4G modems will have a maroon plug, a TCU that supports Wifi will have the second plug.

 

I made some room in the trunk.

 

The passenger side cover pops loose, but it take a fairly significant amount of force. I didn't remove it entirely, just enough to pull the top back and get at the modem.

 

Before disconnecting the modem, I pulled up Forscan and trended all values available in the TCU:

 

Then I unplugged the factory TCU and plugged in the new TCU. Once booted, the TCU showed several DTC error codes - lost communication with ECU, no antenna, and a couple others. I saved the As Built of the TCU in an as-found configuration.

 

At this point, and I'm not 100% sure it was necessary, but I disconnected the vehicle battery for a couple of minutes to give everything a good reset.

 

Once reconnected, I went into the LincolnWay app and deleted the vehicle. I then went in and re-added it. It was able to find the vehicle and sent an activation request. In a few seconds the request popped up on the Sync 3 screen and I authorized. 

 

The app still didn't show I was authorized even though I got a confirmation email stating everything was good to go, so I logged out and logged back in to the app. Once I did that, everything worked and I was able to lock, unlock, and start via the app.

 

Here's what the TCU looked like after the upgrade:

 

I don't have an antenna hooked up, but I was able to easily activate from inside of my closed garage. I think the connector the TCU wants is a TS9 female, so I'm trying to find something that will work.

 

Other than that, it looks like I'm good to go for another decade or so until they decided to sunset 4G, too. ?

 

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.

Edited February 7, 2022 by bookemdano