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

[oldbeyondmeasure]

On 2/20/2022 at 10:31 AM, GeR2 said:

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?

2017 C-Max Energi with upgraded modem: some features of the FordPass app work and some don't. App knows the location of the car. Remote lock and unlock usually work. Remote start worked the one time I tried it. App will usually notify me when the car is fully charged (I set that alert). App thought it was setting value charge times and it may have been successful, but they don't work at all. (As soon as I plug the car in, charging begins, regardless of the time of day.) I think there is a conflict between the FordPass app and Sync 3 in the car regarding the value charge times. I cannot delete them and start over. 

[cr08]

On 2/24/2022 at 1:10 AM, oldbeyondmeasure said:

2017 C-Max Energi with upgraded modem: some features of the FordPass app work and some don't. App knows the location of the car. Remote lock and unlock usually work. Remote start worked the one time I tried it. App will usually notify me when the car is fully charged (I set that alert). App thought it was setting value charge times and it may have been successful, but they don't work at all. (As soon as I plug the car in, charging begins, regardless of the time of day.) I think there is a conflict between the FordPass app and Sync 3 in the car regarding the value charge times. I cannot delete them and start over. 

Can you confirm what the Value Charge screens look like in the vehicle? Do you see a similar display to what bakedpotato posted earlier in this thread (post linked below)? And just being absolutely certain, this was an official dealer installed upgrade?

 

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by cr08

[cr08]

As a note: As long as the weather holds out, I'm going to attempt to do the DIY upgrade in mine this Friday afternoon. I'll see about trying to document it on video if I can. If following the WSM directions, it's going to require a number of trim pieces removed including the battery cover. Unless those here who have done it found an easier way?

[JonC]

And I guess today was the day it stops working, the MFM app now says "application decommissioned" and the myfordmobile.com website is down.

 

I'm surprised.  I didn't expect Ford to kill the app like that, I just expected things to stop working when the 3g towers were turned off.

 

That's annoying.

[oldbeyondmeasure]

On 2/24/2022 at 4:47 AM, cr08 said:

Can you confirm what the Value Charge screens look like in the vehicle? Do you see a similar display to what bakedpotato posted earlier in this thread (post linked below)? And just being absolutely certain, this was an official dealer installed upgrade?

 

 

Answering the last question, yes, this was an official dealer installed upgrade on January 11, 2022. Also, it took five days for the "Activate Vehicle" prompt to appear on the FordPass app. Two screenshots from the Sync 3 display are attached. I assume that these are what you are looking for. The "Next Charge" time on the first screenshot is simply not correct, as it is not a time I would have picked. Regarding the second screenshot, I cannot modify the "Home" value charge profile in the car or from the FordPass app. *However,* I was able to *delete* it using the FordPass app after I took the screenshot, which I think I was not able to do before. The "Next Charge" time has defaulted to the setting in the Default value charge profile, which may be a step in the right direction. I will have to play with value charge screens in the FordPass app after I charge my car the next time (which may be a while because I don't drive the car every day) because right now the only "Previous Location" in the FordPass app is about 900 feet from where my car sits at night. That house has two Teslas in the driveway and possibly a third one in the garage. Maybe the FordPass app is trying to tell me something? Or maybe that is the location of the nearest cell tower. I don't know. Hope this helps.    

 

Update: with only the Default value charge profile available for the car to consider, value charging worked the way that it should tonight. In a couple of days, I will try loading a value charging profile from the FordPass app and see what happens.  

Edited February 25, 2022 by oldbeyondmeasure
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[ArizonaEnergi]

RIP MyFordMobile

[mextreme]

There is reference for success in upgrading a salvaged modem out of another vehicle.

 

Has anyone attempted / read about purchasing the new part and installing it yourself?

 

Does Ford need to program anything to make the new modem work? 

I don't mind saving some money labor if possible and dealer is going to pick up labor costs unless Ford approves it.

 

We have a 2014 Fusion Energi.

 

[cr08]

On 2/24/2022 at 7:23 PM, mextreme said:

There is reference for success in upgrading a salvaged modem out of another vehicle.

 

Has anyone attempted / read about purchasing the new part and installing it yourself?

 

Does Ford need to program anything to make the new modem work? 

I don't mind saving some money labor if possible and dealer is going to pick up labor costs unless Ford approves it.

 

We have a 2014 Fusion Energi.

 

I don't think anyone has had any luck yet because currently the part is only available as an internally purchasable part through Ford as part of this upgrade program/CSP. There's a chance in the coming months it may be available through normal channels, but nothing at the moment I'm afraid. I've been keeping tabs on a number of different communities (C-Max Facebook groups, Focus BEV forum, here, C-Max subreddit, etc..) and haven't been made aware of anyone being able to purchase the part outright.

[Lirio93]

My 2017 CMax has been at the dealers for two weeks trying to get the new modem to connect to FordPass.  They say that Ford engineers are “aware of the problem and looking for solutions.”

[cr08]

On 2/24/2022 at 3:13 PM, oldbeyondmeasure said:

Answering the last question, yes, this was an official dealer installed upgrade on January 11, 2022. Also, it took five days for the "Activate Vehicle" prompt to appear on the FordPass app. Two screenshots from the Sync 3 display are attached. I assume that these are what you are looking for. The "Next Charge" time on the first screenshot is simply not correct, as it is not a time I would have picked. Regarding the second screenshot, I cannot modify the "Home" value charge profile in the car or from the FordPass app. *However,* I was able to *delete* it using the FordPass app after I took the screenshot, which I think I was not able to do before. The "Next Charge" time has defaulted to the setting in the Default value charge profile, which may be a step in the right direction. I will have to play with value charge screens in the FordPass app after I charge my car the next time (which may be a while because I don't drive the car every day) because right now the only "Previous Location" in the FordPass app is about 900 feet from where my car sits at night. That house has two Teslas in the driveway and possibly a third one in the garage. Maybe the FordPass app is trying to tell me something? Or maybe that is the location of the nearest cell tower. I don't know. Hope this helps.    

 

Update: with only the Default value charge profile available for the car to consider, value charging worked the way that it should tonight. In a couple of days, I will try loading a value charging profile from the FordPass app and see what happens.  

 

Are you able to pull the TCU part number as well as the AsBuilt? It will be interesting to compare an official upgrade against what has been accomplished on the DIY front here. While yours is not 100% functional, you're seeing a lot more than at least what @bakedpatato has specifically on that Value Charge Profiles screen.

Edited February 25, 2022 by cr08

[mextreme]

On 2/24/2022 at 8:11 PM, cr08 said:

I don't think anyone has had any luck yet because currently the part is only available as an internally purchasable part through Ford as part of this upgrade program/CSP. There's a chance in the coming months it may be available through normal channels, but nothing at the moment I'm afraid. I've been keeping tabs on a number of different communities (C-Max Facebook groups, Focus BEV forum, here, C-Max subreddit, etc..) and haven't been made aware of anyone being able to purchase the part outright.

My local service rep told me to call the part department - mention the CSP and order / pay for the part.  Then schedule time to install.  I think others have mentioned they just had order / pay for the part.    I have not called the parts department yet.. I was going to call Ford to see if I we could be included in the labor coverage.

[Billyk24]

On 2/24/2022 at 7:23 PM, mextreme said:

There is reference for success in upgrading a salvaged modem out of another vehicle.

 

Has anyone attempted / read about purchasing the new part and installing it yourself?

 

Does Ford need to program anything to make the new modem work? 

I don't mind saving some money labor if possible and dealer is going to pick up labor costs unless Ford approves it.

 

We have a 2014 Fusion Energi.

 

Hold on now!  Wait until others have had success in pairing the new part with the Ford software.  there are multiple users on Facebook that are frustrated and unable to do so.   Little or no dealer support in being able to resolve such an issue. 

[oldbeyondmeasure]

On 2/25/2022 at 5:38 AM, cr08 said:

 

Are you able to pull the TCU part number as well as the AsBuilt? It will be interesting to compare an official upgrade against what has been accomplished on the DIY front here. While yours is not 100% functional, you're seeing a lot more than at least what @bakedpatato has specifically on that Value Charge Profiles screen.

As I understand it, to get the TCU part number, I need to disassemble that corner of the car, which would be a big mistake on my part. Whenever I try to disassemble something and reassemble something, there are always parts left over. is there another way to obtain it?

As far as the AsBuilt is concerned, I only know how to extract it from this site: https://www.motorcraftservice.com/AsBuilt Please see the attached file for data that I extracted from a screenshot a few minutes ago. 

BCE_Modules_Data_from_Screenshot_2022-02-26.txt

[cr08]

On 2/26/2022 at 8:54 PM, oldbeyondmeasure said:

As I understand it, to get the TCU part number, I need to disassemble that corner of the car, which would be a big mistake on my part. Whenever I try to disassemble something and reassemble something, there are always parts left over. is there another way to obtain it?

As far as the AsBuilt is concerned, I only know how to extract it from this site: https://www.motorcraftservice.com/AsBuilt Please see the attached file for data that I extracted from a screenshot a few minutes ago. 

BCE_Modules_Data_from_Screenshot_2022-02-26.txt 9.79 kB · 1 download

If you have the ability to use ForScan, it'll let you get the part number as well as the current AsBuilt in the module.

 

The AsBuilt from the Motorcraft site SHOULD be current. In theory when the dealer does any work using their IDS system, it'll update the posted AsBuilt with any new data. But I'm not sure how reliable that is.

[oldbeyondmeasure]

On 2/26/2022 at 9:18 PM, cr08 said:

If you have the ability to use ForScan, it'll let you get the part number as well as the current AsBuilt in the module.

 

The AsBuilt from the Motorcraft site SHOULD be current. In theory when the dealer does any work using their IDS system, it'll update the posted AsBuilt with any new data. But I'm not sure how reliable that is.

I do not currently have the ability to use FORScan; I will have to look into it. 

[Redwood Infrared]

On 2/24/2022 at 9:23 AM, JonC said:

And I guess today was the day it stops working, the MFM app now says "application decommissioned" and the myfordmobile.com website is down.

 

I'm surprised.  I didn't expect Ford to kill the app like that, I just expected things to stop working when the 3g towers were turned off.

 

That's annoying.

It's beyond annoying; it's infuriating.  I can't believe Ford took this action just pulling the rug out from under thousands and thousands of customers without the courtesy of even a heads up email.  I'm only just now getting my arms around the issue - my modem was replaced back in 2017 or 2018 but I can't find emails with details so I don't even know at this point if I have to get it replaced again or not.  Last time this went on for a couple months before I even realized there was a problem and my only clue was when my power bill came in more than 3x what I expected because my car had been charging during peak hours at $0.45/kWh instead of waiting until midnight when rates drop to $0.11. 

 

If this is the kind of support I can expect from one of the biggest companies in the world when I spend $40,000 on their product I don't think they can count on me as a return customer.  I shouldn't have to prowl the pages of an online user forum several hours a week just to make sure Ford hasn't recently pulled yet another stunt that's going to cost me more than a monthly car payment in excess energy costs.

[cr08]

If you rely on Value Charging at that significant of a price difference, I encourage you to get an EVSE that can do scheduling on its own. Value Charging has never been 100% reliable even at the best of times.

 

EDIT: For me, if the DIY option continues to not have Value Charging available or the official upgrade is confirmed to have non-functional VC, one project I plan to do is to build a 'beefy' smart plug for use with my 110v EVSE. As I don't plan/can't afford (going to require a new panel and a bit of electrical rework. $$$) to have a 220v setup at my place any time soon, I don't intend to spend extra money on an upgraded EVSE I can't make full use of. Plan is to use an off the shelf smart plug and wire it in to a high amperage contactor that the EVSE will feed through. Definitely not for those not familiar/comfortable with electrical work, but I'll try to document that as well on this forum for anyone interested. This kind of setup has been recommended a number of times on other boards for this type of use.

Edited February 28, 2022 by cr08

[bookemdano]

On 2/27/2022 at 2:15 PM, cr08 said:

EDIT: For me, if the DIY option continues to not have Value Charging available or the official upgrade is confirmed to have non-functional VC, one project I plan to do is to build a 'beefy' smart plug for use with my 110v EVSE. As I don't plan/can't afford (going to require a new panel and a bit of electrical rework. $$$) to have a 220v setup at my place any time soon, I don't intend to spend extra money on an upgraded EVSE I can't make full use of. Plan is to use an off the shelf smart plug and wire it in to a high amperage contactor that the EVSE will feed through. Definitely not for those not familiar/comfortable with electrical work, but I'll try to document that as well on this forum for anyone interested. This kind of setup has been recommended a number of times on other boards for this type of use.

 

Curious why you need to modify a smart plug? Many/most of them on the market should be already rated for the 11-12 amps Ford's charger pulls. I've been using an old GE Z-Wave module that is rated for 15A--works just fine.

 

Also, agreed re: level 2 chargers. I don't have one either, and no plans to. The C-Max Energi doesn't really benefit from one anyway, unless someone really needs/wants to charge it really quickly during the day (at potentially high electricity rates), or if they're parking overnight outside/in an uninsulated garage and want to make effective use of the "Go Times" pre-heating/cooling function. On the flip side, charging it at the higher voltage heats up the passively-cooled HVB more, reducing its range and lifespan (gradually, but still). Level 2 will be great for my next EV in a few years, but it's not a great fit for the C-Max.

[cr08]

On 2/28/2022 at 10:29 AM, bookemdano said:

 

Curious why you need to modify a smart plug? Many/most of them on the market should be already rated for the 11-12 amps Ford's charger pulls. I've been using an old GE Z-Wave module that is rated for 15A--works just fine.

Mostly because most of them aren't REALLY capable of handling that full rated load for a long period despite the listed rating. You may get lucky and it'll work, but I like going with the belt and suspenders approach in this case. Not to mention every single forum/reddit posting I've come up with talking about this has highly recommend against going straight through the smart plug as well.

 

And at last check the total build cost wouldn't be much more than about $25-$30 ($15 for the PVC enclosure from Home Depot, another $10 for the contactor, already got wire and some outlets on hand).

Edited February 28, 2022 by cr08

[bookemdano]

On 2/28/2022 at 10:17 AM, cr08 said:

Mostly because most of them aren't REALLY capable of handling that full rated load for a long period despite the listed rating. You may get lucky and it'll work, but I like going with the belt and suspenders approach in this case. Not to mention every single forum/reddit posting I've come up with talking about this has highly recommend against going straight through the smart plug as well.

 

And at last check the total build cost wouldn't be much more than about $25-$30 ($15 for the PVC enclosure from Home Depot, another $10 for the contactor, already got wire and some outlets on hand).

 

I think this comes down to a risk tolerance/"to each his own" sort of thing. There are plenty of discussions that 15A smart plugs (at least those from major manufacturers concerned with their liability) are more than suitable, and may in fact be rated quite conservatively (just from reddit, see here, here, here, here, here... you get the point).

 

Of course, there's no harm in being extra cautious and wiring in a high-amp contactor, but I didn't want people to think that using an un-modified 15A smart plug is universally considered unwise or unsafe. Plenty of people do it and have no problems whatsoever.

 

Now if someone is trying to use some $5 chinesium plug picked up from some random seller on aliexpress, trusting it with a high-draw device inside a garage may not be a smart idea. But major manufacturers get their UL and CE certifications, and that's good enough for me and many others.

 

Anyway, did you make any progress on connecting your LTE TCU? ?

[Grioux]

So, I own a 2019 Fusion Energi.  I am located in Eastern Ontario, Canada.

 

I went to my local Ford dealer who told me that the car was already equipped with a 3G modem and that everything should be fine (that was mid-February).

 

Zoom forward a couple of weeks.  When I open MyFord Mobile, it says the app. is decommissioned and that it has migrated to FordPass.

 

When I open FordPass, it says "That's a Ford Electric vehicle!  Access features designed specifically for that car by downloading MyFord Mobile App" ... 

 

Decommissioning the app seems to me like it's a different thing from whether the car is able to connect to the app.  Is there an updated FordPass app that I should be looking for ?  Anyone have any idea ?

 

For those who did get the upgrade; are you able to continue using MyFord Mobile ?

 

Thanks

GR

[cr08]

On 2/28/2022 at 2:22 PM, bookemdano said:

Anyway, did you make any progress on connecting your LTE TCU? ?

 

Not yet. Had some other unexpected household repairs come up this past weekend. However the weather's looking nice this Saturday up in the 60s so I'll likely give it a go then. Already got the workshop manual printed out and ready with the instructions on how to dig in to the LH trim panel back there.

[bookemdano]

On 2/28/2022 at 4:11 PM, Grioux said:

So, I own a 2019 Fusion Energi.  I am located in Eastern Ontario, Canada.

 

I went to my local Ford dealer who told me that the car was already equipped with a 3G modem and that everything should be fine (that was mid-February).

 

Zoom forward a couple of weeks.  When I open MyFord Mobile, it says the app. is decommissioned and that it has migrated to FordPass.

 

When I open FordPass, it says "That's a Ford Electric vehicle!  Access features designed specifically for that car by downloading MyFord Mobile App" ... 

 

Decommissioning the app seems to me like it's a different thing from whether the car is able to connect to the app.  Is there an updated FordPass app that I should be looking for ?  Anyone have any idea ?

 

For those who did get the upgrade; are you able to continue using MyFord Mobile ?

 

Thanks

GR

 

Yes, Ford surprised pretty much everyone by completely disabling the MFM app/website on the 22nd. This is despite the fact that AT&T's 3G service is still working in many areas.

 

The message in FordPass is just basic Ford incompetence. That message has always been there. Obviously it needs to be removed/changed at this point but Ford hasn't seen fit to do that yet. Since all of the affected vehicles are discontinued, I think Ford just doesn't really care at this point.

 

If you want to keep using any remote features you will need to contact a local Ford dealer and tell them you need to have your 3G modem replaced with a 4G/LTE one. If the dealer has no idea what you're talking about, tell them to refer to Ford's CSP #21B09. Your 2019 likely does not qualify for the free labor included with that program, but Ford's documentation on the program will tell them what parts to order, how to do the swap, etc. You'll likely be on the hook for parts and labor, which may run $500+.

 

And to top it all off, you may have trouble getting the modem working in FordPass even after having the dealer install it. We don't have a ton of datapoints at this point, but if you look back in the past couple of pages you'll see there are a couple of people who still don't have it working despite having Ford do the swap weeks ago.

 

To be sure, some folks do have it working, so it seems to be a YMMV thing. And I have no doubt that Ford will eventually figure it out for those that don't. But you may want to wait a bit to see if Ford gets its **** together in the coming months.

[cr08]

So I am lurking on the CyanLabs Discord and a user posted a pic of the official upgrade module and surprisingly it is another H series TCU like the one I have and the one @bakedpatato have on hand from '17 Escapes. The official part # posted is HJ5T-14G087-UM (mine is HJ5T-14G087-UF).

 

This got another thought in my head and that is if there may be a differing calibration/strategy level on these? Just a wild guess as to a possible other avenue why the VC/Go Times features don't work. If those who have DIY'd it can confirm what ForScan reports on these fronts? @oldbeyondmeasure or anyone else here who has done the official upgrade can pull that info from ForScan as well, that'd be greatly appreciated. I'd be happy to help with the process if needed. For these tasks, a dirt cheap Bluetooth or USB ELM adapter will work. And for just pulling part numbers and strategies, I believe even the mobile app for ForScan will suffice.

 

I'll definitely be reviewing that info myself once I get around to doing the install this weekend and may see if the folks over on the CyanLabs boards have any info on new strategy/calibration levels for these.

 

Probably a long shot and dead end on the issue, but one that should at least be relatively easy to rule out.

 

EDIT: Sounds like we should potentially have a calibration/strategy level in line for that official -UM module. Probably wouldn't be bad to still get tallies of what other part numbers show up as these appear to be rebuilt/refurbed units potentially. Maybe someone will end up with a matching UF down the line? Not sure, just more guesses.

Edited March 2, 2022 by cr08

[David_Tucker4]

On 3/2/2022 at 3:20 PM, cr08 said:

So I am lurking on the CyanLabs Discord and a user posted a pic of the official upgrade module and surprisingly it is another H series TCU like the one I have and the one @bakedpatato have on hand from '17 Escapes. The official part # posted is HJ5T-14G087-UM (mine is HJ5T-14G087-UF).

 

This got another thought in my head and that is if there may be a differing calibration/strategy level on these? Just a wild guess as to a possible other avenue why the VC/Go Times features don't work. If those who have DIY'd it can confirm what ForScan reports on these fronts? @oldbeyondmeasure or anyone else here who has done the official upgrade can pull that info from ForScan as well, that'd be greatly appreciated. I'd be happy to help with the process if needed. For these tasks, a dirt cheap Bluetooth or USB ELM adapter will work. And for just pulling part numbers and strategies, I believe even the mobile app for ForScan will suffice.

 

I'll definitely be reviewing that info myself once I get around to doing the install this weekend and may see if the folks over on the CyanLabs boards have any info on new strategy/calibration levels for these.

 

Probably a long shot and dead end on the issue, but one that should at least be relatively easy to rule out.

 

EDIT: Sounds like we should potentially have a calibration/strategy level in line for that official -UM module. Probably wouldn't be bad to still get tallies of what other part numbers show up as these appear to be rebuilt/refurbed units potentially. Maybe someone will end up with a matching UF down the line? Not sure, just more guesses.

Sounds like a worthwhile endeavor.  Here are snips of my current part number (from a 2017 Escape) and calibration version along with the firmware available for upgrade.  I had thought about doing the upgrade when the weather starts to warmup since it supposedly calls for 5 hours to perform.  Gotta get the battery charger out for that one.

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by David_Tucker4
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