Review for Valkraider & Jus-A-CMAX

[Laurel]

I burst out laughing and thought of Valraider and Jus-A-CMax when I read this review.  The guy LOVES the C-Max and the nav system!   Obviously there are gremlins in some of the MFT systems, but I gotta say we love ours too.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/2013-c-max-hybrid-drives-better-hybrid-article-1.1257941

 

Before I say a word – and I have many - about Ford’s all-new C-Max Hybrid, I’d like to make a public request for manufacturers of auto navigation systems all over the world to scrutinize the C-Max’s easy-to-figure out, easy-to-program, easy-to-cancel and intelligently designed nav system and imitate it as well as comedian

. There is a right way and a wrong way to design a nav system for usability and quick operation, and the C-Max system knocks it out of the park.

 

"

Edited February 13, 2013 by Laurel

[Jus-A-CMax]

:redcard: i knew I was in trouble when my username is part of the thread subject....sssshhhhsssssssh.  

 

 

I'll give the MFT navigation entry is "easy to enter" but the downfall of this review and the other reviews is that the reviewers really do not spend much quality time with the car as much as we all do. I probably spend more time in this car than I do with my wife...so I better shaddap before I feel a smack at the back of my head. Ouch.

 

Thanks for the links Laurel and the laughs  :) 

[valkraider]

Too bad the Nav component is the part I use the least. ;)

[Laurel]

I probably love the nav and MFT because I only do simple things, and don't have high expectations.  I use the voice commands for almost everything and it works like a charm e.g. "call home, climate for all fan and temperature adjustments, destinations by address, music requests.  I don't do any complicated things with the phone--just calling home and sometimes a friend.  The only annoying thing I have run into is sometimes she doesn't recognize the pronunciation of a word.  Just curious Val as to what you use it for that doesn't work?

[Jus-A-CMax]

Too bad the Nav component is the part I use the least. ;)

 

You're lucky, I need the nav as part of my job. I hope the next update will fix my issues, particularly the stability otherwise, its back to the android googlemap and possibly a higher amp charger.

[valkraider]

It loses our programmed radio stations, locks up regularly (most commonly when switching into or out of reverse), loses paired phones, etc...

 

It's just generally unstable.

 

I also have a bunch if nitpicks about the user interface because that's what I do for a living, so I can be a bit anal retentive about it.

 

:)

[darrelld]

Microsoft probably transferred their Vista developers to the Sync project.

:)

[Jus-A-CMax]

Microsoft probably transferred their Vista Millenium developers to the Sync project.

:)

  ;) fixored. There is nothing worse than Millenium, Vista was liveable like MFT. Hopefully the next MFT update will equivalent to Win7 - STABILITY. Fingers crossed.

[valkraider]

Like I said in another thread, I am waiting for Bob or Clippy to show up.

[ptjones]

It loses our programmed radio stations, locks up regularly (most commonly when switching into or out of reverse), loses paired phones, etc...

 

It's just generally unstable.

 

I also have a bunch if nitpicks about the user interface because that's what I do for a living, so I can be a bit anal retentive about it.

 

:)

I have similar problems with my phone and they want to blame it on my phone. And I recently up dated my IPhone 3 program and It still does it.  Most recently did on my trip and it wouldn't connect and I couldn't find anything wrong. Three hours later it connected. 

[valkraider]

They can blame the phone all they want. But my phone works with 4 other cars from three other manufacturers, 2 different motorcycle headsets, a radar detector, an earpiece, a desktop speaker system, and a home audio system.

 

So yeah, blame the phone. :)

Edited February 13, 2013 by valkraider

[ptjones]

My Iphone3 works with my wife's New Explore.

[C-MaxSea]

Just barely getting started with Sony, Nav & all, but I'm with you Laurel, they work darn well for us.  I have used it (audio command) mostly on an intuitive basis (a test of sorts), and am amazed that I have guessed right quite a bit with phone, radio, nav, weather, traffic......... .  Certainly some trial & error.  Certainly could (and presumably will) be improved upon.  I'm planning a 64gb flash drive for music from home library, assume that will work fine as well. 

 

One glitch I did see was that on one occasion my radio presets disappeared.  After changing FM groupings or picking a frequency they all popped up.  My caution there would be not to assume they are gone, 'just wiggle the dial' a bit.  System stability???

 

Love the HD radio signal, huge difference in quality when you extend the distance to source.  Time to try out the Sirius.

 

Nick

[valkraider]

Here is what happens to us:

 

Problems

1. Our presets fairly often just disappear. Less than half the time they will come back on their own (as mentioned - when scrolling around or something). Most of the time I have to reboot to get them back.

 

2. The system somehow loses Bluetooth connections to phones. Maybe loses is the wrong word. Lets say "ignores". MFT will say it is connected, but the phone has no connection shown. Because MFT thinks it is connected, there is nothing you can do. Disconnecting via the menu doesn't do anything, it just keeps thinking its connected. MFT won't delete the phone. Since it won't delete the phone there is no way to try and re-pair it. Deleting MFT from the phone settings or rebooting the phone does no good, MFT is confused about it. Meanwhile all our other Bluetooth systems pair and work with the phones just fine. Usually a MFT reboot will fix the problem but a couple times it would stay stuck which takes a Master Reset to clear it out - but that's a major pain because I lose my 64 preset radio channels and all my other settings.

 

3. The clock is set to adjust according to GPS. Occasionally the clock on the dash will get out if sync with the clock on the touch-screen (we are talking hours out if sync). It requires a complete power-cycle of the car to fix itself.

 

4. The system will seize up occasionally, most often (but not always) somehow in conjunction with the reverse camera.

 

5. In the Sound Settings under "Occupancy Mode" I can select "Driver" or "All Seats". The "Rear" option is there - it is not grated out or inactive. Yet it doesn't let me select it.

 

6. Music files on a USB drive cause problems with MFT if there are too many in one folder. MFT will lock up trying to index them. I have to have my files well managed. None of my other vehicles have any problem. My 2008 Chrysler with UConnect will take a 32GB drive with one folder containing 20k songs. No problem. That same drive will crash MFT every time unless I split it up into a bunch of folders.

 

7. If I leave my USB drive plugged in maybe once a week it will lose it, with an error "device could not be detected." But I can browse the device and eventually select and play songs.

 

user interface complaints

 

1. Why does the current track info from Sirius not display in the entertainment section of the home screen? The phone info shows, the current road and compass info shows, and the climate control info shows. Sirius just shows us the channel name. I know it's possible because when you play items from USB it puts the current track info right there in the home screen, so it's just the design of the Sirius part which sucks.

 

2. Why doesn't current track info show in the bottom left when we are using other functions (like NAV). It should show current track info instead of "Entertainment". Again all the other parts update with live info - just the track info gets ignored. Yet this is what I probably most want to see.

 

3. Why is there a "Master Reset" option in the settings menu but not a "Reboot" option? Reset is a destructive action - and that's apparently OK but god forbid there be a reset button. Ideally it should actually be a hardware button procedure so that the system can be rebooted even when the user interface is locked up. For example they could make it where if you press and hold the Power and Eject buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds it reboots the system.

 

4. What is the point of the "Sound" button being a hardware button? Do people really adjust their EQ that often?

 

5. When I browse to a song on my USB drive and play it, there is no way to browse to the other songs in the album without completely starting over.

 

That's all I can think of right now. I know more annoy us...

[erwhitham]

Regarding lost Bluetooth phone connections, I go to Sync and say "phone". The lady then announces, "No phone found. Sync will attempt to connect with previously paired phone". It works every time.

Edited February 15, 2013 by erwhitham

[valkraider]

I have tried that. Mine just spins and spins, and the message actually gets stuck on the screen. It was that "trying to connect to a previously paired phone" message that was stuck up while I went to the dealer and it validated my concern (I always hate the "could not duplicate problem" BS at dealers).

[LizM]

Hi Valkraider - just to let you know that I can see the Sirius Track when I have Sirius selected on the whole MFT screen..I also see it on the right hand side of my instrument panel. 

[plus 3 golfer]

I guess I'll take my clock reset issues on my "navigationless" SEL vs the issues listed here.  I have none of these MFT issues including any iphone3 problems. :)

[valkraider]

Yeah I know. But they should show the track info in the lower left when on the home screen, and in the extreme lower left when in navigation, climate, or phone screens.

 

They show the track info for USB devices. Just not Sirius.

 

We don't want to have to switch to the entertainment screen to see the track info.

 

And I know the track info shows up on the left gauge when it's set to entertainment. But the passengers can't see that screen...

 

Why would they do it right on USB devices but not on Sirius? I know - because it's Microsoft.

Edited February 15, 2013 by valkraider

[valkraider]

I am in IT, so I am able to deal with these problems. I am capable of finding and using hacky workarounds like the reboot stick...

 

My whole frustration is that I shouldn't have to!

 

It's 2013 now. These things are not new. In fact this is like the third or fourth update that Ford has made for MFT.

 

This is an expensive add on, and while the C-Max is no Tesla model S, the C-Max certainly is not an entry level vehicle either. A fully loaded top of the line $37,000 vehicle should not have a console that is frustrating and unreliable.

 

I have owned the GM, VW, and Chrysler equivalents and my closest friend has the Honda equivalent.

 

They are leaps and bounds better than Sync/MyFordTouch.

 

I don't want it to be this way. I want Ford to clean this crap up. I want Microsoft to be more successful (we need healthy competition to spur innovation) but it just seems that Ford and Microsoft are a bungling comedy of errors here...

Edited February 15, 2013 by valkraider

[C-MaxSea]

Thanks for all of that first hand (& comparative) input, Valk.  Sure hope Ford/MS are listening and get these issues addressed - exactly what one would expect by release 2 or 3, not beyond.  At this point, I guess we can only hope for soon.  Nick 

Edited February 15, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[ptjones]

Regarding lost Bluetooth phone connections, I go to Sync and say "phone". The lady then announces, "No phone found. Sync will attempt to connect with previously paired phone". It works every time.

Not for me. Last time it took 3 hours.

[mtb9153]

I probably love the nav and MFT because I only do simple things, and don't have high expectations.  I use the voice commands for almost everything and it works like a charm e.g. "call home, climate for all fan and temperature adjustments, destinations by address, music requests.  I don't do any complicated things with the phone--just calling home and sometimes a friend.  The only annoying thing I have run into is sometimes she doesn't recognize the pronunciation of a word.  Just curious Val as to what you use it for that doesn't work?

Really! I have so much trouble using my voice command portion of the NAV unit.  Plus everytime it doesn't understand what I'm asking it goes into this long description of how to get help and and 1-800 phone number.  Once it starts doing this speal it can't be canceled, I have to listen to the whole mess everytime.  So I use it very little except for when I'm driving to a destination that I'm not familar with.  It is a pain in the arshe.

[Laurel]

Mtb9153 when we first got the car, we realized we didn't know the MFT lingo.  I went to the MFT site and we made a cheat sheet.  Hubby typed out the basic commands and plasticized them and they were our salvation until we got the lingo.  You can set up the commands in advanced setting so you don't get that long description of how to get help when you flub up. Now I have the phrasing down really well and don't need the cheat sheet very often.  The other day the nav voice was too loud and I had to look that one up i.e. navigation voice softer.  Here are samples of my cheat sheets. I guess some people expect it to recognize anything they say without learning the commands, but I don't think that is fair as it would be impossible to program it that way.  It honestly doesn't take that must time to learn the lingo.

Climate

Climate on/off

Climate automatic

Climate temperature 22 (we use celsius here in Canada)

Climate warmer/cooler

Climate AC on/off

Navigation

Navigation destination address --pause--123 Main Street Vancouver, British Columbia

Destination POI --pause--Fuel station

I'm hungry

Destination home/work

Destination favourites

Destination Shirley's house

Show route

Cancel route

Voice guidance on/off

Repeat instruction

AM/FM Radio voice commands

Radio on/off

AM 980

FM 105.5

FM preset 1

Radio list of commands

Sirius

Sirius on/off

Sirius channel 5

Browse sirius

Browse sports channels

Sirius help

CD voice commands

CD

Pause/play

Track 10

Shuffle

Repeat

Phone voice commands

Call Ray on cell, call Ray at home

Dial --pause--phone number

Bluetooth on/off

Edited February 15, 2013 by Laurel

[zhackwyatt]

Really! I have so much trouble using my voice command portion of the NAV unit.  Plus everytime it doesn't understand what I'm asking it goes into this long description of how to get help and and 1-800 phone number.  Once it starts doing this speal it can't be canceled, I have to listen to the whole mess everytime.  So I use it very little except for when I'm driving to a destination that I'm not familar with.  It is a pain in the arshe.

You absolutely can interrupt her at any time.  Just pull the voice button (tab, flipper?) ooh, paddle, on the steering wheel.