Nav GPS TSB 13-3-11 - Fix for unable to locate vehicle, etc

[rtshinn]

Nav GPS TSB 13-3-11 - Fix for unable to locate vehicle, etc

 

There is a Technical Service Bulletin that came out today for those of us whose Nav systems are having a hard time tracking where the vehicle is. Typically your car is shown as off the road or on the next block over, etc.

This fix applies to cars built on 1/15/2013 and before. It involves a recalibration, apparently.

I'm taking my car in tomorrow. I'll let you know what happens.

 

Thanks to use ceemax71 for finding this

[lowbar]

I have a car built after 1/15/2013 and I am not experiencing nav system problems so apparently it works.

[rtshinn]

_{Be glad you aren't. The Nav is unusable currently.}

[zhackwyatt]

_{Be glad you aren't. The Nav is unusable currently.}

Well, that's not my experience.  It acts up on occasion, but not always.

[valkraider]

I have not had any problems with Nav - mine was built in November.

 

But I also don't use it a ton so I may not be a perfect reference. MFT is so crappy to use that I ignore it unless I really need something...

Edited March 21, 2013 by valkraider

[rtshinn]

I liked using the Nav system (on my old car), so it was very frustrating to me.

I'm going to drive to Toronto next month, so hopefully this fix will do the trick.

[aschofer]

 

rtshinn - I just scheduled an appointment to fix the GPS in my CMax. Thanks for passing along the information. It was a little annoying that the Navigation System, at times, could not determine its position.

 

[rtshinn]

Let me kniow if your fix works. Mine was almost always off.

Still might be, too. I haven't driven it since they looked at it.

[ceemax71]

Here's the TSB link:

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/pubs/content/~WT/~MUS~LEN/3539/tsb13-03-11.htm

[rtshinn]

Here's the TSB link:

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/pubs/content/~WT/~MUS~LEN/3539/tsb13-03-11.htm

 

Thanks ceemax71 -

Unfortunately they didn't get the fix to 'take'. System said I already had the latest stuff, which doesn't make sense to me.

No resolution yet.

[ceemax71]

It might have something to do with the problem of hybrid vehicles not accepting software updates. (which might be why they haven't rolled out the new MFT software yet.)

Hopefully they will resolve this soon.

 

I found this special service message on the C-Max in OASIS:

 

SSM 32078 - 2012-2013 Battery Electric And Hybrid Vehicles Only - Navigation SD Card Fault and Clock Will Not Hold Correct Time

Some 2012-2013 Battery Electric and Hybrid Vehicles equipped with My Ford Touch may exhibit concerns with navigation SD card and the clock not holding correct time. BEV and Hybrid vehicles at this time will not accept the A4 navigation card or the latest MyTouch update. A release for Hybrid vehicles is forth coming. Monitor OASIS for updates.

[rtshinn]

Thanks again.

Very frustrating.

Edited March 25, 2013 by rtshinn

[wab]

Here's the TSB link:

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/pubs/content/~WT/~MUS~LEN/3539/tsb13-03-11.htm

 

 

Ours was born on 1/14 but has had zero problems ;) .

 

Except for the "DUAL   :doh: MONO-ZONE ELECTRONIC

AUTO CLIMATE CONTROL"

[joe]

down loaded the TSB 13-3-11 and called my dealer.  I've got an appointment to take C-Max in this Thursday for updating the system to correct the "off road from the current vehicle position" problem.  If this fixes the problem, then we'll be 100% happy with out C-Max.

[rtshinn]

down loaded the TSB 13-3-11 and called my dealer.  I've got an appointment to take C-Max in this Thursday for updating the system to correct the "off road from the current vehicle position" problem.  If this fixes the problem, then we'll be 100% happy with out C-Max.

 

What's the mfg date of your car?

Let us know if it works, ok?

[joe]

My C-Max manufactured 12/12/12.

[asb]

I don't have the window sticker from my car.  How else can I determine the manufacture date?

[PWBarrett]

I don't have the window sticker from my car.  How else can I determine the manufacture date?

Replace the XXX... with your VIN in this URL:

 

http://fordlabels.webview.biz/webviewhybrid/WindowSticker.aspx?vin=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

That will show your window sticker.

 

At the bottom right is a number like 1201212101629

Skip the 1st digit.  The next 8 are the Year, Month, and Day.

 

 

Edited March 26, 2013 by PWBarrett

[zhackwyatt]

I don't have the window sticker from my car.  How else can I determine the manufacture date?

You can also get it from a sticker in the door jam of the driver's door.

[joe]

Dealer had C-Max in for the TSB.  Unfortunately, my C-Max already had the most current IDS.  Took technician for a drive and showed him how the GPS displayed car as off road from the current vehicle position.   He said other Ford models have had similar problems which originated with the antenna.  He will need more time to trouble shoot and will also contact Ford to see if there is a solution.  I will need to make an another appointment and leave C-Max for technician to figure out why it's not working.  Will keep everyone advised when I have more news to report.

[rtshinn]

Joe, the dealer just dropped my car off after installing a new 'GPMS' module. I won't know until I drive home from work if everything is ok, because the thing usually starts of 'ok' but gets farther off as I drive.

I did see in the service ticket that if the problem continues to move the GPMS to another area, as it could be RFI (Radio Frequncy Interference). I don't know where the GPMS is located.

 

 

Dealer had C-Max in for the TSB.  Unfortunately, my C-Max already had the most current IDS.  Took technician for a drive and showed him how the GPS displayed car as off road from the current vehicle position.   He said other Ford models have had similar problems which originated with the antenna.  He will need more time to trouble shoot and will also contact Ford to see if there is a solution.  I will need to make an another appointment and leave C-Max for technician to figure out why it's not working.  Will keep everyone advised when I have more news to report.

[ArizonaEnergi]

Took mine in for this update today as my Nav has been showing me driving about 150' off and mostly parallel to where I am on some segments of the route we commonly take to our home.

 

The tech guy knew nothing about it but he got someone to print it out and so we spent two hours watching Gator Hunter on TV (actually reading books) while they had the car.  The Service Advisor finally got me and said "Good news.  You're already updated!".  Yes, I already had that version, so it refused to re-install when the service guy tried to.  I gave him a ride for a few miles and sure enough it worked perfectly, but on our drive home, and at, I believe, exactly the same place it always does it, and in exactly the same way as it has done before, it malfunctioned and showed me off the main road driving through peoples' houses.

 

So I'm thinking this is a mapping error with the coordinates for that road segment somehow screwed up, rather than an electronic error with the GPS receiver etc.  My plan is to use the Nav every time we go out, and see if the error is indeed reproduceable.  If so, I'm going to record it and post it on YouTube so that the service people (and the rest of the world) can view it and know what exactly is happening.

Edited April 4, 2013 by ArizonaEnergi

[zhackwyatt]

Took mine in for this update today as my Nav has been showing me driving about 150' off and mostly parallel to where I am on some segments of the route we commonly take to our home.

 

The tech guy knew nothing about it but he got someone to print it out and so we spent two hours watching Gator Hunter on TV (actually reading books) while they had the car.  The Service Advisor finally got me and said "Good news.  You're already updated!".  Yes, I already had that version, so it refused to re-install when the service guy tried to.  I gave him a ride for a few miles and sure enough it worked perfectly, but on our drive home, and at, I believe, exactly the same place it always does it, and in exactly the same way as it has done before, it malfunctioned and showed me off the main road driving through peoples' houses.

 

So I'm thinking this is a mapping error with the coordinates for that road segment somehow screwed up, rather than an electronic error with the GPS receiver etc.  My plan is to use the Nav every time we go out, and see if the error is indeed reproduceable.  If so, I'm going to record it and post it on YouTube so that the service people (and the rest of the world) can view it and know what exactly is happening.

Do you mind giving me the general area where it's screwed up?  Curious if my car does the same.  (Assuming you are in the Valley somewhere.)

[ArizonaEnergi]

Do you mind giving me the general area where it's screwed up?  Curious if my car does the same.  (Assuming you are in the Valley somewhere.)

I'm in the Tucson area if you want to drive down!  But what I noticed this time was a very specific tracking error that was exactly the same error that I saw a few days earlier at the same location driving the same route.  I also don't see this error, I believe, when I'm just driving with the Nav with no destination entered.  I'm going to ramp up and get this documented (being retired helps in doing this) but I will probably wait until the new Sync/Nav software is released before bringing it back to the dealer because I'm thinking its a map data error of some sort, and not a GPS error.  Stay tuned.

 

BTW, the two hours+ spent at the dealer wasn't an entire waste.  The Tech guy gave us coupons for $15 worth of food at their cafe and we got a car wash that was worth $5!

[VirginiaRick]

Your dealer has a cafeteria?!  Sure beats the leathery candy bars dangling from the screwy things behing the vending machine glass! :sad: