HCFX2013

As we all know, my truck is a very well-built machine. It continues to be reliable and problem-free day after day, year after year.

/sarcasm.

So lately my SYNC module likes to take a crap on me about 1 in 3 times that I start the truck. I get in the truck, start it up and it goes back to FM. No bluetooth icon indicating that it's connected to my phone. When I scroll through my media sources via the steering wheel controls it goes to sync and immediately kicks back to FM. Bluetooth is non-responsive and no input sources are being charged, nor is the truck responding to them. So after about 15 minutes of driving and me getting ready to make my "F-150 nightmare - Episode 8" video, my in-dash iPad finally connects to the system and I can flip over to sync, hit the voice button and jump into USB2. Also, I have to go into my phone to manually connect SYNC (I have about 5 Ford vehicles in my family, I always forget which SYNC to connect to) and it works fine from then on.

And yes, I have tried disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes, and also unplugging the SYNC module behind the dash for 10 minutes. The only effect my in-dash ipad has on SYNC is being plugged into USB2 and has never had an issue until now.

I might also mention that I have to reset my battery once a month to get rid of the "Index Full - Some songs may not be available" voice prompt. C'moooon Ford, why is my truck such a POS?

pfbz

Exactly.

I would GLADLY give up all the voice features and worthless sync directions/services crap just to have a bluetooth and USB interface that work consistently...

HCFX2013

Bump.

XLTOffRoad

Mine does the same but not quite as often. Sometimes USB will be unavailable for 5 min after I turn it on, sometime it will be available as soon as I turn it on although in both cases it has reverted back to FM after being shutdown playing USB. Most of the time it continuous to play USB. Rather annoying I agree

pfbz

Again, exactly. Most annoyingly, when it is having 'problems' with USB, it also seems to lock out the bluetooth/phone connectivity.

Ford supposedly has a 'dealer only' sync upgrade, don't know how many of these issues it will fix. But honestly I dread every time I need to deal with service advisors and try and get warranty work...

Usually goes like this:

• I try to give them the exact TSB or update thats relevant. They have no idea what I'm talking about (or at least pretend they have no idea).
• They insist on leaving the specific info I give them out of the work order and instead write something like 'Customer states USB on SYNC does not work consistently".
• I leave the car for a day, if I'm lucky, get them to cover some crapbox economy car rental.
• 50% chance the'll say 'no problem found' and not even bother to call the Ford hotline and ask about the upgrade or TSB that I mentioned.
• 20% chance they left greasy fingerprints or a loose bolt if they touched anything.
• Complain, escalate, maybe get it fixed the second time around. Usually not the next day, but another appt., another crappy rental car, another day of productivity lost.
• THEN they call me six times asking if I have time to complete a 'satisfaction survey'. They desperately want a positive result. I wish they spent half as much effort making sure things were correct before my vehicle left their shop as they do trying to get me to answer their survey.
• If you mention problems during the survey, do ya think they would actually follow up? Nope.

Don't get me wrong... I really love my truck. And would buy another in a second. I just think the whole warranty repair process is broken. It's turned into an adversarial relationship where they are trying to find ways to not do work on your vehicle instead of going the extra mile to make things perfect, and simultaneously want 'perfect' customer satisfaction results. Not just Ford either.

Here's how it would work in my perfect world:

• Call a local service advisor, who remembers me and isn't grumpy as hell.
• Tell him I'm having ongoing problems and would like the latest 'dealer only' Sync Update.
• He actually knows about the update, and knows it only takes about 15 minutes.
• Suggests I bring it by at my convenience, and tells me he can do it while I wait. 30 minutes tops.
• The tech who does the upgrade knows about and goes over the specific problems the upgrade addresses.
• When I'm their having the update done, they go ahead and give the car a complimentary wash as well.

I can dream, can't I? :-)

Maybe I'm not shooting high enough. In a REALLY perfect world,

• Ford would have released Sync with far fewer bugs.
• Ford would actually have a working, user friendly process that allows the customer to download and install the required updates themselves. ALL the updates.
• Ford would actually mention on the mysync site, or hell, even email me with the address I registered with that there are updates instead of keeping them a secret.

danbart

Update would also fix the disappearing rear view guidelines that they claim is not an issue.

cirt063

I have exactly the same problems! Drives me crazy. When it does finally recognize the USB, it starts from the beginning each time too. Getting tired of trying to get back to where I left off previously.

XLTOffRoad

Hell, you could even leave off the wash and I would be a happy camper lol.

I have never had that problem. Even when I start the truck w/o the USB stick plugged in and later plug it in it remembers where it left off.

cirt063

I have never had that problem. Even when I start the truck w/o the USB stick plugged in and later plug it in it remembers where it left off.[/QUOTE]

Mine is a 2011, maybe a difference, I don't know. Sometimes it makes it's own list of only 20 songs and that's all it plays, lol!

Egolfnation

My 2011 XLT does same thing. Sometimes the sucker even starts up working and then craps out a minute or so later dropping bluetooth during a call!

PLEASE!!! Anyone who gets the update, let us know if that fixes this problem. Seems silly that as much as we love our trucks for what they are, it is aweful nice when the amenities work as they should. I made a point of buying this very truck because of the SYNC onboard.