New Map Update (F7 and F8)

[simonb65]

On 3/1/2019 at 1:48 PM, Edge of Reason said:

Think this is what you are looking for though I’m not positive. 

That's the one Ian! Cheers, Need to update to F8 then :-)

[yozza64]

Hi guys. I'm about to update my maps on my sync 2. Only just bought my Grand C-Max and currently got F5 Maps. Can anyone tell me if I need F7 or F8 for my sync 2 or is F8 for Sync 3

[iantt]

F7 SD card for the sync2 is the latest at the moment 

[simonb65]

34 minutes ago, yozza64 said:

Hi guys. I'm about to update my maps on my sync 2. Only just bought my Grand C-Max and currently got F5 Maps. Can anyone tell me if I need F7 or F8 for my sync 2 or is F8 for Sync 3

The Sync2 maps come on SD card. The Sync3 maps for download that this thread is generally talking about is for Sync3 (which loads them in using a USB stick). Sync3 latest is F8. I thought Sync2 SD were names V6, V7 etc. Have you had a look on the Sync update website for Sync2 to see what is offered as the latest?   

Edit : @iantt replied whilst I was typing!!! Probably the actual info you wanted! Doh!

[crock9000]

Hello,

I have a 2019 ford focus which has a Sync3 system. The maps are on F7 but when i search online the ford website tells me i am up to date. Should i be able to get the F8 maps? Its frustrating not having some local roads available.

[Comares2001]

1 hour ago, crock9000 said:

Hello,

I have a 2019 ford focus which has a Sync3 system. The maps are on F7 but when i search online the ford website tells me i am up to date. Should i be able to get the F8 maps? Its frustrating not having some local roads available.

You'll find lots of posts on this subject elsewhere on this forum but basically Ford have problem with F8 update for MY19 vehicles loaded with F7 . Suggest you complain to their customer relations dept   UKCRC1@ford.com like the rest of us.

[simonb65]

14 hours ago, crock9000 said:

I have a 2019 ford focus which has a Sync3 system. The maps are on F7 but when i search online the ford website tells me i am up to date. Should i be able to get the F8 maps? Its frustrating not having some local roads available.

Try this ... https://s550.guru/how-to-update-ford-sync-3-navigation-maps-europe-f8-2018/

This is where I got and installed the F8 maps from for my EDGE because the Ford Sync Update site was about as much use as a chocolate fire guard!

[alexp999]

3 minutes ago, simonb65 said:

Try this ... https://s550.guru/how-to-update-ford-sync-3-navigation-maps-europe-f8-2018/

This is where I got and installed the F8 maps from for my EDGE because the Ford Sync Update site was about as much use as a chocolate fire guard!

Going by your profile you have a 2016 Sync 3 system, which is different to the 2019 Sync 3 system. It doesn't take the same map files unfortunately.

[simonb65]

Just now, alexp999 said:

Going by your profile you have a 2016 Sync 3 system, which is different to the 2019 Sync 3 system. It doesn't take the same map files unfortunately.

Yeah! just read that the 2019 Sync3 APIM has different partitioning! Well done Ford ... made an update system that's already riddled with issues and changed it yet again!

[DAVEWILL5]

Just got round to updating my Edge 2018 model from maps 7 to Map 8

28Gb download to USB stick, then 35 mins of driving to do "stage 1", update, and after stopping car turning off and getting out, another 1 hour of driving to do "stage 2"

All seems OK with V8, although the acid test is will it pick up the "new road" (its actually  3 years old), from Jnct 19 M6 (Knutsford) across to M56 

We live in hope !!! 

[simonb65]

On 7/16/2019 at 10:51 AM, DAVEWILL5 said:

All seems OK with V8, although the acid test is will it pick up the "new road" (its actually  3 years old), from Jnct 19 M6 (Knutsford) across to M56 

We live in hope !!! 

That link road is on the F8 maps, as is the A555 (M56 Airport to A6) SEMMS road :-)

[bluepeter]

I can't even update to F7 tried all sorts of ways to do this but no luck so far. When I check Fords sync it tells me I'm up to date even though my car says map version 14. Even Ford garage couldn't do it.

[Westville]

After numerous attempts to even get the Ford system to offer me a map update I have finally (I hope) got it to download.

I updated SYNC 3 to version 3.0 without problem and it created a log file OK. According to Ford (many many times) the update was successful but it still told me my maps were up to date despite it clearly not being so.

Eventually I downloaded this file from an obscure part of the Ford website

https://www.ford.co.uk/content/dam/guxeu/rhd/central/owners/resources-and-support/sync-%26-bluetooth-support/update/documents/Interrogator_AB.zip

Extracted files to a formatted (exFAT) USB stick then followed the Ford directions to: 

Quote

Having trouble getting a log file generated for your SYNC 3 update? Please follow below steps:

1. Download this package (ZIP 44KB) and extract it on a USB stick (the USB stick needs to in ex-fat format)
2. Enter your vehicle and switch on the engine
3. When Sync 3 is fully loaded, insert the USB stick
4. Wait until an “installation complete” message appears (it may take approximately 1 minute). This should now have produced a new log file
5. Return to your PC and complete your update by uploading the log file onto the Ford website

Uploaded THAT version of the log file and hey presto I was offered a map update for the first time 

It's only 8.1GB but so Sloooooooooooooooooow to download and according to Ford may take up to 80 minutes to actually upload to the car 

Come on Ford what are you doing/ - this is the 21st Century and you are using stuff that I could write out faster with a fountain pen - NOT impressed - great car let down by inadequate and out-dated soft/hardware

I'll update if and when I actually get the maps to load etc

[simonb65]

27 minutes ago, Westville said:

Come on Ford what are you doing/ - this is the 21st Century and you are using stuff that I could write out faster with a fountain pen - NOT impressed - great car let down by inadequate and out-dated soft/hardware

The slowest part of the update process is writing and reading data from the USB stick! Wait until you get a 25GB map update!!! The issue is that Ford give you the whole software instead of just 'patching' the current software with the changes (as your phone or PC does).

[Comares2001]

At least you've got the update . There's loads of us who have bought new cars that are stuck on F7 until 2020 when F9 gets released.

[simonb65]

1 hour ago, Comares2001 said:

At least you've got the update . There's loads of us who have bought new cars that are stuck on F7 until 2020 when F9 gets released.

Bought my 2016 model in Dec 2016 and was stuck with 2014 maps and still had to wait until the start of 2019 before I got an update ... and then still had to figure it out for myself! So waiting 6 months is not so bad 😉

[Comares2001]

Except this is probably a different issue because Ford have F****d up by putting a new APIM in vehicles that isn't compatible with the download software and wont do anything for owners to workaround the problem before next year

 

[simonb65]

58 minutes ago, Comares2001 said:

Ford have F****d up by putting a new APIM in vehicles that isn't compatible with the download software

I know, I've seen and hacked the software update scripts that check for it. I really do feel your pain, but what makes you think the update system has worked up to now! It's always been F****d up! I've got Sync3 (QNX based), but still get offered Sync2 (Microsoft based) updates, even after uploading log files which are descriptors of what ECU hardware and firmware modules are installed.

There are many on here who have battled through Fords failed introduction and inept technical support of the EDGE for 3 years now! I really hope they sort it out soon, especially with the launch of more new models and tech ... but I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you. Oh, and don't call the tech support phone number, it cost a Bl**dy fortune and you still don't get anything fixed. 

Sorry to be doom and gloom, but just read some of the forum topics on here and you'll see what I mean.

[Comares2001]

Actually a lot of the posts on the forum are mine on this subject .I have had numerous Email exchanges with Ford CRC that resulted in this issue being referred upwards? .Eventually I got them to admit the reason why the update is not available and by way of compensation they are paying for the next service (which is now 24months on the Focus petrol models). However they were adamant that nothing was going to be done until 2020 to resolve the matter. If it were just about satnav I could live with that but the MK4 has intelligent speed limiter which relies in part on GPS map data to work. Because the map data is so out of date  it can at times unexpectedly slow down the vehicle and create dangerous situations as myself and others have reported.

Incidentally all new vehicles leaving the factory for the past few months have F8 installed.

 

[simonb65]

15 hours ago, Comares2001 said:

it can at times unexpectedly slow down the vehicle and create dangerous situations as myself and others have reported.

You want to try speed sign recognition and the speed limiter combo! ... happily running at 70mph on a dual carriageway when the sign camera sees a side road at 20! Thought I was going through the windscreen and the guy behind me was pretty p*ssed off 'cos he thought I'd brake checked him. Now that's dangerous. Switched it off now and I don't use it. I wouldn't rely on the GPS data being correct either, its there as a guide, NOT a safety feature!

 

15 hours ago, Comares2001 said:

Incidentally all new vehicles leaving the factory for the past few months have F8 installed.

That is completely understandable. It's the infotainment firmware update process and support (outsourced out to a team in India) that is stopping you and others. The production system for configuring the ECU's, etc comes direct from the build ticket for the car and gets the software directly from the servers based on what version is actively signed off and production released at the time of manufacture.

I've worked in the automotive and construction manufacturing industry, I know the general issues and I know from the inside how chaotic and disjointed the processes are between production manufacturing and post factory technical support and the systems used by both ... and no, they are not the same and rely on further infrastructure to link them together. Hence why there is a disconnect between what the update server thinks my car is built to vs ETIS which is the central car build ticket data!!

From my experience, that team in India is probably 4 or 5 guys that write and creates (doesn't test!) the update packages. A global 'household name' company I worked for had 3 'part time' people who did all of the service tool and update services! We did have a process in place that the tools had to be complete before the first model rolled off the production line, but that only came into place in 2014. Before that it was ship the product ... do the support/update tools afterwards!! The result then was similar to what I see from Ford today.

The biggest issues is that production gets priority with regards resources putting in place processes to handle variants in the hardware (i.e. new APIM). The customer update process is way down the list as it doesn't affect profit making production and it doesn't make Ford anything, if fact as a business its an investment they make at a loss. Remember, it there for your benefit, not theirs and no, they (like most manufacturers) are after the vehicle sale, spare parts and servicing the rest is good sales marketing but hold no real substance.

 

15 hours ago, Comares2001 said:

However they were adamant that nothing was going to be done until 2020 to resolve the matter.

Sorry to say, the bottom line is that they have no financial incentive to do this any quicker!

Why do you think Ford UK disables WiFi updates for the UK market? ... It's because they don't have a support team in the UK big enough to support the customer issues, so they control the process by timed releases in batches (usually based on VIN ranges), handle the 'small' amount of issues, release the next batch, repeat ...

 

15 hours ago, Comares2001 said:

intelligent speed limiter which relies in part on GPS map data to work

BTW, Fords intelligent speed limiter prioritises uses the sign recognition camera even if GPS data is available. It defaults to using what it sees, rather than the database. If you don't have the sign recognition camera, then as I said before, don't totally rely on the database anyway, even if its the latest (F8 is still 18 months out of date and doesn't have some major roads on it!).

[Comares2001]

20 minutes ago, simonb65 said:

 

 

BTW, Fords intelligent speed limiter prioritises uses the sign recognition camera even if GPS data is available. It defaults to using what it sees, rather than the database. If you don't have the sign recognition camera, then as I said before, don't totally rely on the database anyway, even if its the latest (F8 is still 18 months out of date and doesn't have some major roads on it!).

 

That's what should happen however in practice what can and does seem to happen is that where there are no speed signs and GPS  data differs from the last speed sign the limiter uses the GPS data.  I have proved this countless times on roads near to me . One was a narrow 30mph single carriageway road that is now a wide 60mph bypass however there are no signs so the limiter tries to slow car down to 30mph. Second instance is on the A1M in NYorks. After joining at one junction the vehicle suddenly slows to 50mph . There were almost 4years of roadworks here that I can only assume must have been reflected in the GPS data at the time.

Yes you can turn it off which is a shame because it can be very useful but it doesn't bode very well for when this is a mandatory feature in all cars in 2021.

[simonb65]

24 minutes ago, Comares2001 said:

it doesn't bode very well for when this is a mandatory feature in all cars in 2021.

It doesn't ! Some of the stuff that is being pushed through as mandatory in future vehicles worries me knowing how badly they perform today. Especially the push to get autonomous cars on the road.

On a side note, with all the experience Tesla has on the subject, have a look on YouTube for a review of the latest EU released autopilot software for the Tesla. The mandate to reduce the maximum steering demand by the EU has made the system absolutely lethal. It now struggles to stay on the correct side of the road on left hand bends (and stay on the road on right hand bends)! It worked perfectly fine and safe before the EU ruling. Very Scary developments!

 

[Westville]

Geez that is a worrying video clip - can you imagine how long it would take to download an update for that system and then try getting it on a thumb drive 

[eddiek]

Technology going too far for me.  I like to be in control of the driving.  

[simonb65]

3 hours ago, Westville said:

can you imagine how long it would take to download an update for that system and then try getting it on a thumb drive 

Its done over-the-air just like your phone, so its totally seamless until the download completes then it asks if you want to install it. The update process was created from day 1 with Tesla, and forms the basis of its software structure. It also uses the same connectivity to upload the data from the car, which is how Tesla have gathered so much real world information and scenarios to improve their autonomous functionality. They have more 'test' data than most of the major car manufacturers combined. BTW, it works quite well in the states!