I have just joined Forum and apologise if this subject is covered elsewhere.

I have stopped using the Sync 4 satnav as it regularly uses stupid routes whatever route option is chosen

The system seems to assume you will drive at 60mph down narrow  unsafe country lanes rather than sticking to safer classified routes

 

My worst experience involved a 13.5 mile trip along narrow bendy lanes with weeds growing in the middle. Quicker and much safer routes were available on both A and B roads

 

Turn off the option to use the "shortest route"

I have never used the shortest distance option but both fastest route and economical route options have regularly taken me down stupid routes. ( 3.5 miles down a narrow lane with no passing places to avoid a set of signals)

I didn't bother paying to continue the live traffic service as it made matters even worse

I am told that this is a widespread problem and neither Google Maps and Waze allow you to choose routes that avoid local minor roads

you can't blame a sat nav for the routing - they don't think - they just do maths based on the choices you set and the age of the mapping in your device

the most sensible route is often the fastest and most economical

adding 5 miles of congestion just to take a dual carriageway with street lights for a 3 mile journey isn't for everybody

the problem is mostly modern cars that are 18" wider than they should be - meet another wide one with a typical halfwit behind the wheel - and with council's not maintaining lines of sight, and or the verges and hedgerows that have slid another two foot in to the road, does mean you have to pay attention...

and your point about 60 limits is a huge problem - when they were 60 everything was just fine - but now the same councils have re done most as 40mph - if your maps aren't updated its routing will still calculate the decent route as vastly quicker than the other routes...

 

 

 

I first came across this issue over 20 years ago when I got my 1st stand alone Garmin SatNav. Dam thing took me down a narrow country lane to be met with a tractor coming the other way. He won (!), and I had to reverse forever. The solution is exactly as describes above, turn off 'shortest route' and also use a huge dollop of common sense that SatNavs are a useful guide, not to be followed blindly...

Do you have the live traffic subscription active? Our Puma Nav (sync 3) and our galaxy (sync 3) both on F12 maps give very different routes.

The Puma will literally take you though every lane and small village around to get where you want to go to avoid any traffic, where as the Galaxy (no subscription) will take you via A roads and main roads etc 

I never used the shortest distance option and I also found that the live traffic information will generate stupid diversions off main roads to save a few seconds at a set of lights

I didn't bother renewing the Ford live traffic when it was up for renewing. I now take a look at Google maps if I want live traffic info before setting off on long trips.

I don't have a problem if I am the passenger. We now have no confidence in the Sync 4 satnav and sit with a map in front of me when we are away from home. This has saved many diversions down clearly ridiculous routes. Unfortunately if I am driving my wife is not great at map reading.

My worst experience was a 13.5 mile nightmare on single track roads in Shropshire. (Much Wenlock to All Stretton). To make matters worse the route took me to a lethal, completely blind, junction onto a 60 mph B Road. My Airbnb host told me that no local person would ever use that junction as it is far too dangerous 

There is a relatively simple solution. I suspect Sync 4 navigation assumes you can drive close to the 60 mph speed limit on narrow local lanes. In reality I probably averaged no more than 20 mph on the 13.5 miles outlined above. Ford simply need to reduce speeds on narrow lanes to an achievable and safe speed

 

 

most dodgy routing was created exclusively thanks to google - as white van man and ignorant fools - taught it every drive all the sneaky back routes you could once do easily at 85mph...

as you point out, google is so stupid it will consistently reroute if it believes the other way is a little as 0.5 second faster... as its playing this game with thousands of other lemmings - it can and does lengthen journey times taking you off one sensible route and driving everyone around creating traffic carnage - ultimately slowing down all road users

as back routes got busier and busier its created all the dangerous junction reworking and driven up the council led fake road works and traffic jams - and is now the main driver why all the 60mph limits have been stolen from us, and replaced with joke 30 or 40mph disaster zones

google colludes with your government to steal your rights to live - both should be abolished !

Just got a Focus 4.5.  Sync 3 navigation on my previous car (Focus 4.0) worked brilliantly.  Sync 4 on my Focus 4.5 is ... crap.  Apologies but there is no other word for it.

What experiences have people had with Waze on Sync 4?

1 hour ago, Linds said:

Sync 4 on my Focus 4.5 is ... crap

I think everyone is in agreement with that statement. 👍

Sync 4, as sponsored by Andrex 🤣

Remember to update your profile with you new car details.

16 minutes ago, Linds said:

... Sync 4 on my Focus 4.5 is ... crap.  Apologies but there is no other word for it.

Any specific issue? Crap takes on alot!

1 hour ago, StephenFord said:

Any specific issue? Crap takes on alot!

Specifically the same issue as described by Macessex.  The last time I experienced such a useless satnav system was in a Focus 3.5 bought in 2015.  Basically Sync 4 takes us back 10 Years!

I did come up with a solution of sorts ... I ignored any instructions that would take me down a road that wasn't an M, an A or a B!  Didn't work that well!

1 hour ago, unofix said:

I think everyone is in agreement with that statement. 👍

Remember to update your profile with you new car details.

Hi unofix

Promise I will update ... but a bit busy just now.

Many thanks.

I haven't used Sync 4 but on any car that I have owned I have never relied on the built in sat nav. I use Google Maps through Car Play onto the screen in the car. The traffic on Google Maps I find to be far superior to anything the car makers offer. When Google maps suggest that you turn off a major road it will often show "Similar ETA" on the screen for the major road that you are already on. I take this as my cue to ignore Google's suggestion that I turn onto a dirt road to save one second of travel time.

Hi folks. 

I have recently updated my Focus to a '74 model with Sync 4, but can't get on with Ford's "Ridiculous Satnav Routing".  I prefer to use Google Maps.

On the last Focus which was fitted with Sync 3, I used my phone for Google Maps but not through the vehicles system (which I also currently do in my Berlingo). I prefer to have the phone in a holder (yes, I know! 🫣) but I like it separate. That way it gives the full Google Maps functions - including actual speed, camera warnings etc which doesn't feature on the Sync 4 through Android Auto.

But with this new car, I can't seem to stop the phone being picked up by the Android Auto.

Could someone help me please?

Vivian

check your V5 for the berlingo - some have a Van derived chassis and thus MUST obey the slow Van speed limits

1 hour ago, Botus said:

check your V5 for the berlingo - some have a Van derived chassis and thus MUST obey the slow Van speed limits

Thanks Botus, but I should've mentioned that the Berlingo is a Multispace so classed as car.

Re: Ford Sync 4 - I would like it not to automatically pick up Google Maps from my phone. I would like the Google Maps to function on the phone on its own. 

I am aware that I can turn the Bluetooth off altogether but then I assume I'd lose phone connection which is useful using voice commands.

Maybe I'm asking the impossible?!🤔

 

1 hour ago, LincsFordFan said:

Thanks Botus, but I should've mentioned that the Berlingo is a Multispace so classed as car.

Re: Ford Sync 4 - I would like it not to automatically pick up Google Maps from my phone. I would like the Google Maps to function on the phone on its own. 

I am aware that I can turn the Bluetooth off altogether but then I assume I'd lose phone connection which is useful using voice commands.

Maybe I'm asking the impossible?!🤔

 

Try this. On your phone go to Settings - Apps and Notifications -.See All Apps - find Android Auto and disable it. It may be a System App so you may need to find it that way after See All Apps by pressing the Three Dots.

On 7/14/2025 at 9:46 PM, Tizer said:

Try this. On your phone go to Settings - Apps and Notifications -.See All Apps - find Android Auto and disable it. It may be a System App so you may need to find it that way after See All Apps by pressing the Three Dots.

Thanks Tizer.  I tried this but it disabled my phone connection.

But you gave me an idea ....

So my workaround in the end was to use another mobile phone, with Android Auto and Bluetooth disabled, purely for Google Maps. Mounted on windscreen, not the tidiest of jobs but so what?  It works!  Has the extra benefit of not keeping interrupting my music every time the Google Maps voice comes in.

I keep it charged using a "charge only" socket on the Mk4.5.  If you charge it through a USB port then it confuses Sync4 as it's looking for the device!

Vivian