Mk8 ST-Line X 140 early impressions

[iantt]

alot of dealerships are un aware of the gps diagnostic mode in sync 3. the idea was if there were issues with satelite reception customers  reported then the diag mode was enabled so customer could inform the dealer if sat signal dissapears in a certain location only ( could be deemed normal) or randomly which could indicate a fault. difficult for a dealer to diagnose in a garage or a short roadtest. 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

That's very interesting. I've seen a video on You Tube showing how to access the Sync 3 diagnostics on a Ford Fusion (US) by simultaneously pressing the CD eject and fast forward buttons which on that car were located below the screen. Presumably there is a different method for a UK Fiesta? 

[iantt]

pretty much the same depending on sync version. has your fiesta got cd player? 

[iantt]

you can keep the diag menu once acessed as an extra icon on the screen to access at the time or place of satelite loss. 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

41 minutes ago, iantt said:

pretty much the same depending on sync version. has your fiesta got cd player? 

Not fitted to my car, so some other combination of buttons?

[iantt]

yes, cant remember off hand but got it written down somewhere. 

[Smartd00d]

Right button under the screen and right on the right hand steering wheel buttons at the same time for about 5 seconds.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Could I clarify which buttons before I start pressing things?

The right hand button below the screen Is "darken screen" - is that the one?

On the steering wheel, is it the upper right (menu) button or the lower right (phone etc) button?

Do you need to be on a particular Sync 3 screen when you start, and should the operation be performed ignition on or off?

Lot of questions there, sorry!!

[Mavroz]

20 hours ago, iantt said:

alot of dealerships are un aware of the gps diagnostic mode in sync 3. the idea was if there were issues with satelite reception customers  reported then the diag mode was enabled so customer could inform the dealer if sat signal dissapears in a certain location only ( could be deemed normal) or randomly which could indicate a fault. difficult for a dealer to diagnose in a garage or a short roadtest. 

Thank you for the info on the diagnostic mode. I will not try anything yet as I don't want the dealer or Ford trying to pass the buck by saying i am messing with settings that may be contributing towards the fault.

I understand it may be difficult for the dealer to diagnose.

The issue is that Ford know there is a fault with  some units, the dealership know there is a fault with some units, they aren't trying to hide the fact there is  fault. The issue is they haven't got a clue how to fix the fault, they are still selling cars with the fault and they are offering no recompense to customers who's cars have the fault until they fix it.

Essentially they know they have issues and haven't got a clue what to do about it.

The dealerships new car sales manager has a Focus himself that has the issue. It isn't just restricted to Fiestas.

If we had a 3 month old television with a fault that had an attempted repair performed 3 times I am pretty sure we would be entitled to ask for a replacement or be given a full refund.... is there a difference to consumer rights with a new car to any other new goods purchased does anyone know?

This is what it is coming down to as we are now fed up with shoulders being shrugged and told basically we don't know how to fix the issue.

Surely it just cannot be ours that has the problem out of all the users on this forum? The dealer has said they have had may customers return cars to them regarding the same issue. No one on here having the issues with Sat nav on Sync 3?

[lst]

2 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Could I clarify which buttons before I start pressing things?

The right hand button below the screen Is "darken screen" - is that the one?

On the steering wheel, is it the upper right (menu) button or the lower right (phone etc) button?

Do you need to be on a particular Sync 3 screen when you start, and should the operation be performed ignition on or off?

Lot of questions there, sorry!!

It's the ►►▌ in the top pic, and the ►▌ on the steering wheel.

I got the menu when the car was running, I guess as long as the car is on, you should be able to access it.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Thanks @lst. Tried it with engine running, engine not running but ignition on, and ignition off but still no joy. Don't want to mess around too much for similar reasons to @Mavroz!

[lst]

On mine, I switch ignition on, wait for sync to start up, then press the buttons together for 5 secs. It then enters a speaker test mode, which you exit to access the rest of the diagnostics.

I have the B&O play, don't know whether that makes a difference? Couldn't work out how to make the icon in the menu for this though...

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Many thanks again, @lst - I don't have the B&O but realised I didn't have the sound switched on! All good once I did that, seem to be picking up from lots of satellites in present location.

So far, I've only lost GPS completely in one area (Wensleydale) and I've been up and down there twice in the last week with no problems at all with GPS in the car. However, I was using Google maps on my mobile while up there and that told me I was around 6 miles from where I actually was! So I'm coming round to the idea that my issue might be one of localised reception problems. Unfortunately I've still only done around 2,000 miles in the car, all within around 100 miles radius of home, so I'll have to see what happens when I get chance to venture further afield!

I couldn't figure out the icon either, I'll leave that for another day (unless one of our resident geniuses can enlighten us?!).

 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

PS to my previous post - found you can access the diagnostics menu with ignition off, provided you have the sound on of course. Caution for anyone who has yet to try this - make sure you have volume set at a low level as the initial speaker test is ear-splitting otherwise!

[jackhoppkkins]

Quote

 

absolutley loving my ST Line X. went over the forest the other day to do some photogrphy, and came back to a gorgeous sunset in the background of the car park, made for a cracking couple of shots.

[jackhoppkkins]

does the ST Line X have auto wipers? I am unsure on all of the wiper positions on the arm

[Mavroz]

Yes. Any info can be found in the owners manual.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

On 3/7/2018 at 3:48 PM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

 also there is a small cubby on the drivers side which I assume is meant for change etc but I can't even get my (admittedly fat) fingers in.

 

Just been poking around under the dash (looking for the obd port in case I needed it). Realised that the above mentioned cubby has a 2 stage action and when you open it all the way (it's a bit stiff) it is a useful space. So, I owe the car an apology for that criticism and am also pleased that my fingers are not that fat after all😀

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Just a quick update - I mentioned back in March the problems I was having with the seat. As time has gone by, the issue seems to have sorted itself, perhaps the seat has moulded itself to my shape over the last 8 months or so.

Anyway, though I still feel the seat could be a bit wider between the bolsters, I'm no longer finding it uncomfortable even after several hours behind the wheel.

 

 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

I intend to post a quick update on experience over first 12 months or so, but away this week so will have to wait until we're back!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

On 4/1/2019 at 11:37 AM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I intend to post a quick update on experience over first 12 months or so, but away this week so will have to wait until we're back!

Been thinking about this while away, actually not a lot more to add to previous posts!

Had the convenience check at just over 5,000 miles at the beginning of March, plus an oil/filter change as I'm not happy leaving it 2 years with my current low usage.

Only issues raised at the check were:

a) GPS issues (mentioned previously and at length on separate thread) - unsurprisingly the dealer had no solution and told me a fix was still awaited from Ford. That said, I have had no problems since last October until last week when we drove into what the Mrs now calls "the Bedale triangle" (Wensleydale) when we kept the signal (no Ghostbusters symbol) but the road disappeared from the map for a few miles, so that was a new one!

b) Gearchange which I find sometimes seems to "stick" in gear when changing down unless given a firm shove and has excess movement across the gate (to my mind). I was told other customers had made similar comments, so no joy there!

Car has otherwise performed faultlessly over the last 12 months, starting instantly even when buried in snow - I've found in the past that cars which don't get used every day are often more bother than those doing big mileages, so happy with that. (A contrast to my first new Fiesta, a 1980 1.1L, which went into a sulk and refused to start if the sun went behind a cloud!😀)

Other negatives I had mentioned previously concerned the seat, which I continue to find a bit narrow but seems to have "given" a bit so I do not find it actually uncomfortable as I did at first, and space up front generally - it still feels more cramped than the Mrs's SEAT Mii which is a smaller car.

Good points remain as mentioned in earlier posts - very good handling, grip and braking with what I feel is a good compromise between ride and handling on the rubbish roads I frequently use. (Still not sure if I could cope with the "full-fat" ST comfort-wise, despite the Mk 8 being more compliant than previously.)

Engine is a very enjoyable little thing to use, mine runs perfectly from tickover to redline, unlike some petrols I have driven in recent years which suffer "stutters" and flat spots. A little more torque wouldn't go amiss though. I was interested to see a report that Ford are to introduce a mild hybrid with 1.0 ecoboost plus 48v electrics so if this operates as some others do - giving the engine a bit of a hand at low revs - it could solve that one.

Perhaps unsurprisingly in view of previous comment, fuel consumption has not been great but I think perfectly acceptable - it has settled around low to mid-40's in normal use, with a best tankful so far at 53mpg on a holiday in Norfolk.