Ambient Lighting Problems

[peterk9]

Started after one of the updates. Fixing the problem starts at the dealer level. If they can't duplicate the problem it goes no further. It probably never gets to Ford to fix.

Rebecca has reported this issue to her support team. See post 22. Whether anyone is actively looking into it is anyone's guess.

Peter

 

[Lewisra]

My *guess* is that MFT doesn't actually turn off when you turn off the car. It just hybernates, or sleeps, much like a laptop does. Basically the operating memory (the RAM) of the car is dumped to static memory and then reloaded into operating memory (RAM) upon wakeup. A reboot clears all the operating memory and restarts MFT "fresh." Thus if you have memory corruption issues, a reboot will normally fix that (until it happens again.) This is why issues that are hard to duplicate or transient can be fixed by the reboot - it clears any memory corruption that may have happened.

Thus rebooting, "refreshes" things in that sense. I did not mean to suggest that MFT was somehow updated.

My theory is that certain settings are just saved in operating memory and never written to long term storage - such as which particular menu you were on in certain areas. The ambient light color must be one of those parameters. Thus, the light color stays set as long as MFT doesn't reboot because the setting is just dumped to static storage upon shutdown ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER OPERATING MEMORY and restored similarly. But once the system reboots - it's gone.

I believe the system reboots on it's own on a timer - e.g., after X amount of "up-time," or after certain conditions are met, it is programmed to reboot.

*Just my theory.
.

I concur with your theory. It's a new "feature"(the reboot) that was included in 3.6.2, which is why many have not seen this issue(ambient light changing to default) previously and why I've rarely needed to use my delayed reboot app in my Focus as compared to prior to 3.6.2.

 

[Lewisra]

And as far as you never having issues - I don't have many issues either, but different people use the system differently and to greater or lesser degrees. I have 700+ songs and a bluetooth phone connection. Others have 10k songs and 2k contacts (remember Loganfilm?) and we all have different phones, so one person's experience is not necessarily indicative of anything.

I believe the basic problem of this system is that Ford underestimated the use cases (e.g., Ford underestimated just how many MP3s people will want to listen to, how many contacts they have in their phones, etc...). The reason that Applink won't be available is also related to this - because they underestimated the use cases, they've had to utilize the memory set aside in the design of the system for Applink to storing more contacts, bigger index files, etc... We can see signs of this by comparing version 2.11 and the later versions in which functionality was removed - probably to free up memory.

As well as there being several vehicles that have several different functions/options that are controlled by MFT. A quick guesstimate would be well over 100(probably over 1000) different combinations of vehicles and options used by MFT. Then multiply in the way every driver uses it in a different way with a different phone and or other bluetooth device. So now we are at a gazillion different combinations. Not making excuses for Ford(cause many are unacceptible), just sayin.

 

[peterk9]

I concur with your theory. It's a new "feature"(the reboot) that was included in 3.6.2, which is why many have not seen this issue(ambient light changing to default) previously and why I've rarely needed to use my delayed reboot app in my Focus as compared to prior to 3.6.2.

The one problem with that theory is that the first post about the ambient light issue was the 10th of January 2013. The first post about V3.6.2 being available was August 4th, 2013. As well, I have the latest version and have not encountered any 'reboots'.

Peter

 

[Lewisra]

The one problem with that theory is that the first post about the ambient light issue was the 10th of January 2013. The first post about V3.6.2 being available was August 4th, 2013. As well, I have the latest version and have not encountered any 'reboots'.

Peter

When was the first post about the ambient lighting going back to the default of light blue?

As I stated, and others have confirmed, since 3.6.2 the system does a reboot when your vehicle is turned off.

 

[peterk9]

When was the first post about the ambient lighting going back to the default of light blue?

As I stated, and others have confirmed, since 3.6.2 the system does a reboot when your vehicle is turned off.

The first post about the ambient lighting changing colours was the date I mentioned. If a reboot causes some setting to change, which members have confirmed, then I can only assume I haven't had any reboots since none of my settings have changed. The posts stated that members knew a 'reboot' had taken place because some settings changed.

Peter

 

[Lewisra]

The first post about the ambient lighting changing colours was the date I mentioned.
Peter

When was the first post about the ambient lighting going back to the default of light blue?

 

[peterk9]

When was the first post about the ambient lighting going back to the default of light blue?

Not sure what that has to do with the colours changing on their own. I assume you obviously have the answer to your question. It doesn't matter what colour it changes to, the issue is that it should remain on the one the owner has chosen. I have had mine on dark blue for a month and it hasn't changed. Before that I ran with green (Yuk) as a the set colour and it also did not change on its own. I'll keep it on dark blue to see if it does change down the road. That, I believe is one of the indications that a self reboot has occurred according to the posts I've read.
Don't confuse the lighting changing on its own with the change caused by a 'reboot'.

Peter

 

[Lewisra]

Not sure what that has to do with the colours changing on their own. I assume you obviously have the answer to your question. It doesn't matter what colour it changes to, the issue is that it should remain on the one the owner has chosen. I have had mine on dark blue for a month and it hasn't changed. Before that I ran with green (Yuk) as a the set colour and it also did not change on its own. I'll keep it on dark blue to see if it does change down the road. That, I believe is one of the indications that a self reboot has occurred according to the posts I've read.
Don't confuse the lighting changing on its own with the change caused by a 'reboot'.

Peter

It has to do with what jmr and I were refering too. Which is why I was quoting him originally, and specifically mentioned changing to the default color. As opposed to creating a new thread about ambient lighting. Also, maybe the theory doesn't apply to 2011 Explorer's in Canada. Just a theory.

 

[peterk9]

It has to do with what jmr and I were refering too. Which is why I was quoting him originally, and specifically mentioned changing to the default color. As opposed to creating a new thread about ambient lighting. Also, maybe the theory doesn't apply to 2011 Explorer's in Canada. Just a theory.

Unfortunately theories are all we are left with in a few of the issues members are having with certain problems. I thought about separating the posts and putting them in their own thread but so far I'll just leave them as is.
Maybe the next update will resolve this issue.

Peter

 

[13Sport]

As I stated, and others have confirmed, since 3.6.2 the system does a reboot when your vehicle is turned off.

According to the video interview w/ the head of the MFT group, they added reboots while the vehicle was off when they released the "Performance Update" (I believe that was 3.0.2). It was among the features to help improve system stability.

 

[peterk9]

According to the video interview w/ the head of the MFT group, they added reboots while the vehicle was off when they released the "Performance Update" (I believe that was 3.0.2). It was among the features to help improve system stability.

Makes sense. I guess it is somewhat like deleting your temporary internet files on your computer by doing a cleanup.

Peter

 

[13Sport]

Makes sense. I guess it is somewhat like deleting your temporary internet files on your computer by doing a cleanup.

Peter

Indeed.. I've only had ambient lighting since getting my Sport in Nov/'12 and can confirm that the problem has existed since I got the car. I believe it was on 3.5.1. I'm sure they forgot to save the color setting to persistent storage, though you would think that ALL settings would be using the same method/function when changed. MFT is really a half-assed programming project, it seems like it was done by first year CS students.

 

[rua4x4]

Just to add my voice to the list - I noticed the fact that the ambient illumination would 'randomly' reset to max brightness in my 12 LTD after I upgraded to V3.6.2. Just swopped to a 14MY Sport last Sat - yippee, and it's done just the same thing once in 400 miles.

Rebecca - Any info/update from the support team?

 

[peterk9]

Just to add my voice to the list - I noticed the fact that the ambient illumination would 'randomly' reset to max brightness in my 12 LTD after I upgraded to V3.6.2. Just swopped to a 14MY Sport last Sat - yippee, and it's done just the same thing once in 400 miles.

Rebecca - Any info/update from the support team?

Welcome to the Form rua4x4.:wavey:
Other than going to have this checked out by the dealer, there doesn't seem to be any other option at the moment. Have you had to reset any other settings? Some say the an auto reboot will cause some settings, such as the ambient lighting to reset. So far after installing the latest update several months ago, I haven't had any issues with the ambient lighting or any other settings, nor did I before the update.

Peter

 

[rua4x4]

Didn't bother reporting it on the LTD - it had issues with the APIM (or AIPM, can never remeber which it is) where it kept going blank screen. Dealer couldn't find it, so couldn't fix it. Got the local Ford support involved, just before Xmas and the APIM finally gave up the ghost on Xmas Eve (whilst we were on vacation in FL). Thankfully, the local dealer sorted it under warranty, otherwise we'd have been buying a map! Didn't notice the brightness change after the replacement, until the week before I swopped the car out. Now the new one has done it too, so I'll mention it to the dealer.

It's no biggie really, just annoying that the s/w can't remember it's settings.

 

[FordIVTteam]

Hi, rua4x4,

Like Peter said, your dealership will have to diagnose this concern; after that, they may need to contact their support for the next steps. If you don't want to make a separate appointment, you can always wait until your next oil change (but sure to let them know you'd like it looked into).

Rebecca

 

[jrmexplorer]

So i did an experiment. I set the ambient light to red. Installed the delayed reboot app (see the Sticky re: about MFT acting up? ) which caused MFT to reboot. After the reboot, the ambient light had reset to the factory light blue.

To me this confirms that the ambient light setting does not survive a reboot.

 

[FordIVTteam]

Thanks for experimenting, jrmexplorer. I'll pass that along.

Rebecca

 

[peterk9]

So i did an experiment. I set the ambient light to red. Installed the delayed reboot app (see the Sticky re: about MFT acting up? ) which caused MFT to reboot. After the reboot, the ambient light had reset to the factory light blue.

To me this confirms that the ambient light setting does not survive a reboot.

Thanks for testing that out. Did you check to see if you lost any other settings? I recall having to reset my rearview camera's '3 zones' a year or more ago.

Peter