Please welcome - The Ford IVT Team

[snowbird]

Just got back from my dealer with the new 2.11 installed. So far everything works a little faster and loads up amazing quick.No lags at all when going from Nav to Sirius or any of the other functions. Phone paired up as well as address book. voice activation on nav. works better when starting out manually on the screen then switching to voice. Still can't understand why you can't imput city first instead of address only.
Kudos to Houston Ford in Pine River MN. They may be a smaller dealer but their service is the best!

 

[charliez]

Rebecca,
It looks like the issues have started. I picked up my Explorer on Saturday. My salesperson helped me hook up my phone (Blackberry) & it seemed to work fine. Later in the day, I started the vehicle & got a message "phone connecting" but it never connected.

I started over, got it set up, & it worked fine all day Sunday. Yesterday morning it stopped connecting again "Sync failed". While attempting to find the issue/re-connect, the screen locked up. Can't unlock it!

How do I unlock the screen & get the phone working again?

Dave

My experience has been that there are characters in the phone's address book the SYNC doesn't like hence it freezes up, and in the process also disconnects the phone.

This bug has been there from the beginning until today (I just had my XLT upgraded last week).

To workaround this issue, go to the phone's setting in SYNC and disable automatic address book download.

I displeases me that I can't use my address book, or that I have to find which contact has the offending characters, and which specific characters.

 

[davek4]

Rebecca,

Your response says to follow the below link, but I do not see any link. I will PM you with info.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[Sgt1411]

Rebecca

With two days left in July Im guessing the MFT v2.11 TSB is now not going to be released until August?

 

[snowbird]

I had it done last tuesday and Wednesday and had a copy of the Tsb in my hand. I'm sure that if a small dealer in northern Minn. can get it, it is available.
By the way all functions appear to be normal with the new 2.11. it loads faster, phone paired up immediately. It also is faster between functions. No crashes or mysterious radio off and ons, no back up camera on when going forward, its a miracle, ha ha.
So after 7 months 10,000 miles and 5 visits to the dealer for various things, I am proud to be a new functioning Ford Explorer owner. By the way this is my 13th new Ford. :>)

 

[olaverty]

Had mine done yesterday, according to the paperwork it is TSB 2011-07-24

 

[Sgt1411]

Had mine done yesterday, according to the paperwork it is TSB 2011-07-24

Thanks guys

I read on the July 21st IVT Team post that it wasn't released yet.

There hasn't been anything official since on this thread so thanks for the clarification.

 

[calb]

Dear Rebecca / Ford IVT Team:

I'm looking (have been looking for a couple of months now) at purchasing an Explorer Limited version. One of my major concerns (and I'm sure I'm not alone in this regard) is the reliability of the MFT systems.

From what I've been reading:

1) There is still apparently a major issue in 2.11 that has not been fixed and which 2.11 will force an auto reboot, if detected (better than pulling fuses!);

2) There will be a major upgrade midway through 2012 (getting rid of Flash?);

I really like the Explorer, but I really dislike everything I read about MFT, and don't relish having to spend hours going to dealers. So ....

A) What exactly is Ford's warranty policy on MFT and updates and upgrades;
B) If I purchase extended warranty, how does that change this policy; and
C) If I purchase prepaid maintenance, how does that change things?

Sad to say, but the MFT issues are causing me to reconsider, and either purchase an alternative or wait for a year to see if it gets sorted.

 

[wheeling]

Same boat here.

 

[StunnedMonkey]

Dear Rebecca / Ford IVT Team:

2) There will be a major upgrade midway through 2012 (getting rid of Flash?);

I'd like to hear some official comment on this bit of speculation as well. I know that some posters have mentioned hearing this, but I've never heard anything about it from anyone official.

Can FordIVteam comment on this? Is there a major rewrite in the works? I mean beyond simply another 2.7/2.8/2.11 type bug fix? Would such a thing be meant for existing 2011 models?

 

[w1kedz]

no back up camera on when going forward, its a miracle, ha ha.

This is a feature of the camera (also an option in settings). You can have the camera stay on until you hit 5mph. You likely had it enabled before updating. The default is off however.

 

[w1kedz]

I'd like to hear some official comment on this bit of speculation as well. I know that some posters have mentioned hearing this, but I've never heard anything about it from anyone official.

Can FordIVteam comment on this? Is there a major rewrite in the works? I mean beyond simply another 2.7/2.8/2.11 type bug fix? Would such a thing be meant for existing 2011 models?

It would do Ford a world of good in the support area if they could confirm/deny this. If I know a large update is coming mid 2012 (and they can give me an estimated month) then I would just have the service department record my concerns about MFT on my records and leave it alone till then. As it is now I will take it in every couple of weeks and tell them it's crashing. Let them spend the time and money reflashing, replacing, etc over and over.

Why is Ford so secretive about the development process behind MFT, why aren't they keeping their customers informed? Why isn't there a bug tracking site setup, where people can report bugs/issues, request new features, etc, and track the status of those reports?

Software development isn't a new process, it may be new to auto manufacturers, but they need to take notes from large software shops about how to manage the end-user experience to reduce backlash and frustration.

 

[Rocketfan]

It would do Ford a world of good in the support area if they could confirm/deny this. If I know a large update is coming mid 2012 (and they can give me an estimated month) then I would just have the service department record my concerns about MFT on my records and leave it alone till then. As it is now I will take it in every couple of weeks and tell them it's crashing. Let them spend the time and money reflashing, replacing, etc over and over.

Big +1. Information about a new major release (left of decimal) and whether it will work with the 2011 flavor of MFT would be great and more importantly would save Ford's premium customers and its service departments time installing minor bug fix updates. I don't want to spend several weekends installing minor bug fix updates if I know a major release is coming (even in 2012). If the problem is pegging a date, don't give us a solid date. The info that the major release is being worked on and will work for us 2011s would be great.

I was a big defender and proponent of MFT here for about the first 2500 miles (where MFT worked almost flawlessly for me). Now, I look at the advertised features as nice to have when they work but do not rely on them (my kids and friends like to laugh and call the Ex the glitchy car). Sometimes the nav won't work at all (sometimes it does), sometimes bluetooth stereo won't work (sometimes it does), sometimes USB won't work when plugged in but bluetooth stereo does (sometimes neither work), etc.

The worse part is I still really like the Explorer and MFT when it works, I just hate the fact that this is the least reliable car I have ever owned and the reliability is all in the MFT unit. The snide looks and comments from my wife who wanted us to spend a little more and get a Lexus or BMW at every little glitch are just icing on the cake.

Please, I know this request for info has been made here repeatedly and throughout the MFT threads on this forum. Now that we have an IVT Team here (thanks), I think we would all appreciate some confirmation or denial on the major release/ rewrite and whether it will apply to the 2011s.

 

[RandyH2]

+1

 

[StunnedMonkey]

Big +1. Information about a new major release (left of decimal) and whether it will work with the 2011 flavor of MFT would be great and more importantly would save Ford's premium customers and its service departments time installing minor bug fix updates...

Well, there is one obvious answer as to why there's been no information offered on a major, backwards-compatible rewrite for MFT.

 

[w1kedz]

Well, there is one obvious answer as to why there's been no information offered on a major, backwards-compatible rewrite for MFT.

What's obvious about it?

 

[StunnedMonkey]

What's obvious about it?

I think they're not talking about it because I believe that no such thing is planned.

 

[w1kedz]

I think they're not talking about it because I believe that no such thing is planned.

And in his full post as well as mine
"I think we would all appreciate some confirmation or denial on the major release/ rewrite and whether it will apply to the 2011s."

a confirmation OR denial would go a long way. The complete lack of communication is the problem

 

[StunnedMonkey]

And in his full post as well as mine
"I think we would all appreciate some confirmation or denial on the major release/ rewrite and whether it will apply to the 2011s."

a confirmation OR denial would go a long way. The complete lack of communication is the problem

I hear you. But I guess I figure that they're operating on a "if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all," philosophy. That's all.

 

[wheeling]

I'm sure Ford is working on something, they have too. Because this MFT controls everyting and if it quits working in three yesrs, the car would be undrivable. Who would drive a car in 100 degrees without AC? So they have to work and make the basic functionality last for the life of the car. However, that may or may not require a hardware upgrade and the new system may not be backword compactable. That may be the reason Ford didn't say anything. What do you expect them to say? We are working on a major upgade and it may come out sometime in 2012. Who would continue to buy before then?

I really love the X and want to buy one, and I particularly like the MFT feature, as advertised. However, the concern of reliability really hold me back. The FMT is not just your grandpa's radio, or a simple GPS, it controls the AC and other functions too. It has so many problems as new, what would happen down the road in 3 years? It scares me just think about it. That's why I'm still waiting, waiting for the big upgade on the MFT or a new replacement configration, whatever that is.