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Performance Upgrades - Maintenance - Modifications - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street Trucks. Covering the Explorer, ST, Sport, Lincoln Aviator, Sport Trac, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Aerostar. Featuring H.I. - Human Intelligence.
Mar 02 2015 6072-2011-2015 Various Vehicles - Global Positioning Satellite Module (GPSM) - Inaccurate Location Or Offset Displayed After Seasonal Tire Change
Some 2011-2015 Vehicles with MFT or MLT and Navigation may display incorrect vehicle position after installing seasonal tires. These inaccuracies will correct/recalibrate over time if tires are within the recommended size. Use Owners Guideto verify proper size, load index, and speed rating. If the tires are not the correct specification for the vehicle, do not perform a repair attempt. If propertires are installed and the concern persists refer to Work Shop Manual, Section415-00 for diagnosis by DTC or symptom. Note: Removing GPSM power for 2 minuteswill clear GPSM calibration and greatly reduce the time it takes for the systemto correct/recalibrate. The system will typically recalibrate within 20 minutesof driving around 40 MPH with a clear view of the sky and a turn performed every few miles with the GPSM power restored.
I swapped from 18 inch back to 20 inch on my 2015 EX Sport which should be within the recommended size. I wanted to test to see if my tracking would be corrected "over time". Well after 2 weeks, I am still sometimes close to 1KM off. I think I have given it more than enough time. I just wish there was a better way for me to correct the problem then either bringing it in or disconnecting my battery.
I wanted to provide feedback after reading that SSM 44961. It does not seem accurate.
Andrew
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I swapped from 18 inch back to 20 inch on my 2015 EX Sport which should be within the recommended size. I wanted to test to see if my tracking would be corrected "over time". Well after 2 weeks, I am still sometimes close to 1KM off. I think I have given it more than enough time. I just wish there was a better way for me to correct the problem then either bringing it in or disconnecting my battery.
I wanted to provide feedback after reading that SSM 44961. It does not seem accurate.
I am just passing along info. Ford provides. Just so you guys/gals know there are 3 modules in the Explorer that directly utilize tire size information. If you swap I would suggest getting the vehicle programming updated at the time of swap.
I am just passing along info. Ford provides. Just so you guys/gals know there are 3 modules in the Explorer that directly utilize tire size information. If you swap I would suggest getting the vehicle programming updated at the time of swap.
Understand that you are just passing on info. Appreciate it, I just wanted to provide feedback that it doesn't seem to work.
So, this programming has to be changed at the dealership? It sure would be nice for this tire size to be user configureable. There is a high percentage of people that swap their own tires and more often than not when going to winters, change the tire size.
Yes that photo is from the dealer IDS software. I can't say how not having the correct tire size programmed to the vehicle affects it but ABS and PSCM (power steering control module) apparently utilize that data and those are pretty important modules for braking and handling.
Understand that you are just passing on info. Appreciate it, I just wanted to provide feedback that it doesn't seem to work.
So, this programming has to be changed at the dealership? It sure would be nice for this tire size to be user configureable. There is a high percentage of people that swap their own tires and more often than not when going to winters, change the tire size.
I've mentioned this before but I have gone from OEM 20" wheels to 17" wheels for Winter tires on my previous 2011 Limited and never had any issues with tracking. Also just replaced the 18" wheels on my current vehicle with the OEM 20" wheels and no problem with navigation. I don't know why some are having issues when changing wheels while others are not?
I had major tracking issues with the nav in our our new 2015 Explorer Limited, with the Middle East Maps, as we live in Dubai. Most of the time, the vehicle location was way of the road we were driving; the dealer commented its normal and takes some time to calibrate..... It maybe kind of basic, but the real solution was going trough the menu's, I found an "off-road" setting, and turned that off: All tracking issues I faced have gone since; it has been perfect.
I like Ford's Nav now in my Wife's Explorer better than my 2013 BMW 5 series Nav (despite the screen refresh is quite slow) because of the ease of the menu, and the display of the max speed of the road driven, and the highlights of all major road signs.
Have any of you explorer owners had navigation/gps issues? Mine has never worked and every possible part has been replaced. I bought it new and it has never worked. Thank goodness I had the foresight to buy the extended service plan. Ford says I don't qualify for buy back program. It does the craziest things. The dash compass will say I am going in one direction and the screen says something else and the triangle goes off out into the middle of nowhere. When I retired from teaching I bought this with all the bells and whistles thinking this would be my last vehicle purchase. I often travel alone so I really need this to work.
There are now over 50k miles and I have one year left on extended warranty! The tech guy is so frustrated and said this was the only vehicle he has never been able to fix!
Any suggestions?
Thank you!
I finally fixed mine by using the $100 extended warranty deductible and buying a garmin nuvi 52 from amazon. Lifetime maps for less than $100 bucks and no more wasted trips to the dealer to hear "we couldn't replicate the problem". Do they actually think people have time to waste on repeated trips to the dealer for no reason?
I would like it to work but there is no way I'm throwing more money at it.
Have any of you explorer owners had navigation/gps issues? Mine has never worked and every possible part has been replaced...The tech guy is so frustrated and said this was the only vehicle he has never been able to fix!
Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Luke, they have done it all. this last time the gps module was replaced again. Counting the original that makes the 4th one. It is really as microsoft issue from what I understand. The APIM wasn't designed to handle all of the info coming into it. I am sure Ford won't do a recall because of the the thousands and thousands of $$$ it would cost and according to statistics there just aren't that many complaints. With this last new module it has worked longer than ever before. According to Ford it has to 'warm up' so to speak and takes about 15 minutes to kick in. Which it does and it has so far. Weird. If I had not bought the extended warranty I would not be pushing so to fix it. I would have bought a Garmin or used my Iphone. I am sure that those who purchased the 2011 without extended warranty either are doing that or traded it in.
Luke, they have done it all. this last time the gps module was replaced again. Counting the original that makes the 4th one. It is really as microsoft issue from what I understand. The APIM wasn't designed to handle all of the info coming into it. I am sure Ford won't do a recall because of the the thousands and thousands of $$$ it would cost and according to statistics there just aren't that many complaints. With this last new module it has worked longer than ever before. According to Ford it has to 'warm up' so to speak and takes about 15 minutes to kick in. Which it does and it has so far. Weird. If I had not bought the extended warranty I would not be pushing so to fix it. I would have bought a Garmin or used my Iphone. I am sure that those who purchased the 2011 without extended warranty either are doing that or traded it in.
If the APIM has been replaced with a current version then I would disagree on it not handling the data coming in. It would be interesting to know the manufacture date of the APIM that is currently installed in the vehicle.
My understanding from reading is that the earlier versions were more troublesome than the later versions. I would think an APIM made in 2010 would have a slower processor than one made in 2014.
I really doubt the GPSM (GPS Module) is to blame. That just sends GPS data to the vehicle. A simple device really.
I am assuming that you are having these issues with no phone paired to it? BT pairing of certain phones have been know to cause issues and overload the system causing it to crash or become almost non responsive.
If the APIM has been replaced with a current version then I would disagree on it not handling the data coming in. It would be interesting to know the manufacture date of the APIM that is currently installed in the vehicle.
My understanding from reading is that the earlier versions were more troublesome than the later versions. I would think an APIM made in 2010 would have a slower processor than one made in 2014.
I really doubt the GPSM (GPS Module) is to blame. That just sends GPS data to the vehicle. A simple device really.
I am assuming that you are having these issues with no phone paired to it? BT pairing of certain phones have been know to cause issues and overload the system causing it to crash or become almost non responsive.
The APIM has been replaced and yes I disconnected my phone to check this aspect. It has been working since last GPS module replacement. It just takes about 10-15 minutes for everything to seem to 'boot up' (for lack of better wording) through APIM. My fingers and toes are crossed that maybe, just maybe, it is fixed. This has been a work in progess since purchase in 2011. The extended warranty runs out in 2016 so I am hoping this is a done deal. I purchased this to be my last vehicle since I am retired. I got all of the bells and whistles on it. So, this makes me wonder if the vehicles with just navigation and none of the extra stuff like bliss and other vehicle electronic safety systems had this problem or just those with all of the systems that have to run through the apim?????????????????/
I have a 2013 explore with navigation that until now has been working flawlessly. However in the last couple months I've noticed that my location on the map screen often is not accurate and is screwing up a lot. In one 58 mile trip going up and down 95 it had me as for office 2 miles off the road. I have reset my unit to factory settings which is what the four tech knowledge he support center advise me to do, and that has not helped. Does anybody have any ideas of what could cause this?
Since the master reset didn't fix this issue, please make an appointment with your dealership to have your GPS module looked at. Let me know how it goes!
I have an Explorer, purchased new in March 2011. I've had this problem since new. I can be in wide open terrain and watch the icon shoot off into a field or down the center of a river. Numerous upgrades under warranty didn't resolve the issue. I wrote a letter to the CEO of Ford and got a response from an assistant who told me to take the vehicle to the dealer again. After 3 days of working on it, they found a communication problem between the GPS module and two other modules. They discovered that the 3 mods were running different versions of the program. Once that was corrected, it worked better but not perfectly. (Thankfully Ford agreed to pay for the dealers work time which I estimate came to about $1800.) today the GPS works OK about 95% of the time.
One trick I found is that when the GPS goes haywire is to pop out the SD card. The screen will show NAV failure. Wait a few moments and push the SD card back in. The NAV will restart after a several seconds and often, will be back on the proper course.
I have a 2015 Explorer. The GPS worked fine for 45,000 miles. Now after it is out of warranty it does the same thing as others have reported. Sometimes it works fine and other times it has me driving in a field, lake or on another road running parallel to my actual position.
Sorry, I meant to say that I have a 2014 Explorer.
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I have a 2015 Explorer. The GPS worked fine for 45,000 miles. Now after it is out of warranty it does the same thing as others have reported. Sometimes it works fine and other times it has me driving in a field, lake or on another road running parallel to my actual position.
