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GPS Connection Delays

I woke up late for work this morning and really needed my GPS and traffic information to expedite my trip to work I had the RED X on my GPS logo
The map said I was in the middle of nowhere I have also taken my 2011 explorer it to my dealer and they did a software update but with no help I still have the red x for 15 to 20 min every time I drive my explorer --- What Gives any suggestions ???
 



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I woke up late for work this morning and really needed my GPS and traffic information to expedite my trip to work I had the RED X on my GPS logo
The map said I was in the middle of nowhere I have also taken my 2011 explorer it to my dealer and they did a software update but with no help I still have the red x for 15 to 20 min every time I drive my explorer --- What Gives any suggestions ???
Did you ever have the TSB carried out as mentioned in post 82?

Peter
 






I woke up late for work this morning and really needed my GPS and traffic information to expedite my trip to work I had the RED X on my GPS logo
The map said I was in the middle of nowhere I have also taken my 2011 explorer it to my dealer and they did a software update but with no help I still have the red x for 15 to 20 min every time I drive my explorer --- What Gives any suggestions ???

Can you be more specific about what software update was done? Was it upgrading to SYNC version 3.8 or are you talking about the GPS module?

If you are running 3.8 and they upgraded the GPS module programming then I would say time to start changing out hardware....GPS module first.
 






Hi grimloktt,

What kind of issue are you having with your GPS? Let me know and we'll troubleshoot.

Hello. Thank you for responding. For some reason, I'm not getting notifications upon thread response.

I'm having the same problem many Ford users are experiencing: the GPS doesn't recognize the vehicles location and can't be used to navigate. Sometimes this clears up within a minute/two. Other times it stays off course longer than the actual trip (embarrassing...especially when guests are on board).

I "PAID" to have TSB 12-11-2 completed to no avail. It would be great if Ford offered a good will GPSM replacement--if necessary.

Until then, I simply use my Android phone and explain to riders and anyone interested in buying a Ford why they either shouldn't get a Ford or at the least not buy navigation.

As you can tell, my wife and I are pretty bummed out about this serious flaw...considering the cost we paid for the limited.

I hope you can help!

Thank you!!!
 






Hi grimloktt,

What kind of issue are you having with your GPS? Let me know and we'll troubleshoot.



I'm not sure I have ever seen or heard of that happening before, Jason. Let me know if it happens again.



Hey George!

Please let me know how it goes.



Were you able to show the tech, briteboy?

Rebecca

Rebecca, I am having the same issue and have been for quite some time. Had the dealership perform the TSB under my ESP with $100 deductible and a few months later, it is still happening. Look at the clock to see how long it goes on for... I have seen it take upwards of 20 minutes of driving on clear sunny days.

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I sure hope you have off road tires on your Ex.;)

Peter
 






I see the red "X" which means poor GPS signal. Have they replaced the GPS module yet?

Not yet, I thought the TSB reflash would fix it but clearly hasnt. Will be making an appt for the door recall and requesting they replace the module.

Even removing and reinserting the SD card won't fix it.. just have to wait till it decides to acquire the satelites. Being I have a 2015 F350 with MFT, I have not had this issue which leads me to believe it is the module.

Better not have to battle with Ford over paying another deductible for the same issue that wasn't fixed the 1st time.
 






Not yet, I thought the TSB reflash would fix it but clearly hasnt. Will be making an appt for the door recall and requesting they replace the module.

Even removing and reinserting the SD card won't fix it.. just have to wait till it decides to acquire the satelites. Being I have a 2015 F350 with MFT, I have not had this issue which leads me to believe it is the module.

Better not have to battle with Ford over paying another deductible for the same issue that wasn't fixed the 1st time.

Having the knowledge of the system that I do, that would be my next step...ie replacing the GPS module. If that still doesn't fix it then next would come the APIM. The GPS module sends data over the network to the APIM. Inserting and re-inserting the SD card isn't going to do anything. If the APIM is screwing up the data coming into it, then a master reset may fix this and that would point to the APIM being the culprit. Unfortunately the only way to reset the GPS module is to pull power and the easiest way to do that is the battery but this will also reset the APIM.
 






I sure hope you have off road tires on your Ex.;)

Peter

Yup, and deployed all my airbags to stay afloat while traveling in the river.
 






Until then, I simply use my Android phone and explain to riders and anyone interested in buying a Ford why they either shouldn't get a Ford or at the least not buy navigation.

I specifically don't get Nav on my cars to save money and use Google Maps/Nav. Have the phone on a Panavise mount next to the MFT so I can see it and do voice command for where to go while turn by turn is read over Bluetooth.

Until car makers can do better with Nav (this is just not a Ford problem) this is the only way I will go. When I upgraded to a nice Pioneer touchcreen on my Saab with Bluetooth, USB, DVD, SD, etc. I saved $300 not getting the Nav and do the same in my Saab.
 






Yup, and deployed all my airbags to stay afloat while traveling in the river.

Blwn, I'm glad to see you at least have a sense of humor about this. I was going to say "maybe it's because you're driving through rivers and lakes," but I wasn't sure how you'd take it and didn't want to aggravate you more.

I hope you get your issue fixed and keep your sense of humor.
 






Blwn, I'm glad to see you at least have a sense of humor about this. I was going to say "maybe it's because you're driving through rivers and lakes," but I wasn't sure how you'd take it and didn't want to aggravate you more.

I hope you get your issue fixed and keep your sense of humor.

No reason to get angry over something like this. Being under warranty and expecting issues being the 1st year of a brand new redesign was already preplanned by me. Is it annoying, absolutely but not something that I'll get angry over (unless Ford is going to try to charge me $100 deductible again for an issue that hasn't been resolved from the last repair attempt).

Something like this is a fix that I throw on the back burner.. I won't make an appt just for this but knowing I need an oil change and the door recall, I let things build up and then get them all taken care of at once. :thumbsup:
 






Out of curiosity, blwnsmoke, do you park in a garage at night? I do agree with Jason about your dealership needing to look at other components to diagnose and correct this. Let me know when you make your appointment to get your oil change and everything else taken care of.

Rebecca
 






I have this same problem with my 2012 Ex. It's gotten worse since the last Sync update. Each day when I leave for work or to head to town, it takes AT LEAST 20 minutes to lock onto the satellites. It's the same in the evening when I head home. I park in a garage both at home & at work (parking garage) though that should not make a difference. Once it finds the satellites, it will keep them as long as I park outside. It is very frustrating. I have to make an appointment with the service department for an oil leak & I'd like to have them check the GPS as well. Is there anything specific I can mention to point them toward the likely problem?
 












I decided to write this up...going to see if I can make this a sticky:

MyFord Touch Navigation Issues (tracking and no GPS Lock)


The Navigation System in the MyFord Touch (MFT) models has two integral parts. First is the GPSM (Global Positioning System Module) which is a GPS receiver. This is mounted just under the dash pad above the right side of the instrument cluster. The other part of the system is the APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module) also known as the SYNC module which is attached to the rear of the MFT display.

The GPSM receives signals from the GPS satellites and then transmits that data over the vehicle network to the APIM. The APIM then uses this GPS data to “know” the location of the vehicle. Depending on other circumstances the APIM may also use data from other modules within the vehicle network.

It is important that both the GPSM and APIM have the most up to date software. Unfortunately it is not possible for the vehicle owner to determine the software level in the GPSM. The only way to know if an update is available for the GPSM is to go to the dealer or someone with the dealer vehicle software known as IDS and have them hook up to the vehicle and check for software updates.

As of writing this information (12-02-15) the APIM should have a software version of 3.08.15128. To check your version check the end of this post. If you are not at 3.08.15128 please visit the www.owner.ford.com or www.syncmyride.com site and register your vehicle and download the latest update and install it.

Some owners have reported that the vehicle location is not properly being displayed. At this point it is very important to make sure both GPSM and APIM have the latest software. If you see a red “X” on the GPS icon then the GPSM does not have enough satellites registered to track the vehicle location. I am going to attempt to describe the listed service procedure for this issue. The list is for if each item passes. If a check fails it goes into detail on how to correct the issue. Strangely the first step is not ensuring that the GPS and APIM have the latest software version. THIS SHOULD BE THE FIRST THING CHECKED BY A SERVICE TECH IN MY OPINION.

- Service tech is to run a network test for the APIM
- If it passes then check for power at the USB port in the media hub
- If it passes then reset the APIM and test for audio output at the media hub USB. (don’t have a clue why that would affect anything)
- Check if system displays Insert NAV SD Card or NAV SD Card Fault.
- If everything passes then checks move to the GPSM
- Perform network test for GPSM
- Check for DTCs (diagnostic trouble codes) related to GPSM and APIM
- Force reprogramming of APIM
- If system still fails to have a GPS signal or track the vehicle properly continue with troubleshooting
- Check GPSM connections for corrosion or damaged connectors
- If issue(s) still persist check for TSB (that would be checking for latest software which should have already been done)
- INSTALL NEW GPSM AT THIS POINT.
- If issue still persists then check the APIM connections for corrosion, bent pins, etc. Then conduct full APIM testing via APIM hardware test. This should indicate if the APIM is bad.

The above is summarized for easy of understanding (hopefully). So basically (and this is my opinion) the dealer should be making sure that both the APIM and GPSM have the latest software FIRST. If the issue remains, troubleshoot the GPSM and replace if no obvious physical damage is visible to the terminal connections (which there really shouldn’t be). If that is replaced and issue(s) still persist with satellite lock/vehicle tracking then APIM testing should be conducted and ultimately replaced.

I hope this helps some owners understand how the system works and what their service department should be doing.

To check your version of APIM:
Press the “gears” for settings screen, then press HELP, then PRESS SYSTEM INFORMATION

Also you can enter the Diagnostics for MFT. With the vehicle running press and hold the CD eject button and then press and hold the seek up button on the stereo control panel. Continue to do this for 3-5 seconds and the bezel diagnostics will come up...it may do a speaker test first. Then press "APIM DIAGNOSTICS' followed by "GPS INFORMATION" at which point the GPS screen will come up and show how many satellites it is tracking along with other useful info such as lat/long/altitude and speed and direction.
 

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Out of curiosity, blwnsmoke, do you park in a garage at night? I do agree with Jason about your dealership needing to look at other components to diagnose and correct this. Let me know when you make your appointment to get your oil change and everything else taken care of.

Rebecca


Sorry for the delay in response. Yes the Explorer is garaged and I understand because it is in a garage that it could take a little time to lock on since it potentially can't see the satellites in the garage.

However, it should not take 20 minutes to find them, especially on the open and clear roads that I posted pictures of. Also, I have a 2015 F350 Platinum that is garaged right next to the Explorer and I have never had an issue with it not finding gps immediately.

We have had it the Explorer since new and have always been at this house so I know that it is not normal how it decides to behave every once in a while. Heck, I was in Boston MA outside driving down one of the widest most traveled highways and I had no GPS driving in the ocean lol.

I'll be setting up an appointment soon.. just have to make the time to get it to the dealer. As stated earlier, this isn't a major issue so I've just been delaying and delaying (yes, my fault) but will get it there soon.

Thanks for reaching out.
 



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Hey, HDJulie! Tell them exactly what you said in your post and they'll be able to go from there. Let me know what they say. Rebecca

The day after I posted, the GPS connection went back to "normal" - connected after about 4 minutes - so I didn't mention it when I took the car for service. I've traded it in on a 2016 Platinum but haven't driven anywhere yet so I don't know yet if it will have a similar connection time.
 






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