Sound/Speaker Problem

[tjfuller15]

I’m really terrible at describing the sound change that keeps happening in my MME. The dealer came and picked it up and supposedly couldn’t replicate what I was describing (or didn’t understand what I was describing).
So every time I drive my car, the sound changes. Like the sounds when pressing anything on the screen and the start/turn off sounds. My understanding is that sometimes the sounds will revert to the older Ford tones, which ok. But this is every time I drive for a little while. I’ll drive, park, go inside a store, drive again, and lo and behold the sounds change. Upon the tones changing, my music coming from the speakers also sounds feedback/staticky/low quality/gritty. This is whether I’m using CarPlay, music from Bluetooth connected to my phone or just the radio. I tried to isolate the sound at different parts of the car, thinking maybe it was a blown speaker. I found that the front middle speaker and the back passenger speaker were the weird ones. But that’s only sometimes not all the time so I don’t think it’s a blown speaker. I’ve tried it in stereo and surround and still have the same problem. It also seems like the sound is only coming from the front or just very low in the back.
Anyone else experiencing this? If so, anyone know the exact problem/solution?

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[Mach1E]

Sounds like a bug.

Only solution is to take it to the dealer to squish it.**


**That means have them update all available software.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I’m really terrible at describing the sound change that keeps happening in my MME. The dealer came and picked it up and supposedly couldn’t replicate what I was describing (or didn’t understand what I was describing).
So every time I drive my car, the sound changes. Like the sounds when pressing anything on the screen and the start/turn off sounds. My understanding is that sometimes the sounds will revert to the older Ford tones, which ok. But this is every time I drive for a little while. I’ll drive, park, go inside a store, drive again, and lo and behold the sounds change. Upon the tones changing, my music coming from the speakers also sounds feedback/staticky/low quality/gritty. This is whether I’m using CarPlay, music from Bluetooth connected to my phone or just the radio. I tried to isolate the sound at different parts of the car, thinking maybe it was a blown speaker. I found that the front middle speaker and the back passenger speaker were the weird ones. But that’s only sometimes not all the time so I don’t think it’s a blown speaker. I’ve tried it in stereo and surround and still have the same problem. It also seems like the sound is only coming from the front or just very low in the back.
Anyone else experiencing this? If so, anyone know the exact problem/solution?

Good morning! I would be glad to help you out with your Mach-E sound issues. Just shoot us a direct message with your VIN and dealer name/location, and I'll get right on it. Thank you!

 

[Kmp14]

Throwing a theory out there: When the sound is low quality, change the volume and check what you see on screen as far as what volume is changing. Does the screen say you are changing the "Prompt Volume"? My theory is that your sound is getting stuck in voice prompt mode. Just something to try.

 

[Scooby24]

The sound can be wonky if you're low on 12v battery and after driving, turning off and back on when 12v SoC is back up it starts playing the tones through the speakers again versus the dash module.

 

[tjfuller15]

Update:
So the dealer had my car for a week and couldn’t replicate the problem. I’m thinking they didn’t understand the problem. Pretty sure they think I’m a ?After picking her up, I drove about 20 minutes and the problem started to occur again… sigh. I’m attaching a few videos I took.
Can anyone tell me if they hear a difference from their normal tones? It’s been happening for so long I can’t even remember what the normal tones sound like lol (just me being dramatic). One video is just the tones from touching the screen. The other is when the front sensor detects I’m too close to something. And the last video is of the radio (don’t judge my music choices). It was hard to get the music being funky but it’s really obvious when listening to podcasts (I’ll try to get a video of that eventually).
I thought it might be some type of interference from my dropped-too-many-times iPhone 11 but I’ve tried driving with my phone completely off and it still happens.
It really started happening after I got a bunch of updates around December 2022/January 2023.
I’ll probably take her to a different nearby dealer.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Have you tried rebooting Sync (volume down + Next Track buttons at the same time)? As @Scooby24 said it could also be a low 12V battery issue. Do you have anything like an always-on dash cam or other security device in your car? ?‍?

 

[tjfuller15]

Have you tried rebooting Sync (volume down + Next Track buttons at the same time)? As @Scooby24 said it could also be a low 12V battery issue. Do you have anything like an always-on dash cam or other security device in your car? ?‍?

I’ve tried the reboot, that didn’t work. I haven’t been getting the 12v warnings. I bought a battery voltage reader (though it was cheap off of Amazon so I don’t know how accurate it is) and it’s reading normal. I have a dashcam but it’s always unplugged. I only use it on road-trips really and I haven’t been on one since January. So ??‍. I plug her in to charge, with the Ford charger that came with the car, after work and unplug when I leave in the morning so I’m always at a 70-85% charge (which I don’t think actually charges the 12v though??). I also precondition.

 

[Mach1E]

Update:
So the dealer had my car for a week and couldn’t replicate the problem. I’m thinking they didn’t understand the problem. Pretty sure they think I’m a ?After picking her up, I drove about 20 minutes and the problem started to occur again… sigh. I’m attaching a few videos I took.
Can anyone tell me if they hear a difference from their normal tones? It’s been happening for so long I can’t even remember what the normal tones sound like lol (just me being dramatic). One video is just the tones from touching the screen. The other is when the front sensor detects I’m too close to something. And the last video is of the radio (don’t judge my music choices). It was hard to get the music being funky but it’s really obvious when listening to podcasts (I’ll try to get a video of that eventually).
I thought it might be some type of interference from my dropped-too-many-times iPhone 11 but I’ve tried driving with my phone completely off and it still happens.
It really started happening after I got a bunch of updates around December 2022/January 2023.
I’ll probably take her to a different nearby dealer.

Did you show the dealer the videos?

Whenever my car acts up, I take a pic or video so the dealer doesn’t have to replicate it.

Have them update every available software module. I did that and they squished many of the bugs I was having.

 

[tjfuller15]

Did you show the dealer the videos?

Whenever my car acts up, I take a pic or video so the dealer doesn’t have to replicate it.

Have them update every available software module. I did that and they squished many of the bugs I was having.

I showed them the video of the tones while touching the screen. They said there were no errors showing and no updates available. But I swear it’s getting worse. The sound was terrible the entire 40 min. drive from work today. Usually it would be normal for a while and then terrible. If I have music playing through CarPlay or Bluetooth and have the setting screen open, then switch back to say CarPlay or the Home Screen, it makes some weird noise like it’s freezing up. I’m taking it back in tomorrow and showing them all of my videos! It’s driving my ears crazy. But it seems like the wonky sound is coming from the very front middle speaker like near the windshield and the back ones too. I just ended up making the audio come from the left side only. I’m worried that if it is 12v battery issue, like some others suggested, I’m going to get stranded somewhere.

 

[Mach1E]

I showed them the video of the tones while touching the screen. They said there were no errors showing and no updates available. But I swear it’s getting worse. The sound was terrible the entire 40 min. drive from work today. Usually it would be normal for a while and then terrible. If I have music playing through CarPlay or Bluetooth and have the setting screen open, then switch back to say CarPlay or the Home Screen, it makes some weird noise like it’s freezing up. I’m taking it back in tomorrow and showing them all of my videos! It’s driving my ears crazy. But it seems like the wonky sound is coming from the very front middle speaker like near the windshield and the back ones too. I just ended up making the audio come from the left side only. I’m worried that if it is 12v battery issue, like some others suggested, I’m going to get stranded somewhere.

Temporary workaround may be to put the stereo in “stereo” mode instead of “surround.”

 

[tjfuller15]

Temporary workaround may be to put the stereo in “stereo” mode instead of “surround.”

Unfortunately, it’s bad in both stereo and surround.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Your DSP module (audio amplifier) probably needs an update or reset. Disconnecting the 12V negative cable for 10 min to reset it is another workaround.

 

[mkhuffman]

Does the problem occur if you never connect your phone and just listen to FM radio? If the dealer isn't connecting a phone, maybe that is why they can't replicate it?

 

[tjfuller15]

Does the problem occur if you never connect your phone and just listen to FM radio? If the dealer isn't connecting a phone, maybe that is why they can't replicate it?

Yes. I deleted my phone fully and had it completely turned off and it still happened. Took her back in this morning so we’ll see.

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