A Guide to Understanding OTA Updates

[mkhuffman]

Am i doing something wrong?
Should I take it to the dealer (first time since I've taken delivery) and ask for updates to be loaded ?

No.

Yes. But only if your dealer will apply the updates at no cost to you. My dealer has done it for me twice. I have not tried to get the latest yet, however.

Sponsored

 

[Mirak]

Next Month Ill have owned my Mach e for a year.
Where are these so called updates ?
Ive had one in the year Ive owned it.
I have automatic OTA updates set but yet never get any
Frustrating to see posts about people getting updates regularly yet here I sit waiting ?
Am i doing something wrong?
Should I take it to the dealer (first time since I've taken delivery) and ask for updates to be loaded ?

Call Ford Connected Services. Tell them the problem. They’ll probably recommend you go to dealer, and will open a case for you. Give the dealer that case and they’ll definitely give you what updates are available in FDRS, which might get you unstuck on OTAs. We’ll see - I’ve got my appointment on Monday.

 

[CarGuy11]

OTA updates are only downloaded when car is ON and driving correct? Then installed once car is turned OFF?

 

[generaltso]

OTA updates are only downloaded when car is ON and driving correct? Then installed once car is turned OFF?

Not always.

 

[CiCi]

As of 1/24/2022 I’m having trouble with the most recent update. Did anyone else encounter an issue or have any insight, please?

 

[CiCi]

Update I was close to the dealer & on hold w. Ford via phone. I’m going to let them look at it. No need to rack you all’s brains. Thank you for your willingness!

 

[agdad]

After my latest update............I'm pissed !
It wiped everything and all the settings I had saved !
6 lines of sirius XM gone !
and I cant see ANY changes in vehicle performance, charging, or the screen

 

[sibonium]

After my latest update............I'm pissed !
It wiped everything and all the settings I had saved !
6 lines of sirius XM gone !
and I cant see ANY changes in vehicle performance, charging, or the screen

First World problems…must be nice to get updates…!

 

[agdad]

Next Month Ill have owned my Mach e for a year.........this was update #2

 

[Arjan]

Next Month Ill have owned my Mach e for a year.........this was update #2

So that is 100% more updates then i had in a year

 

[FordFamily]

So, i came back from a ski at mid day and turned on the car. I had received multiple OTA updates recently, maybe 3 in the last week. There was the obvious 4.1.2. So, is there such a thing as a manual for this update? Or do we all haveto learn ourselves by trial and error, fumble and stumble?

 

[OldEVGuy]

So, i came back from a ski at mid day and turned on the car. I had received multiple OTA updates recently, maybe 3 in the last week. There was the obvious 4.1.2. So, is there such a thing as a manual for this update? Or do we all haveto learn ourselves by trial and error, fumble and stumble?

Andy did a nice job in this video about the changes in 4.1.2.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...re-update-a-full-tour-of-whats-changed.25219/

 

[Chicago-E]

I know A/C doesn't work very well when it is cold out, but have you tried running it with E-Heat turned on and recirculate turned on? I tried it this week and it did remove fogging even with the temps in the upper 30s F. Of course my fogging is minor compared with yours.

Another forum member posted that recirculate will stay on if you have the climate control set to dash vent only. I confirmed it works and it significantly reduces E-Heat usage. With A/C, E-Heat and recirculate on, and the temp set on 67, I got the same efficiency as I get on the same trip in the summer. Outside temps varied from 36 to 42 on the 145 mile drive. I tried turning off A/C and the windows started fogging. So leaving it on really helps even when cold outside.

this is a nice tip. thanks!

 

[Mr. Mach-E]

There seems to be a lot of confusion around OTA. What updates are out, how they work, and how to know what you have. So I thought I'd make a guide to help clear things up.

1) What do the numbers mean?

Power Ups (OTA updates) are numbered, but the numbers mean nothing. They might as well be named Sharon, Bill, and Tim. They can come in any order and do not (necessarily) depend on each other.

2) Can the updates be installed by the dealer (or FDRS)?

Yes, they are being released via FDRS at the same time they are publicly released on OTA. The caveat here is they're not labeled or organized in the same way as the OTA - they just show as a set of modules needing updates. So if you ask your dealer for PowerUp x.x.x they may not know what you're asking for. Instead ask them to run all of the module updates in FDRS.

3) Can I force an update or get the current status of an update?

No. Unlike app updates, they are not available to go "fetch". We are totally at Ford's mercy here. Even if the update has been publicly "released" they still need to specifically send an update to your car, and it has a limited time window to download and install it.

While there's no OFFICIAL way to get more info about updates, it has been discovered that hidden in the Ford website you can get a bit more detail on the latest update push for your car. The easiest way to access this is via an iOS widget developed by @tonesto7 or an android widget developed by @kennelh and @DevSecOps

4)Automatic Updates vs Update Schedule (Settings found in Sync)
More details on this (courtesy of @Mirak) Can be found here

There are two kinds of updates that can be sent out.
1) Updates that can be installed on the fly while you're driving
2) Updates that require your car to be parked for a while

If you have auto updates turned on it will install "on the fly" updates as soon as it can (probably the next time you drive the car). Scheduling does not apply to these updates.

For updates that require your car to be parked for a while, it will wait until your next scheduled time. If you do not have a schedule set, it will not automatically install. As of power up 2.3.0 there is a button that will allow you to install these updates immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled time.

5) How do I know which updates I have?

There's no good way to tell. If your car has had an update, the most recent one will show under "software updates" on your sync screen. Beyond that, only your dealer can access the update history for your car.

6) What caused my update to fail and how do I fix it?

There are a plethora of reasons an update can fail but here are some of the more common ones I've seen on the forum

• Download failed or interrupted due to weak cell signal or wifi anomalies
• Battery level on car is too low
• Car was not driven enough times during the update window and update timed out
• Ford botched the update and sent out a corrupted file (this has only happened a small number of times, mostly to people in the early access program)

If the update failed there's not much you can do besides making sure your battery is charged and you are driving your car. In most cases your car will automatically try again in the coming days or weeks

7) What updates have been released?
*Updates marked with a star have not been publicly released

For cars built before July 7, 2021:
1.4.0 - Added Securialert
1.6.0 - Nothing you'd notice
1.7.1 - Sync update, added notes
2.1.0 - Nothing you'd notice
2.3.0/2.6.0 - Sync update, added games, update scheduling abilities, and full screen CarPlay
2.4.1/2.7.1 - BlueCruise prep 1/7 - Nothing You'd Notice
2.4.2/2.7.2 - BlueCruise prep 2/7 - Changed brake pedal calibration
2.4.3/2.7.3 - BlueCruise prep 3/7 - Instrument Panel UI update
2.4.4/2.7.4 - BlueCruise prep 4/7 - Instrument Panel again
2.4.5/2.7.5 - BlueCruise prep 5/7 - APIM nothing you'd notice
2.5.1/2.8.1- BlueCruise prep 6/7 - Various driver assist modules
2.5.2/2.8.2 - BlueCruise prep 7/7 - Blue Cruise enabled
2.5.3/2.8.3 - Nothing you'd notice

For cars built after July 7, 2021:
BlueCruise Map update

I have not had an update for months. Still do not have the one with the camera change or Blue Cruise. I would appreciate an update to the above list. Thanks.

 

[buffasnow]

I have not had an update for months. Still do not have the one with the camera change or Blue Cruise. I would appreciate an update to the above list. Thanks.

Not sure if this is helpful to anyone, but I did not receive any updates for about a year on my 21 FE Job 1. I recently took the car in for a couple of CSP/Recalls, and the updates appear to be unstuck. I got Bluecruise last night, tried it out today....works well.

My history:
2.6.0 2/18/22
2.7.1 2/20/22
21P22 (SW calibration/charge curve @ dealer) 3/10/22
~no OTAs for long time
22S41 (BECM update/HVBJB @ dealer) 2/22/23
22B28 (Reprogram HVAC @ dealer) 2/22/23
2.7.3 3/2/23
2.7.4 3/9/23
2.8.1 3/20/23
(no listed number, 22-PU0727-VI-FXB)(Bluecruise) 3/23/23

My belief is that either 22S41 or 22B28 got my OTAs unstuck, and I hope they continue.

Sponsored