Mach-E Sync system reliability difference between two identical Mach-E's

[GarageWarrior2023]

We have 2 Mach-Es, same year same trim level bought very close together. Both 2023's. Both at the same software versions across the board. Everything we do with the cars is identical, down to owning the identical android phones and using android auto. we even swap cars sometimes and the issue follows the Mach-e not the user or phone.

Since we got them, one of them has only needed a hard reset to the Sync system maybe 2 times. the other one is constantly needing the sync system reset at startup. Some days it's so bad that we have to restart the sync system at startup every time we start the car. other days it goes a couple of days.

I find it really interesting that between the two, one is pretty much rock solid while the other one has sync lock up at boot frequently. It's more of an inconvenience than anything and doesn't bother me much since it's easy to reset the system. It could be hit or miss to reproduce at the dealership so I haven't mentioned it to them yet.

My concern is, is this an early warning sign that something on the one unit is corrupt or defective in some way vs the other unit?

Has anyone experienced this issue in a vehicle that did it all the time and had a successful resolution at the dealership? If you did, what did the fix end up being?

Has anyone had this issue and then have something fail completely a while after?

I'm curious if it's worth mentioning to the dealership or not.

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[Snakebitten]

For sure you have a unique "lab" for testing production variations.
It would make more sense to me if one of them (APIM) outright failed on a hardware level than the experience you describe.

I wonder if the current Asbuilt data is identical across both vehicles?

 

[GarageWarrior2023]

For sure you have a unique "lab" for testing production variations.
It would make more sense to me if one of them (APIM) outright failed on a hardware level than the experience you describe.

I wonder if the current Asbuilt data is identical across both vehicles?

I assume the "Asbuilt" data is quite detailed? Is this difficult information to find?

I agree with you, if there is some subtle lesser known variation in them beyond the obvious year, trim levels and software version then it could point in the right direction.

Maybe there's a batch of 23's with a specific batch of boards/chips built in a time frame and they all have constant sync issues vs the other ones. That would be entirely possible and would make a lot of sense.

 

[Snakebitten]

I assume the "Asbuilt" data is quite detailed? Is this difficult information to find?

I agree with you, if there is some subtle lesser known variation in them beyond the obvious year, trim levels and software version then it could point in the right direction.

Maybe there's a batch of 23's with a specific batch of boards/chips built in a time frame and they all have constant sync issues vs the other ones. That would be entirely possible and would make a lot of sense.

With Forscan you could quickly harvest the Asbuilt configuration of both APIM.

They would be basically text-based files that you could line-by-line compare for any value differentiation between the two.

There's even a free download program for loading 2 Asbuilt files and discerning between the two for any differences.

If the APIM has not received any updates in the previous few weeks, the Mach-E will have already communicated at some point with the mothership. (Motorcraft Cloud)
The most recent Asbuilt configuration is stored and can be downloaded without needing Forscan or the car itself at all.

So you would download for each VIN and save the files.

Now you have both APIM configurations right in front of you to leisurely compare while sipping on a glass of sweat tea.

 

[GarageWarrior2023]

With Forscan you could quickly harvest the Asbuilt configuration of both APIM.

They would be basically text-based files that you could line-by-line compare for any value differentiation between the two.

There's even a free download program for loading 2 Asbuilt files and discerning between the two for any differences.

If the APIM has not received any updates in the previous few weeks, the Mach-E will have already communicated at some point with the mothership. (Motorcraft Cloud)
The most recent Asbuilt configuration is stored and can be downloaded without needing Forscan or the car itself at all.

So you would download for each VIN and save the files.

Now you have both APIM configurations right in front of you to leisurely compare while sipping on a glass of sweat tea.

Awesome, thank you.

where do you get the asbuilt program that lets you download them? that sounds like the cleanest route to success.

 

[luckie]

To test and experiment further, maybe delete the phones from both, and make new profiles without phones, reset sync. Will the two now work nearly the same?

 

[GarageWarrior2023]

To test and experiment further, maybe delete the phones from both, and make new profiles without phones, reset sync. Will the two now work nearly the same?

Interesting, I like the logic there. I'd need some time to play with that. But it would certainly be valuable data.

 

[GarageWarrior2023]

comparing the APIM modules side by side they are identical with no differences. For anyone following this thread who is interested in that information. big thanks to @Snakebitten for guiding me through how to do that with the Asbuilt files. SUPER COOL!!!

 

[Snakebitten]

I just wish you would have found some low hanging fruit. It was worth a shot.

Honestly, I would do what @luckie suggested before going down any rabbit hole I suggest. ?

 

[Mach-Lee]

Did somebody look at all the module software versions (everything in the car, not just APIM) to see if they're all identical?

Next thing I would try is a 12V reset on both vehicles.

 

[Snakebitten]

Yes, we loaded the AB file for both VINs in Asbuilt Explorer.
It was remarkable to scroll down through that data-comparison tool and see just how close his 2 cars are to being siamese twins! ?

Especially regarding modules being updated to the same strategy. I fully expected to see one lagging the other, but they were in harmony.

Obviously there are differences in some lines, but those were mostly un-mapped parameters in regards to Forscan documentation. And often were VIN identity type values, which would be individual to every vehicle.

Anyways, nothing obvious stood out.
I'm not an expert, of course, but I definitely would look elsewhere for the issue.

Note that anecdotally, there are lots of combinations of car/smartphone/Bluetooth versions that can behave unpredictably. On the Gen14 F150s it was discovered that putting Sync4 in night mode (dark mode) solved camera freezing and Bluetooth dropped calls for certain folks with certain devices at certain software versions.

I say anecdotal because although the solution was discovered, nobody has access to the code/information necessary to pinpoint why day mode screen setting wasn't stable.

Fascinating stuff to me personally, but obviously irritating to some folks to no end. Kinda like watching the current gnashing of teeth with FordPass V5?

I'm blessed to be an old geezer with a lot longer fuse than I used to have. Lol
I'm thrilled to have lived long enough to get to enjoy this era of automotive products. The envelope is getting pushed at a fever pitch. This stuff would have been science fiction for my grandpa, and my 93 year old dad marvels at what I show him when I get the pleasure of giving him a ride in the Powerboost or the Mach-E.

By the way, I think the OP has been a great sport with the issues he described. I'm hoping everything gets sorted and we all learn something from it.

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