Optional Product Improvement Program 21G01 - BlueCruise Programming

[RickMachE]

At some point dealers will need to accept that software updates are the new oil change, and just as important.

I actually had a discussion about this with my dealer (GM). I pointed out that a tech could sit in a bay on a given day and apply updates to the "technology-advanced customers (i.e. geeks)" and charge a reasonable rate to do so, making money for himself and making the technogeeks happy. The feedback I got is that they are not lacking for work, and this isn't under consideration.

We also talked about a tech on wheels to go to the customer and do such things. They've discussed it, and decided that too many repairs would require parts not in a van, and the cost to run one would not be worth it.

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[Texas-E]

I've used FDRS a number of times, but I'm not sure what they are talking about with this statement in the update procedure. Does anyone have a pointer on how to do the hard reset of the module?

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

I'm going to assume that you/her already know this and have tried, but just in case ... I was also a bit unenthusiastic the first few times I tried lane centering and the Mach E decided it REALLY wanted to hug the line ...


When lane centering is active, take control of the steering wheel and force the Mach E to your preferred portion of the lane, and hold it there for a couple / few seconds. The Mach E will "learn" that position and stick to it. I frequently do this and it has thus far worked flawlessly.

This hint was posted in this forum a long time ago, but I'm a tad to lazy to find it and credit the original author. Apologies if you already knew this, but nonetheless bares repeating for the newbies.

I remember that post as well. If the car remembered her definition of “center” we might have a winner. But the fact that each key-cycle requires retraining makes that a no-go for her. Also there’s the fact that the car doesn’t know the center should be toward the right, unless there is a car to the right, in which case it should be toward the left. And if there’s a cyclist on the right, then it should be WAY left. And of there’s an Amish on the right then the car should straddle the center line.
This is the same woman who will spend days complaining that swiping left on an email in her phone will delete the email, while swiping left on an email on her iPad only archives it. WEEKS even. Rather than the 3 minutes it would take to look at settings and change them.

 

[ChasingCoral]

This is a good move from Ford to get more cars done while they sort out OTA. Until yesterday the other threads were just asking for such an option.

Actually, Ford announced a couple of months ago that this would be an option by the end of Q1. They made that deadline at least.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I mean if it wasn’t for the incredibly slow OBD2 port that would be a great service. Roll it in to Ford’s fast lane services.

Remember that some modules can be programmed via ethernet through the USB ports.

 

[RickMachE]

This is the same woman who will spend days complaining that swiping left on an email in her phone will delete the email, while swiping left on an email on her iPad only archives it. WEEKS even. Rather than the 3 minutes it would take to look at settings and change them.

I was thinking you were married to my wife...

I get technology "observations" daily. Many are items we reviewed recently. She still works at understanding that the phone, tablet, and computer all access the same email cloud, so what's on one is on all. She constantly tries to prove me wrong on that.

The other day a call came in from PECO, the electric utility in Pennsylvania. We haven't lived in PA in 15 years, but she answered the call thinking it could be legit.

Much of her work over the past decades involved some technology, and I was the IT department.

I have stated publicly for all to hear that I will not survive retirement, because I will likely have to take my own life vs. provide technical support to her into our later years.

 

[RickMachE]

Actually, Ford announced a couple of months ago that this would be an option by the end of Q1. They made that deadline at least.

Sending a dealer letter out on the deadline date is not making a deadline. Besides the 1 or 2 people who read this forum and called the dealership to get the updates done, nobody took advantage of this. And I suspect not a single vehicle had any updates completed yesterday.

 

[Blue highway]

Same. Communication has been hit or miss. I guess if they can't get communication right I shouldn't expect then to get OTAs right.

hit or miss? I've received no communication from Ford at all... What hits?

 

[Mr67gta]

Shame, it's probably the easiest 8 hours of paid labor from Ford they will ever get, just need a tech to click buttons every so often. For the IPMA update they can click start and go work on another car for several hours until it's done. Talk about easy money.

Ford isn't going to pay 8 hrs labor to perform these operations. The tech will get 2 or 3 tenths of an hour for each step in the procedure. Ford expects them to do something else while modules update. Probably pays less than 2 hrs. I know, I was a Ford tech for 35 years.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Sending a dealer letter out on the deadline date is not making a deadline. Besides the 1 or 2 people who read this forum and called the dealership to get the updates done, nobody took advantage of this. And I suspect not a single vehicle had any updates completed yesterday.

I only said they made the deadline of it being available in Q1, not that everyone had it in their cars.

 

[RickMachE]

I only said they made the deadline of it being available in Q1, not that everyone had it in their cars.

But no one had it in their cars on 3/31. Sending a letter isn't making a deadline.

 

[generaltso]

But no one had it in their cars on 3/31.

Not exactly no one.

 

[ChasingCoral]

But no one had it in their cars on 3/31. Sending a letter isn't making a deadline.

What was Ford's actual claim (in their words, not your recollection)?

 

[RickMachE]

Not exactly no one.

No one had it in their cars put in by a dealer that got a letter that told them they could update cars.

 

[generaltso]

No one had it in their cars put in by a dealer that got a letter that told them they could update cars.

You're going to drive yourself insane with this. Fine, they missed the deadline and are giving a free year as an apology. You can get it now, so go get it.

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