Optional Product Improvement Program 21G01 - BlueCruise Programming

[JCHLi]

I think the issue is the updates are becoming longer and more complex. They really need more training for their techs. The one I spoke to about 21P22 insisted they couldn’t just select an update and run it even when I showed him the instructions from for that specifically said to do that.

Maybe, but reading the posts from people who buy an adaptor and a licence, it doesn't sound like rocket science.

If we can learn "righty-tighty lefty-loosy", then "pluggy-chuggy" shouldn't be much more difficult.

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[Gullwingdmc]

Maybe, but reading the posts from people who buy an adaptor and a licence, it doesn't sound like rocket science.

If we can learn "righty-tighty lefty-loosy", then "pluggy-chuggy" shouldn't be much more difficult.

Oh for sure, it sounds like most of the time it’s fairly straightforward.

The perception I got from everyone in the service department at my dealership was that software updates were a waste of their time. Some of these dealerships need to accept that they are part tech support now.

 

[JCHLi]

One thing Ford has done already, is for sync 3, they let you download the update and update it yourself

If they do not want to pay the dealers to do the updates, or if the dealers don't want to do them because they "have enough other work", they could provide owners a free two day pass to do the updates themselves.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

If we can learn "righty-tighty lefty-loosy", then "pluggy-chuggy" shouldn't be much more difficult.

except for those pesky reverse-threaded bolts... ??

 

[ChasingCoral]

Look, I agree with you Ford again missed their goals on BlueCruise. It was a valiant attempt but they failed to deliver to customers. However, you seem to keep moving the goalposts. Let's look at Ford's statements and your claims:

Back on 1/28, Ford sent the dealers a bulletin saying, among other things, "Owners... will start receiving their BlueCruise... in the first quarter of 2022". We've beaten to death a debate over whether a handful of early access participants qualifies as meeting that goal. IMO, it doesn't.

Did owners start receiving them? Yes. We have at least a dozen members here who made it through the upgrade path and are using BlueCruise now.

Did you or I get it? No. However, there is no question that owners started receiving BlueCruise via OTA.

It then said "It is anticipated that the complete dealer bulletin announcing this upcoming action (i.e. 21G01) will be provided to dealers in the first quarter of 2022, once the Ford Power-Up software update is available in the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS)." As we know, the software has been in FDRS for some period, and the letter was sent on the last day of the quarter. Since maybe a person or two could have gotten an update yesterday, that's not in the spirit of meeting any deadline. So that was missed.

R21G013 went out to dealers in Q1. It's here on the Forum.
Did the letter say people will receive it in response to the letter? Nope.

Last, it said "It is anticipated that customer letters will begin in the first quarter of 2022". That's now mid-April. Sure, it said "anticipated". Got it.

Letters began in Q1. I received this on 3/18:

Unfortunately, Ford seems to have had to abandon the execution of this plan. But they sent the letter to all of their EAP customers -- in Q1.


"Owners... will start receiving their BlueCruise... in the first quarter of 2022".

"It is anticipated that the complete dealer bulletin announcing this upcoming action (i.e. 21G01) will be provided to dealers in the first quarter of 2022, once the Ford Power-Up software update is available in the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS)."

"It is anticipated that customer letters will begin in the first quarter of 2022"

Hmmm.

 

[JCHLi]

except for those pesky reverse-threaded bolts... ??

You just need more torque,. hook another wrench to the end and lean into it...

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

One thing Ford has done already, is for sync 3, they let you download the update and update it yourself

If they do not want to pay the dealers to do the updates, or if the dealers don't want to do them because they "have enough other work", they could provide owners a free two day pass to do the updates themselves.

I understand the spirit of this, but it's very important to recognize that the end-owner updates for Sync 3 were for just the APIM... so the ultimate risk was relatively low. A bricked Sync could be solved by you driving the car to the dealer and having them fix it.

Screwing up FDRS is a lot more likely for a "normal person" and has a much greater impact.

 

[RickMachE]

One thing Ford has done already, is for sync 3, they let you download the update and update it yourself

If they do not want to pay the dealers to do the updates, or if the dealers don't want to do them because they "have enough other work", they could provide owners a free two day pass to do the updates themselves.

We need power supplies.

And when we screw the car up and it has to be towed, and ...

This will never happen.

 

[mikeinet]

I understand the spirit of this, but it's very important to recognize that the end-owner updates for Sync 3 were for just the APIM... so the ultimate risk was relatively low. A bricked Sync could be solved by you driving the car to the dealer and having them fix it.

Screwing up FDRS is a lot more likely for a "normal person" and has a much greater impact.

That in and of itself is a software problem though…

if you build proper Error checking, prerequisites checking, proper rollback… your risk really shouldn’t be that high?

heck, even rewrite how fdrs works and
make it so you can install “packages” that bundle each update in the right order… rolls back if it fails… etc

 

[BMT1071]

It's so odd, hearing all the resistance to dealers doing software updates. I think over the past 6 years I've taken the Fiesta and Focus on at least a dozen times for clutch issues, each time (until the last) they happily flashed the software "fix".

There's a world of difference between a quick PCM or TCM update and the slew of modules that need to be updated on our MMEs.

 

[RickMachE]

Look, I agree with you Ford again missed their goals on BlueCruise. It was a valiant attempt but they failed to deliver to customers. However, you seem to keep moving the goalposts. Let's look at your email:


Did owners start receiving them? Yes. We have at least a dozen members here who made it through the upgrade path and are using BlueCruise now.

Did you or I get it? No. However, there is no question that owners started receiving BlueCruise via OTA.



R21G013 went out to dealers in Q1. It's here on the Forum.
Did the letter say people will receive it in response to the letter? Nope.


Letters began in Q1. I received this on 3/18:

Unfortunately, Ford seems to have had to abandon the execution of this plan. But they sent the letter to all of their EAP customers -- in Q1.


"Owners... will start receiving their BlueCruise... in the first quarter of 2022".

"It is anticipated that the complete dealer bulletin announcing this upcoming action (i.e. 21G01) will be provided to dealers in the first quarter of 2022, once the Ford Power-Up software update is available in the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS)."

"It is anticipated that customer letters will begin in the first quarter of 2022"

Hmmm.

You had me at "Look, I agree with you Ford again missed their goals on BlueCruise. It was a valiant attempt but they failed to deliver to customers."

How many got BC? 20? 30? Out of 12 or 15,000. Totally agree - missed their goals. Didn't even get all the early access people. Doesn't even qualify for the below...

The letter referenced was not that email, it's a letter saying you can go to dealers to get them to give you BlueCruise. Uncheck the last box.

Ford needs to step up their game both in OTA updates and in customer communication, otherwise this massive shift to EV is going to be a cluster.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

That in and of itself is a software problem though…

if you build proper Error checking, prerequisites checking, proper rollback… your risk really shouldn’t be that high?

heck, even rewrite how fdrs works and
make it so you can install “packages” that bundle each update in the right order… rolls back if it fails… etc

yet again

I'm sure in the long term, this is where Ford wants to get, but it's not going to happen any time soon.

 

[breeves002]

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.

It's M time up to 8 hours as it says on the labor allowances. More time is allotted for certain scenarios that will cause more time. They will be able to bill up to 8 hours of actual time for this campaign. 90% of dealers will bill all 8 hours even if they took less...thats how it seems to me at least looking at claims. They'll also bill the 0.5 road test time even if they don't road test it.

It even says they'll pay over 8 hours with documentation if there are issues with failures to program, etc...

I am also surprised they allot M time for this including the programming time. I guess it is because you have the bay and computer occupied the entire time.

 

[BMT1071]

Oh for sure, it sounds like most of the time it’s fairly straightforward.

The perception I got from everyone in the service department at my dealership was that software updates were a waste of their time. Some of these dealerships need to accept that they are part tech support now.

The key phrase there is 'most of the time'. It only takes a few glitches that destroy a tech's paycheck to move updates to the absolute bottom of the priority list.

 

[ChasingCoral]

The letter referenced was not that email, it's a letter saying you can go to dealers to get them to give you BlueCruise. Uncheck the last box.

I was responding to what you posted. Let's look at the full text:

CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION
Owners of affected vehicles will be notified via first class mail after dealers have received software installation instructions. It is anticipated that customer letters will begin in the first quarter of 2022. Customers may receive a general notification via mail, email, or FordPass prior to receiving software availability letters.

They may have started sending out the letters via snail mail on or before 3/31. We'll have to wait and see if they arrive and when they were dated/postmarked. That's an unknown, not a miss -- yet.

Customers may receive a general notification via mail, email, or FordPass prior to receiving software availability letters.

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