New Sync 3 Version 3.4.22251

[Silver spruce ST]

completely separate issues. chances are you have a 2020? there is a firmware update to the liftgate module that has helped the rear door lock activating the liftgate opening problem.

Yes. I have a 2020 ST. It was working prior to the 22251 update. I guess the tech working on my ST did not know about that software update for the lift gate.

 

[Cdubya]

Yes. I have a 2020 ST. It was working prior to the 22251 update. I guess the tech working on my ST did not know about that software update for the lift gate.

To be clear, your hands free liftgate no longer works? If so, check Sync settings to make sure it's active.

I was referring to random liftgate opening including when you go to lock the car from the rear passenger doors from the outside.

 

[Silver spruce ST]

No. I never had that issue of the random opening of the lift gate. Sink feature is activated. I have had this ST from brand new. I leased it in November 2019 as a 2020 and bought it out at the end of the lease. I think it's all related to the APIM and the 22251 over the air update. I have read from others that issues with their ST started when updated was done. I have escalated issue to FORD EXC. Last time I had and issue with my 2017 Platinum I did same and got results. Lets see what happens now.

 

[Cdubya]

Do you have Forscan? You might want to reset the liftgate module. That happened to me: liftgate would not open from dash button or exterior liftgate. checked fuse. ended up resetting the module and it worked. you may also have some luck unplugging the battery for a few minutes.

 

[Silver spruce ST]

I'll Try the battery, but I fear disconnecting the battery for too long and then have the issues with the car learning my driving again.

 

[jds218]

New here. Any update on the 3.4.22251 crippling issue? Android Auto has been my fall back since May when Ford Sync Support recommended I create the USB stick to do this update to fix the "broken voice command" issue. I brought my 2020 Explorer ST to the dealer, no known fix...opened a Case with Ford Software Support, no known fix...opened a case with Ford Pro Customer Car...no known fix.

 

[Silver spruce ST]

Apim replacement ism the only fix.

 

[hbalek]

Apim replacement ism the only fix.

I asked my service advisor today and he said no fix yet. To make me feel better about my 4 year old, $60K SUV being affected, he said a brand new $110K Lincoln Navigator has worse issues than mine. They can't play any music or use most basic Sync features. So far I guess I'm lucky that most stuff works if I wait a minute or change settings on every startup. Today I had the full map appear TWICE in one day which is so rare! Lately, I see the top half of the map once a week or less.

 

[KegsBdry]

You need to free up enough memory to do a simple downgrade. Sync3updater: MY2020+ cannot reformat or you will brick your APIM. Use Sync3updater to prepare a USB stick for version change.

To free up enough memory, you need to do a hard reset (let it reboot fully) and then two soft resets (allow to reboot after each one. Then immediately put in your downgrade USB stick that you made with Cyanlabs Sync3updater, just like you would if you prepared the USB from Ford. Note: this small freed up memory will fill up again quickly so do not think that alone will be sufficient as a fix.

Cyanlabs Sync3updater has an interrogator function to see if rwdata is full. Run the Sync3updater, go to the tool tab, select the usb drive, install the interrogator on it, put the usb stick into your car, wait for it to install and reboot itself (Sync)
with message that usb stick can be removed, go back to Sync3updater and read the file that is on the USB stick, see what the rwdata line says. If full will say 0M / 1.2G free memory for rwdata. The MR + SR + SR detailed above will free up about 5M. Normally free rwdata: 500-900M.

Tips for Sync3updater:
-never choose to force an install to bypass MY2020+ protection (ie. never choose reformat) if the software pops up with a warning; it means your selections are wrong and you need to fix it.
-never install maps with Sync3updater for a MY2020+, select "keep existing maps"
-for the purposes of the downgrade try 22200 or 21265, selecting app only (deselect the voice and gracenotes packages)
-use a trusted USB stick, preferably with activity LED
-make sure your Sync configuration is correct, ie. North America, navigation, current Sync version (ie 22251).
-if you still do not have enough memory for the downgrade, Sync will report failed install and list "version_err08". Next time: try doing master reset with 3 soft resets then USB stick. if you try to master reset and it hangs, try a couple of soft resets before the master reset.

First off, thank you for putting together. I'm planning on downgrading to build 22200. And I was looking for a detailed step-by-step to follow.

How do you perform a Hard Reset & Soft Reset on the Infotainment system?

UPDATE: found it.

Before performing a SYNC 3 master reset, try a system reset to restore functionality. The system reset does not delete any data you have stored.

Performing a System Reset

1. Press and hold the Seek up and the audio unit Power buttons simultaneously until the screen goes black.
2. Wait for the system reset to complete.
3. Press the audio unit Power button to switch the system on.

If the system reset does not resolve the issue, continue with a master reset.

Performing a Master Reset

On your vehicle's SYNC screen:

1. Select Settings.
2. Choose General.
3. Scroll down and press Master Reset. A message confirming that all system settings will be erased and reset to factory defaults will appear.
4. Press Continue. A "Resetting to factory defaults" message will appear, the system will turn off, and the screen will go blank. It may take a few minutes for the system to reset and resume normal operation.

 

[randyknight]

I had a weird issue with Sync. I had never had any issues with Sync, other than it being a bit slow. I went to the dealer with the 360 camera view being distorted where one camera ends and the next begins. No parking spot lines are even close to lining up. Tech said he reset and reprogramed the APIM but all my saved radio settings and vehicle settings were still there. This made the lines on the 360 camera alot better (for about a week) but opened up all kinds of Sync issues.
when i would start the car the xm radio would go to the xm default channel and i could not change it until i did a soft reset or two. Also the Nav map would only load onto the bottom half of the screen and that would clear up after a soft reset or two. The nav map was also jumpy, like the arrow the represents my ST would jump forward every few seconds instead of smoothly following my location, and it would also constantly adjust the zoom level from near to far.

So i check the version and i was on 3.4 build 11100 which is very strange because like November last year ( or whenever build 22251 came out) i updated to that. The Ford website just said i'm up to date but does not list a build number. Automatic updates over wifi in the car said i'm up to date also. But i have never been able to get it to say i needed an update in the car over wifi, it has always said up to date.
I found my build 22200 zip file from like October last year. So I tried to update via USB again. It failed the update twice Error code VER_ERR08 which according the the vast great interwebs means there's not enough free memory. Found instructions to get around this saying perform a few soft resets and try updating again and if that doesn't work do a master reset and try updating. So i did tree soft resets and attempted updating and it worked. Updated my build to 22200. Wifi and website still says i am up to date today three days later. And my 360 camera view has gotten worse every day and now looks almost as bad as it did before, so all that for nothing.

Sync 3 sucks, its the worst part of this entire vehicle.

 

[hbalek]

I had a weird issue with Sync. I had never had any issues with Sync, other than it being a bit slow. I went to the dealer with the 360 camera view being distorted where one camera ends and the next begins. No parking spot lines are even close to lining up. Tech said he reset and reprogramed the APIM but all my saved radio settings and vehicle settings were still there. This made the lines on the 360 camera alot better (for about a week) but opened up all kinds of Sync issues.
when i would start the car the xm radio would go to the xm default channel and i could not change it until i did a soft reset or two. Also the Nav map would only load onto the bottom half of the screen and that would clear up after a soft reset or two. The nav map was also jumpy, like the arrow the represents my ST would jump forward every few seconds instead of smoothly following my location, and it would also constantly adjust the zoom level from near to far.

So i check the version and i was on 3.4 build 11100 which is very strange because like November last year ( or whenever build 22251 came out) i updated to that. The Ford website just said i'm up to date but does not list a build number. Automatic updates over wifi in the car said i'm up to date also. But i have never been able to get it to say i needed an update in the car over wifi, it has always said up to date.
I found my build 22200 zip file from like October last year. So I tried to update via USB again. It failed the update twice Error code VER_ERR08 which according the the vast great interwebs means there's not enough free memory. Found instructions to get around this saying perform a few soft resets and try updating again and if that doesn't work do a master reset and try updating. So i did tree soft resets and attempted updating and it worked. Updated my build to 22200. Wifi and website still says i am up to date today three days later. And my 360 camera view has gotten worse every day and now looks almost as bad as it did before, so all that for nothing.

Sync 3 sucks, its the worst part of this entire vehicle.

This is the worst it's ever been. I need to get my hands on version 22200 or wait until September and Ford has a new version available online. I had to do 4 soft resets this weekend due to black screen on startup or no audio or both. As for the camera, I decided to quit while ahead last year because after a new backup camera I never get the blue screen anymore. Software updates on the camera have been known to make it operate worse than before the update. So the lines being off is something I have learned to live with. Supposedly a permanent camera fix is around the corner from Ford. I'm not diving into it until I hear it's worked better for other people.

 

[Silver spruce ST]

Hi.All. Well the dealer ordered a new APIM. They spoke with Ford and a tech from Ford had the tech from the dealer perform a few test and they said to replace the APIM. Dealer waiting from APIM to arrive. Let's see what happens. Fingers X...

 

[hbalek]

Hi.All. Well the dealer ordered a new APIM. They spoke with Ford and a tech from Ford had the tech from the dealer perform a few test and they said to replace the APIM. Dealer waiting from APIM to arrive. Let's see what happens. Fingers X...

This was caused by their software so the hardware should be covered under warranty or not. You shouldn't have to pay. I refuse to pay a dime.

 

[Silver spruce ST]

Lets see. I first want my truck fixed. Then I will fight Ford for reimbursement...

 

[Cdubya]

Lets see. I first want my truck fixed. Then I will fight Ford for reimbursement...

So under b2b warranty? Extended warranty? What did they say it would cost you?

The probably for Ford is their standard method for downloading a USB for upgrading Sync is NOT going to work. There is not enough memory for a standard upgrade. This would presumably include the wifi download upgrade as well. They are going to need a way to clear enough memory in the APIM to even do the upgrade.

 

[hbalek]

So under b2b warranty? Extended warranty? What did they say it would cost you?

The probably for Ford is their standard method for downloading a USB for upgrading Sync is NOT going to work. There is not enough memory for a standard upgrade. This would presumably include the wifi download upgrade as well. They are going to need a way to clear enough memory in the APIM to even do the upgrade.

You are right! I have an ESP with $100 deductible but I'm waiting to see what the software fix is. The APIM will run out of memory again if it's the same version of Sync 3 22251 which is what happened in the first place.

 

[Silver spruce ST]

I think they say that when a new software is installed the old one is removed also. If that is the case this new APIM should only come with one software installed. If it all work right with the new S/W I will turnoff auto update to leave it alone. Since any map update etc. won't be needed since one cane use Waze etc....

 

[Cdubya]

The benefit I can see with a new APIM is that it will be newer hardware, likely running the newest firmware. Who knows? Maybe it's the older APIMs that are running into trouble. For MY2020 owners, I know there's at least one firmware update out there. Seems like many of us with problems happen to have MY2020.

 

[Silver spruce ST]

I was told that the firmware being sent out it's like for 2020-2023 and that is the problem, but three are many different stories of what is the real cause, and for that reason I'm hoping that this new Apim fix the problem and no ore updates for me unless the dealer does it and if any issues after they do it the repairs Is on them.

 

[hbalek]

The benefit I can see with a new APIM is that it will be newer hardware, likely running the newest firmware. Who knows? Maybe it's the older APIMs that are running into trouble. For MY2020 owners, I know there's at least one firmware update out there. Seems like many of us with problems happen to have MY2020.

There's an owner here at my dealership with a 2023 Navigation costs $110K and nothing works on his Sync.