Update to Sync3 v3.0 worth it or not?

[Grimmer]

Since I have already spent way too much time reading and searching through 130 pages of Installation Issues, I though I would start a separate topic about what changed and whether or not the update should be avoided.

The change log on owner.ford.com is very vague. So for those of you that have successfully installed and have had some time to play with the new version 3.0...

Anything noticeably different / better / worse?

Any known issues / errors that might warrant passing up this update?

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[Aubrey]

Worth it, but no major improvements or problems so far.

 

[TorqueMan]

Since I have already spent way too much time reading and searching through 130 pages of Installation Issues, I though I would start a separate topic about what changed and whether or not the update should be avoided.

The change log on owner.ford.com is very vague. So for those of you that have successfully installed and have had some time to play with the new version 3.0...

Anything noticeably different / better / worse?

Any known issues / errors that might warrant passing up this update?

I asked this question on one of those 130 pages and I got crickets. I've heard rumors that suggested the update is supposed to make the system more responsive (quicker?), but the same was said of the 2.3 update. I DID notice an improvement with the 2.3 update, but I haven't noticed any improvement with 3.0. Some problems I've noted are issues with Android Auto, sound porting, and a persistent "updating file" notification:

AA sometimes fails to connect when I plug in the phone. This has happened both when I plug in the phone after Sync 3 is booted and running, and when I plug the phone in before starting the vehicle. The only way to fix is to unplug the phone, then replug it. I've never had to do this more than once.

Sometimes Sync 3 ports phone calls through my phone instead of the through the sound system. It's only ever happened while I was running AA with the phone plugged into the USB port, so I don't know if it's related to AA.

I was getting the "You can update Sync with over WiFi" notification because I hadn't gotten around to connecting my car to my home WiFi, so after driving back to work from my lunch break one day earlier this week I set up a hotspot on my phone and connected Sync to it. When I clicked "Scan for updates now" I got a notice that Sync was downloading a file. Huh? I had just updated to 3.0, so I wasn't expecting that. Here's the notification:

That filename is one of the files included with the Sync 3 3.0 update (although it may be the same filename used for all Sync 3 version updates). I didn't want to use up a bunch of data on my phone, so I shut down the WiFi hotspot to stop the file transfer. The next day I connected my car to my home WiFi and did the "Scan" thing again. I got the same notification that the system was downloading a file. I let it sit and checked it later. The car had shut down the system by then, so I turned everything back on. I got no notification that the system had been updated, so I did the "Scan" thing again.

At first, I got a notice that I couldn't download unless connected to a WiFi source, so I checked to make sure the system hadn't "forgotten" my WiFi connect info. It was still on the list as available, and when I clicked it I was connected. This suggests to me that Sync 3 was not connected to my WiFi while the system was shut down. As I understand it, the system is supposed to remain connected to WiFi when the car isn't running so it updates "in the background." Regardless, I went back to the System Software screen and clicked "Scan." I got the same notification that the system was downloading a file, so I let it go again. I never saw any change to the progress bar on any of these attempts, so I have no idea if any data was actually downloaded.

This time it sat overnight. When I started the system I got no indication the system had been updated. I made sure I was connected to my home WiFi, then did the "Scan" thing. This time I got the rotating circles, which to me suggests it was trying to connect to the server. I waited several minutes, but got bupkus, and I had to head off to work. I'll check again later today to see if I'm getting the same issue. It makes no sense to me unless Ford is sending out an update to 3.0.

 

[SpArKy]

i've also noticed that Android Auto doesn't always connect first time. you have to unplug and re-plug in. really annoying and never happened on the old one.

I also feel like it's less responsive. might be in my head though

 

[TorqueMan]

i've also noticed that Android Auto doesn't always connect first time. you have to unplug and re-plug in. really annoying and never happened on the old one.

I also feel like it's less responsive. might be in my head though

Just out of curiosity, what kind of phone are you using? I've got the LG V30. According to Ford, my phone is fully compatible except for basic AppLink:

https://owner.ford.com/how-tos/sync...r=2017&model=Mustang&syncGen=sync3&country=us

 

[SpArKy]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of phone are you using? I've got the LG V30. According to Ford, my phone is fully compatible except for basic AppLink:

https://owner.ford.com/how-tos/sync...r=2017&model=Mustang&syncGen=sync3&country=us

Samsung S8. worked perfectly before. i find simply unplugging the phone side doesn't always fix it, what always works is unplugging the USB connected to the car and reconnecting it.

 

[TorqueMan]

Samsung S8. worked perfectly before. i find simply unplugging the phone side doesn't always fix it, what always works is unplugging the USB connected to the car and reconnecting it.

Hmmm. I've only ever unplugged the cable from the car, I've never tried unplugging the phone (I put the phone away since I'm using AA, so it's easier to get to the plug in the console). I'll give that a try to see if I get the same issue.

I had an S8 up until a couple of months ago. It worked fine with V2.3.

 

[SpArKy]

Hmmm. I've only ever unplugged the cable from the car, I've never tried unplugging the phone (I put the phone away since I'm using AA, so it's easier to get to the plug in the console). I'll give that a try to see if I get the same issue.

I had an S8 up until a couple of months ago. It worked fine with V2.3.

out of my curiosity this time, where do you put the phone? is it not just in the armrest box next to the socket?

 

[TorqueMan]

out of my curiosity this time, where do you put the phone? is it not just in the armrest box next to the socket?

Sometimes there, sometimes in the passenger seat, sometimes into the seat gap pouch (handy!) I bought. To unplug and replug the phone, however, I need two hands. I can unplug/replug the cable with one hand.

 

[Grimmer]

I asked this question on one of those 130 pages and I got crickets. ...

TorqueMan, thanks for your insight (I truncated your quote so that it wouldn't make the page a mile long).

My car hasn't seemed to catch the OTA update yet, although it has updated the "last checked in date" on owner.ford.com

Perhaps I will turn off the automatic update option for the time being.

 

[Grimmer]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of phone are you using? I've got the LG V30. According to Ford, my phone is fully compatible except for basic AppLink:

https://owner.ford.com/how-tos/sync...r=2017&model=Mustang&syncGen=sync3&country=us

I've wondered about that list of compatible devices... I assume that the enhanced includes the basic and that both don't need to be checked.

However, that list doesn't give me any love. I am using the Galaxy S7 Active, which doesn't show either of the Applink compatibility levels. However, the base S7 and the S7 Edge both do, as well as all the Galaxy series before and after. I assume that this is just an oversight since the S7 was an exclusive offering and difficult to get. I don't think there are many software or hardware differences. The Active primarily has an all aluminum case and nearly double the battery capacity.

My connectivity has been a bit hit or miss. I think when the car was new that my USB hub was defective. It would connect, then start to transfer/scan, the disconnect, then reconnect / rinse / repeat with each round only lasting a few seconds. Thought it was my cable, but didn't matter which I used. The dealership found error codes and replaced my head unit, but the problem persisted. It wasn't until they announced the update to Sync 3 that incorporated compatibility with Android Auto & Car Play that I looked at replacing the USB hub (didn't realize it was a separate part and though it was integrated into the head unit). The dealerships all told me that the new USB hub is not a replacement part but an upgrade part so if they repaired it a new copy of the old unit would be installed, so I just ordered the new unit and installed it myself. Then my phone would connect (for the most part) but I quickly realized that Android Auto is basically useless and overly invasive. It only worked a few times, then it would hit the AA splash screen and then crash - returning my in vehicle console to the Sync 3 screen.

Maybe my device is legitimately "not compatible"...?

 

[TorqueMan]

Well now, that's interesting. I tried scanning for updates again today, but never got past the spinning circles. However, I just checked at owner.ford.com and the site says the latest update for my car was installed yesterday. So, the system did, in fact, download and install something, I just have no idea what it was. All the numbers on the current version page are the same as before (same Sync version, same Gracenotes version, same map version), so I'm stumped.

I'll make a further report on system operation after a few days. Perhaps Ford sent out a bug fix to address the issues I've been having.

 

[Grimmer]

That same thing has happened to me before and is happening now. When I last updated my firmware via USB, it routinely failed to report through owner.ford.com that the installation was successful. When I spoke with them they said to just connect it to wifi and select automatic updates and it would report through the air that the install succeeded. Which is exactly what happened. I also asked about the mismatch between the "last checked" date in the car, the last "install" date on owner.ford.com date, and the actual installation date mismatch. She said that the date on owner.ford.com was just the last date that the car reported in via wifi. Nothing was actually installed on the date on owner.ford.com... In fact my date on owner.ford.com recently updated to a few days ago, but my firmware is still clearly on 2.3.

If I decide to update to 3.0, I'll probably just do it manually via USB so I know for sure that it has completed.

 

[TorqueMan]

She said that the date on owner.ford.com was just the last date that the car reported in via wifi.

Ah. Good to know. Then i still have no idea what the system was trying to download.

 

[Grimmer]

Maybe it is just confused... Maybe a new fix... Have you verified the build number?

My money is on confused and trying to download the same update you already did.

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