Official Ford Sync3 3.4 Release

[Vlad Soare]

Sure, you can do that, provided the update doesn't take too long. The battery will drain quite fast, and the presence of a tender won't do much of a difference.
A battery charger/tender has just enough power to charge the battery slowly over several hours. It can't sustain any consumers.

 

[19gtaz]

Sure, you can do that, provided the update doesn't take too long. The battery will drain quite fast, and the presence of a tender won't do much of a difference.
A battery charger/tender has just enough power to charge the battery slowly over several hours. It can't sustain any consumers.

It's been a while but I had a larger battery charger on it. I never knew the current draw was so high before. Thanks for the info. I will be better prepared next time, or just go for a drive.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Speaking of wireless updates, I find it utterly laughable that Sync requires an external hotspot to check for updates (and to actually perform them), despite having a 4G modem and a mobile data connection on-board. It is unable to use its own internet connection.

 

[Bullitt0819]

I tried the update the other day, and all seemed to go well but the .xml file wasn't written back to the thumb drive. All I got was a .txt 'logfile' which, of course cannot update Ford's server. Anyone else have this problem?

As for wireless update, I've heard the '19 Bullitt, which I have, did not get the modems (some sort of production glitch, supposedly). I'm actually glad.

 

[shogun32]

Ford IT/software is total amateur hour. GM has their process down cold and it doesn't drain the battery, nor require the car accessory mode to even be on.

 

[Vlad Soare]

I tried the update the other day, and all seemed to go well but the .xml file wasn't written back to the thumb drive. All I got was a .txt 'logfile' which, of course cannot update Ford's server. Anyone else have this problem?

Yes, it happens quite often. Use the attached package to generate the XML. Just unpack it on the thumb drive and use it as if it were an update package.

 

[shogun32]

Yes, it happens quite often. Use the attached package to generate the XML. Just unpack it on the thumb drive and use it as if it were an update package.

You got a source for that file?

 

[Bullitt0819]

Thanks!

Do I need to use this on a 'virgin' USB; i.e. without the update install so SYNC doesn't get confused?

 

[Vlad Soare]

You got a source for that file?

I got it from the Ford Romania website some time ago, though right now I can't seem to find the link because they changed the layout recently.
It's safe, it's an official package.

Do I need to use this on a 'virgin' USB; i.e. without the update install so SYNC doesn't get confused?

Yes, the thumb drive must contain nothing else than this package. Treat is just like a regular update package. All it does is generate the XML, nothing else. It takes just a couple of seconds.

 

[Skye]

@Vlad Soare , @Bikeman315 , @Gregs24 , Thanks for the insight.

Like others, even though I had connected and checked via Wi-Fi, I was being told .21194 was the most current.

I've got a MacBook.

First, I took a USB stick, previously using an AFPS volume, and deleted that; this allowed me to re-format using exFAT and begin the download.

Greatly appreciate the insight on battery drain. If I hadn't read that first, I would have attempted on the tender.

Downloading .23188 now. Intend to start the upgrade process this weekend, before I drive off.

Thanks Again.

 

[Nexus]

I tried the update the other day, and all seemed to go well but the .xml file wasn't written back to the thumb drive. All I got was a .txt 'logfile' which, of course cannot update Ford's server. Anyone else have this problem?

As for wireless update, I've heard the '19 Bullitt, which I have, did not get the modems (some sort of production glitch, supposedly). I'm actually glad.

I've had that happen before too. Probably didn't let it complete and finish. I did it again and it wrote the file.
It will update wirelessly if you have it on your home wireless network and the car is one long enough, but it may take a while as it may not have enough time to download each file and apply the update. I've had it happen once, all other updates I've just done via USB stick.

 

[19gtaz]

I've measured the current draw during a Sync update. It varies between 14 and 17 amps. No battery tender can supply that.

Do you know why Sync would need to draw so much current?
Or what module draws that much?
Why would the car need so much more than a home computer network?

 

[Vlad Soare]

I don't know. That was the total current draw with the accessory power turned on, climate control off, headlights off (though the DRLs were on), audio off, doors closed, and Sync doing its update. Exactly how much of that was due to Sync alone is anyone's guess. Obviously all the other modules - BCM, PCM, IPC, ABS, you name it - were awake, so they must have had a fair share of it. But I have no idea how much that share was.

A home computer uses, I believe, between 150 and 300 watts, depending on load. Let's say 150 W if you're just browsing the internet and not doing anything CPU-extensive. 150 W at 12 V means 12.5 A. So, what I'm seeing in the car isn't actually much more than a home computer, but rather in line with it.

 

[Cathul]

I don't know. That was the total current draw with the accessory power turned on, climate control off, headlights off (though the DRLs were on), audio off, doors closed, and Sync doing its update. Exactly how much of that was due to Sync alone is anyone's guess. Obviously all the other modules - BCM, PCM, IPC, ABS, you name it - were awake, so they must have had a fair share of it. But I have no idea how much that share was.

A home computer uses, I believe, between 150 and 300 watts, depending on load. Let's say 150 W if you're just browsing the internet and not doing anything CPU-extensive. 150 W at 12 V means 12.5 A. So, what I'm seeing in the car isn't actually much more than a home computer, but rather in line with it.

You got 12V at home? Strange, in Germany we get 240V.

 

[Vlad Soare]

230V at home, but that's less relevant in our context, since Sync has to make do with just 12.