Lightning Software Updates using FDRS

[USA414]

So I'm looking at your updates ...
On October 1, I see no issues at the end except you did the ACM and RFA updates many of us have done. They don't actually update on your truck as it only takes 2 minutes per udate and then afterwards you run Programmable Module Installation. Just curious, but why did you run this? That isn't needed for software updates. You then run 360 Degree Camera Alignment which is another thing not needed for software updates. You then run the 360 Degree Camera Alignment thing another two times on October 2nd.. It looks like most of your problems are repeated running of these alignments.

Then today you didn't actually update anything but ran the PMI program multiple times and the IPMA programs (like configuration and data collector) but not the update ones.
Then Rugedraw looked at your truck through PTS
and after he did you are just running alignment programs again.


Here's the part I don't know about, but may be your issue- I know some camera alignments require either A. driving or B. using special symbols and colors placed around the truck. I think you may have gotten yourself into an issue by not following those steps and then just repeatedly running alignment programs.
Can someone else more knowledgable then me, confirm or refute that you need special tools to do the alignments?



It looks like you could have just cleared your DTC's in FDRS and your truck would have been fine with what you were doing up to October 1. My steps whenever my truck runs out of juice during an update (doesn't really happen anymore since I've spent money on tenders), are to just click retry after charging the LVB to 100% and then just clearing all the DTCs in FDRS when done.

As far as I can tell all of your updates have gone through successfully and all errors are because of the alignment programs you keep running.

The only updates you should run again are the RFA and ACM updates as the completed to quickly.. They won't clear when done, but the RFA should take 30 minutes to complete. That's how you know it worked.

I've been trying to run the IPMA PMI following the attempted update on 9/27 because of the power steering and lane centering issues I mentioned in my last post, but also was trying to fix the black box issue on my 360 camera since the IPMA update. In my mind, and from what I've read here and in the Mach E forums, it was all somehow related. I could be wrong, but that was my feeling.

In either case, I can't seem to align the IPMA system via road test as I tried twice today, and even after several reboots of my laptop, FDRS still refuses to perform a PMI on the IPMA which has me concerned and left with a stuck fault code. You are in fact correct, I very much feel like I unintentionally created this problem for myself. I 100% take responsibility for it, I'm just trying to determine if there's any way I can fix this without a visit to the dealer.

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[ChrisCon]

I've been trying to run the IPMA PMI following the attempted update on 9/27 because of the power steering and lane centering issues I mentioned in my last post, but also was trying to fix the black box issue on my 360 camera since the IPMA update. In my mind, and from what I've read here and in the Mach E forums, it was all somehow related. I could be wrong, but that was my feeling.

In either case, I can't seem to align the IPMA system via road test as I tried twice today, and even after several reboots of my laptop, FDRS still refuses to perform a PMI on the IPMA which has me concerned and left with a stuck fault code. You are in fact correct, I very much feel like I unintentionally created this problem for myself. I 100% take responsibility for it, I'm just trying to determine if there's any way I can fix this without a visit to the dealer.

Ok PMing you with an idea.

 

[ChrisCon]

Today I ran the TRM update.. It took two minutes and was uneventful. It cleared
I also ran the unclearable ACM update-- It ran for 2 minutes as well and said successful. Does not clear.
Finally I ran the RFA update-- It took 30+ minutes and seemed to do the same things updating that it's done in the past (this update is really hard on the LVB by the way) and updated successfully. It does not clear stll in FDRS.

 

[shelnian]

I got those times from @Mike G who looked up my VIN on FDRS after the tech left. I think it would be cool if all you Mongeese folks (and the one China VCM clone) start posting your FDRS session logs with times.

Fyi the tech told me he did the APIM and FHCM but he didn’t. I’ve decided to get in the loaner queue and do them myself.

Are you interested in which one to buy in the future? Update times depend on a lot of factors (computer speed, Wi-Fi speed (for USB downloads), USB device being used, If you watch the progress full time, if you clear DTCs & retest after every module update, etc.). I chose the Chinese VCM2 clone because it's as fast or faster then the Mongoose (based on my memory) but cost $375 less than the Mongoose. The only issue I've had was the first USB thumb drive I tried wouldn't work so went to a micro SD Card to USB drive. I use a 50A power supply set to around 13.7V and the highest current draw I saw was around 45A. After all the updates, FDRS indicated my LVB was at 13.3V compared to 13.4V when I started. Can't remember the number of modules, but it was quite a few.

 

[Robob]

Don't fret too much over the USB flash stick or hard drive. Looking at the specs of the CPU/SOC used in the Sync 4 system it looks like the actual hardware controller itself is only USB 2.0, along with only an 800mhz ARM processor there is only so much speed to work with. Even if they did special order a boutique 3.0 version (they always go the cheaper route).
It also depends on if your reading/writing many small files or one big file which depends on the update you are installing.
As long as the SSD/Flash stick is newer 2.0 and up from a known brand that is reliable not some free handout no-name special it will work plenty fast.

see specs here:
i.MX 8ULP Applications Processor Family | NXP Semiconductors

 

[rugedraw]

Don't fret too much over the USB flash stick or hard drive. Looking at the specs of the CPU/SOC used in the Sync 4 system it looks like the actual hardware controller itself is only USB 2.0, along with only an 800mhz ARM processor there is only so much speed to work with. Even if they did special order a boutique 3.0 version (they always go the cheaper route).
It also depends on if your reading/writing many small files or one big file which depends on the update you are installing.
As long as the SSD/Flash stick is newer 2.0 and up from a known brand that is reliable not some free handout China special it will work plenty fast.

see specs here:
i.MX 8ULP Applications Processor Family | NXP Semiconductors

My problem with APIM updates are how long they take to download and not so much how long they take to write to the USB.

 

[ChrisCon]

New TCU update . USB based. Installing
Now . Started 4:45pm EST . File size was 192mb I believe. Would be nice to get something good here.

 

[rugedraw]

New TCU update . USB based. Installing
Now . Started 4:45pm EST . File size was 192mb I believe. Would be nice to get something good here.

I'm showing one, too. It was sent to me OTA, but canceled by the server. My mongooses are out in rotation, so haven't been able to push it through yet.

 

[ChrisCon]

Update. : completed at 5:02est. No issues. No battery tender needed as the truck stays at on the entire time . And for anyone that cares .. ACM and RFA did not clear after this update in FDRS.

 

[Mike G]

I was just about to say....

..but you beat me to it. Strange to have an update show up in FDRS on a Monday...haven't seen that in a very long time.

 

[ChrisCon]

I was just about to say....

..but you beat me to it. Strange to have an update show up in FDRS on a Monday...haven't seen that in a very long time.

Just nice to see more consistent updates after that almost three months of nothing from June through August.

 

[GDN]

Just nice to see more consistent updates after that almost three months of nothing from June through August.

I guess it's all how you look at it, but if you need FDRS to apply these, then they are not consistent updates from Ford. They can queue them and put them out there all day long, but if they can't get them bundled and pushed to all trucks OTA, then they are useless and not considered consistent updates. There have only been a couple that made it OTA since earlier this year.

 

[mattskr]

Slightly longer version is I performed several other updates without issue before attempting to update the IPMA with two Clore PL2320's, and had no issues with voltage drop until almost half way through the IPMA update where at points it hit the low to mid 9 voltage range. Not sure if this is what made FDRS crash, or simply coincidental.

FWIW I also did the IPMA update with two Clore 2320's and it was a nail-biter for the entire 2.5 hours as the voltage hovered around 9.1-9.8V the whole time. Never again.

 

[mattskr]

I guess it's all how you look at it, but if you need FDRS to apply these, then they are not consistent updates from Ford. They can queue them and put them out there all day long, but if they can't get them bundled and pushed to all trucks OTA, then they are useless and not considered consistent updates. There have only been a couple that made it OTA since earlier this year.

Yep, there's nothing consistent here...either with OTA or FDRS. All of you have nice pretty new icons and I don't even have an APIM update available in FDRS yet.

 

[USA414]

FWIW I also did the IPMA update with two Clore 2320's and it was a nail-biter for the entire 2.5 hours as the voltage hovered around 9.1-9.8V the whole time. Never again.

I was pretty nervous seeing the voltage that low, and then my heart dropped when FDRS crashed roughly 2.5 hours in. I immediately purchased a 75 amp power supply with an adjustable voltage setting. After some research, I determined that I wanted to keep the LVB at 13.8v (AGM float), so I hooked everything up, initially started with the power supply set to 13.8v, and then took multimeter measurements from the jump points, LVB terminals, and also checking in FDRS. I landed on running the power supply at 14.1v, which is shown in FDRS as 13.6v, but I get a perfect 13.8v reading from my multimeter at the terminals of the LVB. Maybe a bit of an over index, but I never want to deal with that again.

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