Priority Update - BCM-24.5.1 - Convenient Frunk Closing

[Dee]

Typically when this happens, there is a procedure in FDRS under the BCM to release the vehicle from inhibit mode which only takes a few minutes to do. I find it hard to believe that between the dealer techs and Ford engineers, this has not been tried yet. Assuming the OTA somehow hard - bricked the BCM (this is highly unlikely), then swapping in a new BCM seems to be the obvious fix.

To be clear, the dealership tech got it running. The problem was that when I picked it up the 1st time, WAL was turned on, and there was no toggle at the Locks section to turn it off. This may sound like not a big deal except for the fact that yes, WAL locks it. But it will not unlock when you walk up it it. And neither the double pull on the door handle would unlock the door nor would the button on the door handle unlock the door. Only way to open the door was to unlock it with the fob or phone app.
Up to this point my Lightning never had WAL. Don't want it. If the OTA was about the frunk, how did I end up with WAL? Reminder, the dealer has had my Lightning since August 19th.
While typing this i got a call from the dealer that my Lightning is now fixed. Hopefully, it's actually fixed. Say a prayer for me if you believe in that kinda stuff.
I'll save the fiasco regarding the $3,500.00 worth of damage done by the Ford Roadside Assistance tow operator for a later date.

Sponsored

 

[PJnc284]

If the dealer updated the BCM, that would enable WAL. The toggles aren't until a later (APIM) update. Do you still have the issue of it not unlocking when you grab the handle with the fob? PAAK can be quirky depending on your phone. My S22+ seems to work most of the time.

 

[rugedraw]

To be clear, the dealership tech got it running. The problem was that when I picked it up the 1st time, WAL was turned on, and there was no toggle at the Locks section to turn it off. This may sound like not a big deal except for the fact that yes, WAL locks it. But it will not unlock when you walk up it it. And neither the double pull on the door handle would unlock the door nor would the button on the door handle unlock the door. Only way to open the door was to unlock it with the fob or phone app.
Up to this point my Lightning never had WAL. Don't want it. If the OTA was about the frunk, how did I end up with WAL? Reminder, the dealer has had my Lightning since August 19th.
While typing this i got a call from the dealer that my Lightning is now fixed. Hopefully, it's actually fixed. Say a prayer for me if you believe in that kinda stuff.
I'll save the fiasco regarding the $3,500.00 worth of damage done by the Ford Roadside Assistance tow operator for a later date.

Oh, got it. The dealer must have updated the BCM which enables wall by default. They won't be able to fix that. You can add the missing button with forscan and turn off WAL, though. Up to you whether you want to take that route or not.

 

[Dee]

If the dealer updated the BCM, that would enable WAL. The toggles aren't until a later (APIM) update. Do you still have the issue of it not unlocking when you grab the handle with the fob? PAAK can be quirky depending on your phone. My S22+ seems to work most of the time.

Don't have the truck yet. Picking it up in the AM. WAL not working as intended and not being able to open the doors is what the dealer and the Ford Hotline have spent the last few weeks trying to fix.
I gave up on PAAK months ago. The only thing I use it for is preconditioning. And that only works part of the time.
Really like my Lightning, but this is the second time this year that an OTA has bricked my Lightning. And Ford's Customer Service stinks.

 

[PJnc284]

The WAL and BC toggle update is going around for the 22's now OTA so I'm guessing the dealer could manually install the APIM update with FDRS (same way they updated the BCM) and at least that would give you the toggles "officially".

 

[Dee]

The WAL and BC toggle update is going around for the 22's now OTA so I'm guessing the dealer could manually install the APIM update with FDRS (same way they updated the BCM) and at least that would give you the toggles "officially".

I hope that the dealer figured it out. So after the Frunk OTA bricked my Lightning. And the 1st fix resulted in WAL on and the only way to get into my Lightning was with the fob, I told the dealer, Ford Customer Relationship Center, and some Ford Corporate suit that they must return my Lightning to the way it was before the Frunk OTA or Ford will be buying it back. Also mentioned that I had already contacted the local TV news consumer advocate. My voice mails were suddenly returned the same day after pulling the pin on that grenade.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I'll save the fiasco regarding the $3,500.00 worth of damage done by the Ford Roadside Assistance tow operator for a later date.

This should be an interesting story ..................

 

[Dee]

Went to pick up Lightning this morning. They did what i asked. WAL is gone and the lock and unlock procedure is back to my version of normal.
However, I have learned to check the settings on the screen before leaving the dealer because in the past stuff is either turned off or not working. So, at the software update screen, it showed an update for BC 1.4.
I already have BC 1.4.
So, instead of taking my Lightning home and enabling the update, the dealer is doing the update. Call it once bitten twice shy. Because my plan is to disable OTA's since this is the second time in less than a year that an OTA has bricked my Lightning.
And just got a software related recall in the mail for my Wife's Mach-E.
I'm getting a little tired of this buggy software stuff. And actually it's a lot tired.

 

[Dee]

Taxman expressed an interest. So here it goes.

Ford Roadside Assistance sent a tow operator to pick up my Lightning that bricked due to a Ford OTA. This was August 19th.
It was taken to the dealership for repair. I was called on August 26th that the repair had been completed (It wasn't) and when I went to pick it up, it looked like the attached photos. The front bumper is almost ripped off. To be clear, the Ford Customer Relationship Center insisted I contact FRSA. FRSA emailed me a form to complete, also wanted photos and an estimate for the repair. I gave them everything they asked for. This was also on August 26th.
Ford uses a contractor for FRSA. The name of this company is Agero. So a case manager, Dennis Warren, emails back that he got my info and someone will contact me to record a verbal statement. On September 3rd they called me to record my statement. Just missed the call, I immediately called back but all I got was VM's. Called 6 more times and emailed 4 times. They finally called on September 5th and I gave my statement to Jackie Munoz, Dennis Warren's supervisor. She doesn't return VM's either. During that conversation i asked when I would be compensated for the damage. The estimate is $3,500.00. She said that case would be completed on September 10th and I would be contacted. That date came and went so now I'm getting really angry.
All through this i am dealing with the Ford Customer Relationship Center about my Lightning. When I ask (several times) for help with Aegro Ford offered me absolutely no assistance. And insisted that they couldn't help because Aegro was a separate company. Even after I reminded them that we wouldn't be here except for the fact that a Ford OTA bricked my truck and Ford contracted with Aegro to admin FRSA. And FCRC told me to call FRSA. If you don't get the initials all you need to know is the first letter stands for FORD. Sorry for the sarcasm but I can feel my BP going up just typing this stuff.
I finally got some help after Brian at Ford who monitors this forum contacted me. So Ford finally contacted Aegro and Dennis Warren called me and apologized for not returning my calls. What BS.
So he tells me i would receive a check in the mail for $2,700.00. I tell him my estimate was for $3,500.00. He said Aegro contacted Sedgwick Appraisals who did a desk estimate and they determined that the repair could be done for 2700. I asked Mr. Warren to email me the estimate which he did. Their estimate is missing parts that are needed and their parts are aftermarket not OEM. They also deleted the labor for aligning the sensors in the bumper. And their are additional labor deletions that have no explanation.
The shop that did my estimate used the Ford Certified Collision Network to create their estimate. When I talked to my body shop about this they said if Sedgwick used the FCCN to check their estimate it should be much closer than an almost $800.00 difference. They offered to call Dennis Warren but of course he has not returned their call.
So, as I said at the beginning, i have posted this because Taxman expressed an interest. As such, to all those that want to share their version of " what you shoulda done", please don't because I already know that I should have called a tow company that knows how to tow a vehicle without damaging it. And knows how to tell time. FRSA stated that a tow truck would be there in about an hour. 3 hours later the tow operator showed up. And FRSA had given him the wrong address. In January I had the same thing happened. (OTA bricked my truck) waited 4 hours for a tow that never showed. I finally called a local tow operator who said he would be there in 30 minutes. He showed up in 20. Why didn't I do the same this time? Because it bricked in my garage this time instead of on the side of the road. And FRSA instead of sending me a check for the $125.00 all they would do is credit me Ford points. Did you ever try to spend your Ford points in the grocery store?
So, the last useful thing I have to share comes from Jackie Munoz who took my verbal statement. The first thing she asked me was did the tow truck driver ask me to sign anything. She said he was supposed to have had me sign a damage waiver. That said, if you use FRSA don't sign anything.

 

[I <3 My Lightning]

The bees just got done buzzing. Now a light sequence is occuring and a few clicks.. I now have this update on My '23 Oct build XLT ER 312A.

 

[ryun]

Also got this update. My muscle memory always locks my truck when I exit even if the frunk is open so I'm glad I won't have to fumble for the keys just to close it anymore.

 

[jetfixr1]

Can someone give a quick summary of what this update provides? Some people report no WAL. Ive been out of the loop on this one.

 

[Lightning Rod]

I just recieved this update yesterday. Forgive the stupid sounding question but I don't quite understand the Convenient Frunk Closing meaning. It says it closes now when truck is locked. I think my truck did that anyway. Am I overlooking something,?

Thanks.

 

[potato]

I just recieved this update yesterday. Forgive the stupid sounding question but I don't quite understand the Convenient Frunk Closing meaning. It says it closes now when truck is locked. I think my truck did that anyway. Am I overlooking something,?

Thanks.

It would not close with the button on the frunk itself, on XLT at least. You would have to use the fob or the keypad instead. Obviously that's what you would want for *opening*, for security reasons, but closing? Makes no sense.

Honestly that was one of the main "WTF were they thinking" complaints I had about the software, so it's really nice if it's fixed.

 

[Jim Lewis]

I got this update in the early AM as I was testing backup power transfer with the Home Integration System. I learned an interesting thing. Backup power transfer (BPT) was not working when it had been just a little earlier for me. I decided to get in the truck and try a manual BPT via the Intelligent Backup Power applet on my SYNC screen. I then noticed that BCM 24.51 had downloaded and was ready to run during my next allowed update window. Hmm, I thought, maybe the downloading was what screwed up BPT that I had been initiating via pressing the UNLOCK button on the charging port and unplugging and replugging the charger head. When I launched the IBP app, I saw that I was in manual mode, which would have blocked BPT automatically via the UNLOCK trick. I figured I just forgot to switch out of manual mode from previous experiments. But in discussing my BPT experiments with ChatGPT 5, it mentioned that Ford OTA updates that need to go into Inhibit Mode, as 24.51 does, typically turn off automatic BPT, so the truck doesn't decide to do a BPT in the middle of an update. ChatGPT claimed that turning off automatic BPT would occur with the download, not just during the update. It also claimed that glitches in the online portal, energy.ford.com, that Ford created after removing BPT functionality from FordPass, can also sometimes turn off automatic BPT in the truck. It suggested that I periodically check the BPT status (automatic vs. manual) in my truck, especially before an expected incoming storm. I don't know yet if the above is an AI hallucination, but I plan to look into it further. With my grid power cut in my ongoing test at the time, when I switched from manual mode to automatic mode via the IBP app on my SYNC screen, BPT initiated automatically within seconds. It's interesting to think that a deliberate manual to automatic mode BPT switch might be another way to "prime" the HIS system to actually work. YMMV.

It's really heinous that Ford removed BPT functionality from FordPass and that there's no convenient way, without getting in and turning on your truck, to find out whether the truck is in automatic or manual transfer mode. As usual, the Ford servers powering energy.ford.com are very glitchy and slow to update status. Several minutes after I've cut power to the house, those servers may still report the truck is on the grid and ready to charge, etc. Ford really needs to get with it and deliver a higher standard of performance in its products.

BTW, a weird side effect for me of the Convenient Frunk Closing update is that my Welcome Lightning, which has been OFF ~since I got my truck in 2023, got turned back on somehow.

Sponsored