2013 C-Max Hybrid Navigation failure

[GJ450]

Hello Everyone,

 

The nav system in out 2013 C-Max Hybrid is generating a error message that there is a problem with the SD card. It was working fine one day and the next kaput ! There is NO GPS functions at all but the compass is still working. The other sync functions seem to be working ok.

 

I have tried the master reset several times, without any success. Anyone have a similar problem ? What is the solution ? Where is the SD card located ?

 

The C-Max has a little over 5000 miles on it. I sure hope this is not harbinger of things to come !

 

Thanks

Jerry

 

 

[JohnTrigger]

The SD card is the Navigation card in the 2013 CMAX, and it is located in the armrest between the seats. I had this issue when I reset my CMAX MFT system too. Try pulling the SD card out, and reinserting it and see if that helps. Otherwise, pull it out, perform another master reset, then put it back in. One of these should do the trick for you.

[sahlbom]

Our 2013 C-Max Hybrid's Nav system didn't work at all when delivered by the dealer (8 p.m. 12/31/12). When we took it back, they said they did several things to fix it (which they didn't). Instead they replaced the version A4 SD card that came with the car with version A3, which is apparently required for the older Nav App firmware version 2.15.17 that was released with the initial production. I still haven't gotten a service ticket from the dealer stating what work was actually performed. I've seen several other owners post about no service tickets being availabe when they pick up the car.

 

So now Nav kind of works (occasionally the car is off to the side of the road hundreds of feet, or the route is "as the crow flies" instead of on the US highway we are actually on or we are told to make a u-turn with caution and proceed to the indicated route, when we were on the indicated route).

 

And we still intermittently get a large triangular alert symbol popping up, stating there was a Navigation SD card fault. Sometimes it recovers in a few seconds, sometimes the Nav display is dead until the car is powered off and on.

 

No luck so far on getting a release date for new firmware for the C-Max. Hopefully they fired the original software developers and are hiring qualified programmers and design verification engineers to do it right this time.

 

But these problems have been around for several years in prior models....

 

Steve

[rtshinn]

I have a C-Max Energi, which I picked up 2/2/2013, I believe the mfg date is 1/7/2013.

The Navigation system has only worked correctly ONCE in the almost two months I've had it.

I have been shown as being as much as 1/2 mile from my true location. It's always off by at least a few hundred feet.

The 'Navigation Loading' message comes on frequently and takes forever to load, and I often get an error message when it tries to calculate a route.

The Navigation system is a total piece of crap, which puts a taint on the entire car, and by extension, Ford.

I don't get a warm fuzzy driving a car that makes me grit my teeth in frustration.

How could something like this have possibly gotten past the factory door?

 

The SD card is A3 and the firmware version is 2.15.17.

 

I took it to the dealer and the answer was 'they are working on a fix'.

 

Has anyone had an upgrade yet?

I'm bettng there is a hardward issue with the antenna sensitivity, for one thing.

 

I see some sort of class action happening if this isn't corrected fairly soon.

[abjb]

I have a C-Max Energi, which I picked up 2/2/2013, I believe the mfg date is 1/7/2013.

The Navigation system has only worked correctly ONCE in the almost two months I've had it.

I have been shown as being as much as 1/2 mile from my true location. It's always off by at least a few hundred feet.

The 'Navigation Loading' message comes on frequently and takes forever to load, and I often get an error message when it tries to calculate a route.

The Navigation system is a total piece of crap, which puts a taint on the entire car, and by extension, Ford.

I don't get a warm fuzzy driving a car that makes me grit my teeth in frustration.

How could something like this have possibly gotten past the factory door?

 

The SD card is A3 and the firmware version is 2.15.17.

 

I took it to the dealer and the answer was 'they are working on a fix'.

 

Has anyone had an upgrade yet?

I'm bettng there is a hardward issue with the antenna sensitivity, for one thing.

 

I see some sort of class action happening if this isn't corrected fairly soon.

 

You know what a thousand lawyers on the bot...

 

There's a new TSB.

 

Nav GPS TSB 13-3-11

 

Take this TSB # to your dealer.

[rtshinn]

_{I did the very next day that the TSB came out. The dealer took it in and ran the procedure recommended by the TSB.}

_{They got a message saying that the car was already updated. No change. How that can be only one day after the fix, I don't know.}

_{I don't know if the dealer doesn't know what they are doing, or...}

 

_{Supposedly they have a call in to Ford's support group.}

 

_{My return to buying cars from an Amercian manufacturer isn't going as well as I hoped it would, frankly.}

Edited March 25, 2013 by rtshinn

[ecodad]

I have been very unhappy with the Nav in my C-Max SEL. This weekend it caused me to get on the highway going the wrong way, which took 10 miles each way to resolve at the next exit and the very next day it was more than a mile off target with where the car was, which would have made it impossible to get to my location if I didn't use my iPhone's GPS functionality instead.

 

I have a picture showing me over a mile from the highway that is also shown on the picture. I'd been on the road for about 10 minutes already and the sky is clear, so there should have been no issues getting a GPS lock, though you can also see the GPS with the red X on it.

 

I had it in at the dealer on the 12th (3/12/2013) and they said I had the latest version of the Sync and Nav software. How can I confirm the Nav version to see about getting that updated?

 

p.s. is there a way to post a photo that isn't already available on the web in this forum?

[rtshinn]

My firmware version is 2.15.17 and my map SD card is A3.

I know those are out of date based on what others are saying. The latest is 3.5.1(?) and the map is A4.

[ecodad]

When I go to SyncMyRide.com it shows my version as:

 

DM5T-14D544-AD Gen2 - V3.1.3 This release is for BEV vehicles only. CI

3/9/2013

 

and the Nav App Ver is 2.15.17 and Map DB Ver: A3 which I got from the car itself.

 

Using my iPhone to take pictures of the Touch screen is so useful for getting info since the car isn't smart enough to log and report this useful data.

[rtshinn]

Ok, took the Energi in for the third attempt at fixing the NAV issues.

This time they have a 'GPMS' module for it.

I'll let everyone know what happens.

[rtshinn]

Ok, took the Energi in for the third attempt at fixing the NAV issues.

This time they have a 'GPMS' module for it.

I'll let everyone know what happens.

[rtshinn]

Ok, I posted this in anoteh rplace, too:

 

oK, my dealer replace the GPMS module, and that seemed to fix the location GPS location issue. Yay!

 

One issue remains, I'm not sure if anyone else has experienced this. Here is my explanation I sent to the dealer:

 

The GPMS seems to work perfectly! My position on the map is right on the money.

Thanks!

 

One weird problem that remains, and it may be hardware related, software or a corrupt A3 map chip.

 

LAST NIGHT AFTER WORK:

I go to --- once or twice a week from work. Whenever I set the address there as my destination, I get the following message:

 

"Route Calculation Failed"

 

Then the display goes back to the map, no route of course.

So, last Night this is what happened:

 

"Route Calculation Failed" message

 

Started Driving to --

About halfway (I did not note exactly where) The Nav system went black for a second, then went to the 'Home Screen'. In the upper right hand got the message:

 

"Navigation Loading..."

After a while the screen went black again, system appeared to reboot and I got the message

 

"Scheduled system maintenance" - then

"Navigation Loading"

 

Just before I arrived, the screen went black again, system appeared to reboot and I got the message

 

"Scheduled system maintenance" - then

"Navigation Loading"

 

ON THE WAY BACK TO WORK THIS MORNING

I did not set any destination.

The map came up ok, but within a minute or so the display went back to the home screen and I got the message

"Navigation Loading"

 

This message remained on for 10-15 minutes UNTIL I CROSSED UNDER EXPRESSWAY, and then everything cleared up and behaved normally. THIS MAY BE AT THE SAME SPOT WHERE IT FAILED ON THE WAY OUT.

Everything was fine all the way to work (the car's location was spot on!)

 

ONE THEORY:

 

The system is having a hard time loading and computing routes on map sections that are not loaded into memory. This could be either because the A3 map section/destination is corrupt or the SD chip slot is bad, or??

 

Note: I have removed and re-inserted the SD chip a few times in the past. This did not help.

 

By the way, the destination to home and other areas seem to work.

I'm going to ---- this weekend, about 100 miles away. I'll let you know what happens. I do know that the Route does successfully calculate to that address.

[ArizonaEnergi]

It appears from the thread on the C-Max Hybrid forum that replacing the GPMS module, and correctly installing or reinstalling the software that it uses, is required to fix this problem. That thread is here: http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/index.php?/topic/666-my-nav-is-awful/page-8&do=findComment&comment=14864

 

I already tried the TSB 13-3-11 fix, but mine already had that installed. Two hours of my life I will never get back, although I did get some free food and a car wash out of it. I plan now to wait a few weeks and see if the 3.5.1 SYNC upgrade is released and go to the dealer to have that AND the GPMS replaced.

 

Here's a video I made of the location problem. In this case it's fairly minor, only about 100' away from my real location, but I've seen it a lot worst.

 

[Mr T]

It appears from the thread on the C-Max Hybrid forum that replacing the GPMS module, and correctly installing or reinstalling the software that it uses, is required to fix this problem. That thread is here: http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/index.php?/topic/666-my-nav-is-awful/page-8&do=findComment&comment=14864

 

I already tried the TSB 13-3-11 fix, but mine already had that installed. Two hours of my life I will never get back, although I did get some free food and a car wash out of it. I plan now to wait a few weeks and see if the 3.5.1 SYNC upgrade is released and go to the dealer to have that AND the GPMS replaced.

 

Here's a video I made of the location problem. In this case it's fairly minor, only about 100' away from my real location, but I've seen it a lot worst.

 

Spoke with Ford Motor Company Headquarters today regarding issues with SYNC & Nav. My clock would chang hours every now and then & the presets on the radio would disappear. Was told that they were aware of athis issue and others and that new update was being released the first week in May. I just checked on syncmyride.com and my version is 3.1.3. Purchased C-Max Hybrid on 12-31-12.