Lightning Software Updates using FDRS

[Mike G]

4 November and lots of updates this morning that were not there yesterday!

Looks like a selection of powertrain updates (PCM, BECM, SOBDM, SOBDMB, SOBDMC) and the ABS system and generic function #2 which I think may be the tailgate module but I'll have to double check on that.

So if you are doing these yourself you'd start with the PCM, and then the rest of the powertrain items would chain in sequence. Then the others in this list can be knocked off in any order.

I'll follow up with any observations afterward.

EDIT: All done and it was interesting. Above, I said to start with the PCM and it would chain all the rest of the powertrain items in sequence. Well here's how it went; I setup the powersupply and laptop and initially picked the PCM, no problem, very straightforward. What surprised me was that the ABS was next, I guess I had forgotten that the ABS is a powertrain module as well. So after the ABS was the SOBDMB, SOBDMC, SOBDM, BECM, and then this last one threw me and I wasn't expecting it, but the GFM2 was chained right along with the rest. So everything in today's list were all what Ford refers to as 'coordinated' updates that once you select one in the list you'll get a message like this one:

And then all you do is turn on and off the "Start" button on the dash and select "OK" on the laptop when it's time....and it steps you through everything in sequence.

Total time on the FDRS laptop from the very first vehicle 'network scan' to the final logoff was 28 minutes.

Stay safe and have a great weekend!

Mike

 

[Mike G]

So for those of us who are doing their own updates, but only buy the two-day license when needed....before you have another go be sure to update your FDRS software, a new update came out late last night (16 Nov 22).

 

[Mike G]

22 Nov 22 and a surprise APIM update showed up this afternoon. No idea what it will change or enable...but my truck today did not indicate that it had a pending PowerUp 3.5.5 like many other folks were talking about yesterday and today.

I'll do the update tomorrow and see if I can figure out what changed.

 

[Mike G]

As a followup to the APIM post above...I just did the update. The Sync "About" screen says I'm at version 22293_PRODUCT and rev. 610

The update was pretty uneventful except for a notice that one file failed to download and did I want a retry...to which I said "yes" and then it all went to plan.

For those doing this at home the "F188" DID value, which normally is the identifier for a revision, did not change...it's still the "-DT" revision from a couple of months ago that added the dual phone connectivity....but other packages in the update did change and as a result the Sync version went from 539 to 610.

I have no idea what the changes are since I haven't had time to thoroughly explore yet (other things to do this morning).

I definitely did notice while programming this morning that there's a difference in the seat heater controls versus my Mach-E. The Mach-E (I only recently noticed this) has an "Auto" mode for the seat heaters which reduces the output as the cabin gets warmer. You select the seat heater and then the "Auto" setting and it does it's thing.

The Lightning does not have this...instead it's like my previous F-150(s) where you just select low, med, hi...and that's it.

Also, if doing this at home you may get mixed messages like I did when following the instructions after the USB drive has downloaded the update to the truck's USB port.

The Sync screen says this:

But the FDRS onscreen instructions say to wait 5 minutes instead and nothing about leaving the door open:

I played it safe and followed the Sync screen instructions for 10 minutes with the driver's door open.

Just so you know...you will run into small things like this from time to time while doing updates....

 

[Mike G]

Oh and I thought I'd add that this APIM update did not enable video streaming (YouTube and selected other content) like my Mach-E has. It may take a future TCU update for that to happen.

 

[ResidualJinx]

Oh and I thought I'd add that this APIM update did not enable video streaming (YouTube and selected other content) like my Mach-E has. It may take a future TCU update for that to happen.

Any other noticeable changes with that APIM update?

 

[Mike G]

Any other noticeable changes with that APIM update?

I haven't noticed anything at all really.

 

[Mike G]

I haven't noticed anything at all really.

This is a followup that's really a question...am I the only one who has Sync 610 right now?

So nobody else has this update and can say what the changes are (if any)?

Seems odd that there was an APIM update and nobody knows what the differences are between that and the previous version 539.

I'll go out this morning and go through all the menus again.

I must have missed something.

 

[Mike G]

So this evening a new GWM (gateway) update popped up (wasn't there this morning). I'll knock that out tomorrow morning and report any new functionality...if I notice anything....I still have no idea what got changed in the recent Sync version 610 I'm running now. I've asked around on the F-150 forum and at least one very knowledgeable member over there got this update and just like me, has no idea what got updated or changed in the APIM.

 

[GDN]

So this evening a new GWM (gateway) update popped up (wasn't there this morning). I'll knock that out tomorrow morning and report any new functionality...if I notice anything....I still have no idea what got changed in the recent Sync version 610 I'm running now. I've asked around on the F-150 forum and at least one very knowledgeable member over there got this update and just like me, has no idea what got updated or changed in the APIM.

Are the GWY updates rare? Like APIM? Could the GWY update add functionality for making OTA updates better?

 

[Mike G]

Are the GWY updates rare? Like APIM? Could the GWY update add functionality for making OTA updates better?

Well the gateway is what connects all the other modules in the truck. So quite often we see a pattern of an APIM update, then later a GWM update, and eventually a TCU update, and it all ends up enabling something like say Alexa (on '21 model Mach-E or F-150) or the ability to watch streaming media (recently in the Mach-E). Those three modules all seem to get updated so that they stay in sync...kindof like all the powertrain modules done at the same time or all the cruise-control related modules as a coordinated group.

And yes a GWM update could enhance OTA delivery since that's where the TCU downloads the update to before it launches. It's usually updated to enable some new functionality though.

Mike

 

[Mike G]

Well the GWM (gateway) update was done yesterday and as a result my rev. is now "ML3T-14H021-LCD", but that's as far as I know. I'm sure this update is paving the way for something else to happen later but right now both the latest APIM update (to Sync 610) and this GWM update don't seem to have given any clues as to what got changed or improved.

I'm sure it will all become clear in time.

 

[Mike G]

Okay folks, the previous updates were all leading to this....the major overhaul of the Sync system to the new interface.

I won't bury the lead...this update takes you to Sync 640, and is a whopping 6.27 GB big and took quite sometime to download even over very fast Starlink (thanks Elon!).

One of the first things that caught my eye was the Camera Software Button on the top row! WhooHooo!! They are listening to these forums after all!

I'll post some pics later I want to go out and press some buttons first and poke around a bit.

 

[GDN]

Okay folks, the previous updates were all leading to this....the major overhaul of the Sync system to the new interface.

I won't bury the lead...this update takes you to Sync 640, and is a whopping 6.27 GB big and took quite sometime to download even over very fast Starlink (thanks Elon!).

One of the first things that caught my eye was the Camera Software Button on the top row! WhooHooo!! They are listening to these forums after all!

I'll post some pics later I want to go out and press some buttons first and poke around a bit.

I can see this being the update that pushes me to buy a Mongoose. I'm fighting it so hard. I even have access to Jesse here in the DFW area and he has been gracious and offered. I'll give them a week to see if they start pushing it. The sad part is Ford can't even apply the simple DTE update they pushed 2 weeks ago.

 

[Mike G]

FDRS yesterday evening:

I dug in this morning and it took a long time to download. Cause it's the biggest APIM update I think I've ever done so far at 6.27GB:

From start time to finish (including the 10 minute shutdown for the A/B switchover) one hour and ten minutes total.

Loving the dedicated camera button!

Still no streaming of YouTube etc...I guess that's going to take a future update to the TCU like they did on the Mach-E to enable it there.

A little weird...got the new Sync interface on the Lightning with no streaming in "Entertainment" but on the Mach-E I've got the streaming in the "Entertainment" section but the older interface...

Oh and for those who are wondering...when you hit the camera button at speed you see the rear view in the top panel....and yes there's still a banner that says "Full View Not Available" right in the middle of that view. Not sure where that banner comes from..it might be in the IPMA.

Mike