Lightning Software Updates using FDRS

[GDN]

Looks like this is 6.1.0 and downloading OTA. Nice to see it coming OTA so quickly after being posted on FDRS.

A quick trip out to the garage confirms my truck is also downloading this now. About to take it out for about an hour, hopeful download and install will complete along the way.

Looking back at the SW screen I don't see where Ford tracks a version of the map by number and shows it to us.

 

[BSull]

For all you experts out there. Does the ATT hotspot have to be active for the OTAs to work?

 

[chillaban]

A quick trip out to the garage confirms my truck is also downloading this now. About to take it out for about an hour, hopeful download and install will complete along the way.

Looking back at the SW screen I don't see where Ford tracks a version of the map by number and shows it to us.

The General About screen has map expiration dates. My previous update had 2073-12-something as the expiration. I imagine this is even further into the future.

For all you experts out there. Does the ATT hotspot have to be active for the OTAs to work?

No, just the FordPass cellular connectivity. FWIW mine was on WiFi all day and it downloaded the update over cellular anyway so I don’t think WiFi makes any difference at the moment. Also the truck only checks and starts downloading when the ignition is on. Unlike a Tesla it does not get updates just being parked there. Once it finds an update it will finish downloading and installing even if you turn off the truck.

 

[TaxmanHog]

For all you experts out there. Does the ATT hotspot have to be active for the OTAs to work?

No, it uses the telematics cell channel for OTA's while the AT&T optional service is for sharing hotspot connectivity to you & your passengers.

 

[BSull]

No, it uses the telematics cell channel for OTA's while the AT&T optional service is for sharing hotspot connectivity to you & your passengers.

Thanks

 

[Mike G]

So while on a road trip a couple of days ago my truck downloaded and applied 6.1.0. I didn't post about it because others covered that ground. I did a couple of updates on a relatives Expedition yesterday and was a bit annoyed that the updates refused to clear after they had been successfully applied but then later realized I hadn't changed my time zone on my FDRS laptop to match the zone I was now in and thought that might have something to do with that. I also showed at that time that I had a gateway update on my Lightning (the road trip vehicle) and was curious about that not clearing since I had *just* gotten OTA 6.1.0 applied. So that was weird.

Today while still at the relatives I decided to revisit this gateway update conundrum and noted that after the 6.1.0 OTA my GWM revision was "-PCE"....so when I checked and saw that a gateway update was *still* in my available list I got the USB drive out and this time it did download an update to the drive (took like 2 seconds!) and then when I checked the drive before sticking it in the console USB slot this is what it was:

Yup...1.33 mg, that's it.

And that took my GWM to "-PCF" from "-PCE".

Wow.

No idea what this update did. I checked the usual Sync screens looking for any differences and didn't see any...and Oh BTW I still don't have the "Charge Assist" app as a new app in Sync like others have been reporting. I have it on my Mach-E but it hasn't made it to my Lightning yet despite others reporting that they have it already. (I still just use the charger location app in the nav system menu anyway).

 

[rugedraw]

So while on a road trip a couple of days ago my truck downloaded and applied 6.1.0. I didn't post about it because others covered that ground. I did a couple of updates on a relatives Expedition yesterday and was a bit annoyed that the updates refused to clear after they had been successfully applied but then later realized I hadn't changed my time zone on my FDRS laptop to match the zone I was now in and thought that might have something to do with that. I also showed at that time that I had a gateway update on my Lightning (the road trip vehicle) and was curious about that not clearing since I had *just* gotten OTA 6.1.0 applied. So that was weird.

Today while still at the relatives I decided to revisit this gateway update conundrum and noted that after the 6.1.0 OTA my GWM revision was "-PCE"....so when I checked and saw that a gateway update was *still* in my available list I got the USB drive out and this time it did download an update to the drive (took like 2 seconds!) and then when I checked the drive before sticking it in the console USB slot this is what it was:

Yup...1.33 mg, that's it.

And that took my GWM to "-PCF" from "-PCE".

Wow.

No idea what this update did. I checked the usual Sync screens looking for any differences and didn't see any...and Oh BTW I still don't have the "Charge Assist" app as a new app in Sync like others have been reporting. I have it on my Mach-E but it hasn't made it to my Lightning yet despite others reporting that they have it already. (I still just use the charger location app in the nav system menu anyway).

The GWM update you did was the equivalent of 6.2.0.

 

[Mike G]

The GWM update you did was the equivalent of 6.2.0.

Well as the saying goes.."That was easy!"

 

[chillaban]

The GWM update you did was the equivalent of 6.2.0.

Ah interesting. I’m in the same boat where I thought getting 6.1.0 would clear the GWM update in FDRS but it did not. I guess I’ll go do it by hand tomorrow!

 

[chillaban]

I did some sleuthing on the NHTSA site and suspect this is the second GWM update:

Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles may exhibit all modules on the HS2, HS3, HS4 and MS CAN networks not responding to the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) and modules on these networks fail the network test. Modules on the FD1 and HS1 networks will communicate with the FDRS. Vehicles equipped with a power opening/closing tailgate may also exhibit an inoperative power tailgate. This may be due to a gateway module (GWM) that is not configured properly. To correct this condition, download and run the GWM - Gateway Module A (GWM) Configuration application. For claiming, use causal part number 14G490 and applicable labor times from Section 10 of the Service Labor Times Standard (SLTS) Manual.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2022/FORD/F-150%2520%2520SUPER%2520CAB/PU%252FEC/2WD#manufacturerCommunications

FYI under "Manufacturer Communications" there's often more detailed release notes that correspond to FDRS updates or even OTA updates which list more changes than the customer facing release notes. Unfortunately sometimes they only get posted to certain model years, or to the ICE F-150 but not the Lightning, or vice-versa.


For example, for the DOM-RS (owner manual) update, it also lists CarPlay improvements:

Priority Update 23-PU0724-DOM-RS for 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles is now available.

Quality Improvements include:

- Various Apple Carplay quality improvements

 

[BSull]

Long post, forgive me.

First Experience with FDRS and updating modules.

I am one of the Lightning owners that has never received an OTA. A couple of the modules in the truck have been updated by a dealer because of other repairs, but no OTAs. I’ve had the truck since July.

I’ve done a lot of reading on this and other sources and decided I would give manual software updates a shot. I know that the software updates shown in the FDRS, and the software downloaded in an OTA are not 1 to 1 identical but I figured manually updating all the modules (or at least those that show updates available) would eventually equate to what the OTAs offered or maybe the other way around.

I bit the bullet and bought the Mongoose ODB interface, a SanDisk USB 3.0 thumb drive to dedicate to this process and a Clore PL2320 20-amp charger/power supply. Based on my reading this forum and jumping over to the Mach-E sister forum, I thought this would be enough. Turns out maybe not but I’ll get to that down below.

I initially connected the Clore to the vehicle jumper posts under the right frunk cover and set it to power supply mode. When I started FDRS the lower right voltage shown was 13.5 volts so I figured this would be OK. Amps vs volts I know.

At first FDRS showed the CMR and APIM as CMDTCs detected, I quickly researched this forum and found a recommendation from Mike G to restart FDRS and try again. He recommended other things also, but restart was the easiest and quickest so that’s what I did and restarted the laptop also. Thanks, Mike G.

This time all the modules responded and showed green. Software updates tab showed lots of modules with software updates available, so I picked the PCM since it was at the top of the list. Turns out when PCM is selected lots of other modules get updated at the same time in a sequence only a Ford engineer could love. If I’m not mistaken, everything associated with electricity / power is also updated including the BECM, so we’ll see if I have a not up to spec High Power module. All the modules updated correctly except for one failure, I selected the option to try again, and the update was successful.

The only thing that really concerned me during this process was the voltage shown by FDRS dropped a lot during part of the update process. Some part of the update was pulling enough amps that the voltage dropped on a couple of modules all the way to 11.8 and the Clore cooling fan was really kicked in. I thought the updates would fail but according to FDRS all were installed successfully. Between modules, I even changed where the Clore was connected by moving the positive clamp over to the battery positive post but that did not help. I think I’m going to get another 20-amp power supply, hopefully 40 amps available should prevent the voltage drop that I saw.

Because of the voltage drop I did not update 5 modules the ACM, APIM, IPC, BCM and OBCC. Some if not all of them require the thumb drive update and I didn’t want to take the chance the voltage would drop enough for the process to fail.

Overall, not difficult, scary at times but everything turned out OK I think.

 

[BSull]

I'm in the middle of my updates following the order Mike provided earlier. Is the general consensus to install all available updates?

Question on the two Clore power supplies. I see how you have them connected, I'm assuming the logic in the devices doesn't interfere with each other? I tried a single Clore and draw was enough to drop voltage to 11.8 on a couple of modules.

 

[sstevetx]

I'm not really sure to be honest. A member in the Mach E forum does this and it's been mentioned here as well.

I do know that In power supply mode they are supposed to increase the amps up to 20a to maintain the 14.1 volts. Running in parallel gives you a total 40a capacity, but I am not sure how they negotiate between each other. I assume the microprocessors in each of them negotiates so fast that changes from one are seen in the other and compensated for. Someone who understands this can likely explain it much better.

 

[BSull]

I'm not really sure to be honest. A member in the Mach E forum does this and it's been mentioned here as well.

I do know that In power supply mode they are supposed to increase the amps up to 20a to maintain the 14.1 volts. Running in parallel gives you a total 40a capacity, but I am not sure how they negotiate between each other. I assume the microprocessors in each of them negotiates so fast that changes from one are seen in the other and compensated for. Someone who understands this can likely explain it much better.

So you maintained good voltage using the two?

 

[sstevetx]

So you maintained good voltage using the two?

For the most part my voltage was good. I was updating for hours one after the other and I dipped down to 12.1 for a short period.

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