Bezel Diagnostics Menu (undocumented in owners manual)

[bmwhitetx]

There is a Diagnostics Menu you can activate that shows all sorts of info on several of your modules including screen tests, cellular/WiFi connectivity, etc. This has been mentioned a couple of times here - one person used it to compare AM/FM signal reception of stubby vs. whip. I think it could be useful for those not getting updates if it shows you connected to cellular or not.

Update for 12" vs 15" screens
For the 15" Sync 4A screen, the sequence is similar to rebooting Sync. Just press and hold Vol(-) and TrackPrev (<-) steering wheel buttons at the same time until a little cartoon car pops up (about 6 seconds), then release.

For the 12" Sync 4 screen, press and hold Steering Wheel Next track + Radio Controls Next Track at the same time for about 6 seconds, then release.

Note that your audio must be on (radio source works for sure). Here are a few of the screens:

 

[BSull]

Thanks for this.

 

[Jsfrye]

Has anyone tried the Front Height Test under the Local Diagnostic menu? Interesting results….

 

[bmwhitetx]

I think you meant Font Height, not Front Height. What was the screen before that - that showed the different Locale tests?
Hopefully you were able to exit out OK!

 

[rraustad]

This did not work for me. The Vol (-) button is obvious, and I also pressed the |< (a vertical line with a triangle to the right of that line) button on the opposite side of the steering wheel. Nothing happened (well, the radio volume decreased and the radio channels changed). I then pressed the Vol(-) and >| button and it appears the system rebooted. The screen went blank and then showed the start up graphics (swirling blue graphics).

 

[bmwhitetx]

This did not work for me. The Vol (-) button is obvious, and I also pressed the |< (a vertical line with a triangle to the right of that line) button on the opposite side of the steering wheel. Nothing happened (well, the radio volume decreased and the radio channels changed). I then pressed the Vol(-) and >| button and it appears the system rebooted. The screen went blank and then showed the start up graphics (swirling blue graphics).

The buttons you have circled are correct. You have to press and hold both for several seconds. (more than 6 I think). I remember in the past it hasn't worked but when I tried again it does. Timing seems key.

 

[Henry Ford]

Has anyone tried the Front Height Test under the Local Diagnostic menu? Interesting results….

That's super interesting. I wouldn't think Ford sells many trucks in Arabic speaking countries but maybe?

There's a huge Arabic population in Dearborn, maybe an Easter egg from an Arabic speaking engineer?

 

[GoodSam]

Diagnostics Menu you can activate that shows all sorts of info on several of your modules including screen tests, cellular/WiFi connectivity, etc. This has been mentioned a couple of times here - one person used it to compare AM/FM signal reception of stubby vs. whip. I think it could be useful for those not getting updates if it shows you connected to cellular or not.

The sequence is similar to rebooting Sync. Just press and hold Vol(-) and TrackPrev (<-) steering wheel buttons at the same time until a little cartoon car pops up (about 6 seconds), then release. Note that your audio must be on (button in Vol wheel).

Does this still work? Will it work with 12" screen? Tried several times, pressing buttons at same time, truck ready to drive, but only the Volume goes down to 0! Held for at least 10 seconds. Interested in testing how the short antenna changes the reception signals. Does CarScanner App cover some of these tests and data available? Thanks!

UPDATE: 240704 Yes, for my 2022 XLT 312a 12" center screen, press steering wheel arrow advance right and audio button fast forward at same time for ~10 seconds. Starts with speaker test, then shows Bezel Diagnostics menu.
Link to a bunch of the screens, mostly APIM Configuration Status:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jYMN1WM45U1f8WqU7

 

[bmwhitetx]

Does this still work? Will it work with 12" screen? Tried several times, pressing buttons at same time, truck ready to drive, but only the Volume goes down to 0! Held for at least 10 seconds. Interested in testing how the short antenna changes the reception signals. Does CarScanner App cover some of these tests and data available? Thanks!

I have not tried it since April (see above post when another 12" screen had issues). I am away from my truck for several days so maybe someone else with a 15" screen can chime in. Could be that it was always for Sync 4A, aka 15" screen and not 12". I think it may be somewhat dependent on whcih button is pressed first or how simultaneous they are pressed. Sometimes it does not work for me either.

EDIT: Updated post 1 to show how to activate for both the the 12" and 15" screens.

 

[GoodSam]

Bump, can one determine software update level for various modules from these Bezel Diagnostics screens? And how would one know if not using FDRS?

 

[Mike G]

This may help.

 

[ryun]

That's super interesting. I wouldn't think Ford sells many trucks in Arabic speaking countries but maybe?

There's a huge Arabic population in Dearborn, maybe an Easter egg from an Arabic speaking engineer?

I'd bet money that it's something way simpler. These characters are examples of the extremes of the highest and lowest. Which would be beneficial for a font height test. The QA team at my work puts in all sorts of characters to break our application. Emojis, Chinese, Persian, etc.

Those characters are also decently wide. Compared to the character "M" at least which, a long time ago, was used as a relative measurement to define sizing. Check out the differences:

شْ M
M شْ

They're just good characters for stress testing is all.

 

[21st Century Truck]

That's super interesting. I wouldn't think Ford sells many trucks in Arabic speaking countries but maybe?

There's a huge Arabic population in Dearborn, maybe an Easter egg from an Arabic speaking engineer?

I don't think that is the Arabic alphabet. It looks like one of the Southeast Asian alphabets (Thai maybe?)

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