What do YOU use SYNC for?
New User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
I use it for hands free calls, works great for that. Voice activated navigation is convenient as well, can put in destination while driving. I've used it for text messages, but not much. I've also used it to find radio stations in heavy traffic. My Ford Touch is better since the latest update.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 4
From: Lakehills, TX
I wish this stuff just worked. Sigh.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 18,787
Likes: 30
From: Melbourne, Aus
Since I started this thread due to my frustrations over not being able to use all the features of SYNC I though it only fair to tell the rest of the story, which was completed today.
Upthread you will see comments from a Ford Corporate guy named Antonio. Well, several weeks ago Antonio got involved in trying to resolve my frustrations and went out of his way to contact one of the reps from my local dealer, Folsom Lake Ford, in an effort to help. Within a few hours of Antonio contacting the local dealership I got a call from Rene Larson from Folsom Lake Ford. Long story short, I had my truck in for a normal service today and Rene spent nearly an hour with me in my truck going through the various features of the system. We even sent a mapquest destination via the internet to my truck. This works very slick and easy even for a non techy like me. We also downloaded the SYNC Destinations app to my phone. Another slick feature. Unfortunately we could not get the text messaging system to work with my phone. Probably a compatibility issue.
Now I am very impressed with how the people at the dealership handled this and would like to publicly thank them for the excellent service.
Mike
Upthread you will see comments from a Ford Corporate guy named Antonio. Well, several weeks ago Antonio got involved in trying to resolve my frustrations and went out of his way to contact one of the reps from my local dealer, Folsom Lake Ford, in an effort to help. Within a few hours of Antonio contacting the local dealership I got a call from Rene Larson from Folsom Lake Ford. Long story short, I had my truck in for a normal service today and Rene spent nearly an hour with me in my truck going through the various features of the system. We even sent a mapquest destination via the internet to my truck. This works very slick and easy even for a non techy like me. We also downloaded the SYNC Destinations app to my phone. Another slick feature. Unfortunately we could not get the text messaging system to work with my phone. Probably a compatibility issue.
Now I am very impressed with how the people at the dealership handled this and would like to publicly thank them for the excellent service.
Mike
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 25,479
Likes: 742
From: Isanti, MN
It's maddening--MADDENING--that mine won't do that. It appears that it's only the units with the nav that behave like that. That behavior (combined with the disappointing cooled seats) were legitimately major reasons I chose to spend so much money on my first new vehicle ever. Instead, I've nearly worn the "Voice" button out (it's definitely smooth and shiny) because I have to hit Voice every time to tell it to go to Bluetooth Audio. What sucks even worse is that after the last update to fix the schizo Sync lady, she's now deaf for a minute or two after starting the truck
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 714
Likes: 1
I use SYNC only for the phone. I'm out of the 'free' period of SYNC and will not pay $69 a year for a bunch of stuff that I don't use. I've only used the directions a couple of times while playing around with it. It got me very lost in Las Vegas a few years ago while looking for a business I was going to. Ended up digging out the fold up maps.
I use mine all the time for phone and music, worked great in my 2010 f150, havent used it much on the myford touch system in my 2013 f350 platinum but its worked great so far, heard there are a few issues with the new system though. hope it works as good as the old, cause it was flawless in my 150.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 714
Likes: 1
I meant to say the the turn by turn part is called travel link, and thats what costs 69$ after the trial period, but the main part of sync which is the phone and music connectivity is free. My bad.
Also i should mention if you really do want it call and tell them you dont want it cause its too expensive they might give you a deal. I do this with my surius satellite radio and pay about 80$ a year for it.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 4
From: Lakehills, TX
I sure paid a good 50,000 for "free" Sync...
Quick note: it appears that in our trucks it's only the ones with nav that behave correctly regarding staying on Bluetooth audio if that's what it was last on when the truck was turned off. When I'm listening to the radio or Sirius or a CD and turn off the truck, the next time I get in and turn it on, it goes back to what it was doing. Not so with Bluetooth audio.
I was introduced to Sync in a friend of mine's company car, a Mercury Mountaineer (slightly gussied up Escape). It did NOT have nav, and that outdated vehicle still resumed Bluetooth audio like it should, as does his 2011 F350 that's nearly identical to mine--except with nav. It kills me that mine doesn't work properly. It really kills me. Such a small thing, some people would say, but when it's something you deal with repeatedly throughout every day, something you paid a tremendous amount of money for (the Ram Laramie was actually nicer inside and a little cheaper), it gets to you...
Quick note: it appears that in our trucks it's only the ones with nav that behave correctly regarding staying on Bluetooth audio if that's what it was last on when the truck was turned off. When I'm listening to the radio or Sirius or a CD and turn off the truck, the next time I get in and turn it on, it goes back to what it was doing. Not so with Bluetooth audio.
I was introduced to Sync in a friend of mine's company car, a Mercury Mountaineer (slightly gussied up Escape). It did NOT have nav, and that outdated vehicle still resumed Bluetooth audio like it should, as does his 2011 F350 that's nearly identical to mine--except with nav. It kills me that mine doesn't work properly. It really kills me. Such a small thing, some people would say, but when it's something you deal with repeatedly throughout every day, something you paid a tremendous amount of money for (the Ram Laramie was actually nicer inside and a little cheaper), it gets to you...
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Official Ford Rep
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 474
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Loud and clear good buddy. I figured I'd chime in to confirm how the system's supposed to behave. SYNC is unable to "default" specifically to the Bluetooth audio media source. It's common for the system to be able to pick up where it left off, but it was not designed in a way to be able to change automatically to Bluetooth audio upon entering the vehicle. That's not to say we have not received reports of this happening, but these incidents have yet to be confirmed/duplicated.
We have noticed that some device behavior with SYNC may vary, depending on the phone software and manufacturer. But we do our best to stay on top of these discrepancies as it puts us in a better position to provide troubleshooting advice. What might be true today about how a phone works with SYNC might not be the case next month, with respect to how fast manufacturers are able to update and make modifications to their products. We will continue to monitor the landscape and provide the latest details as they occur.
Antonio
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
The radio will try to go back to what it was doing, but since it takes time for Bluetooth to sync up, the radio comes to the conclusion that Bluetooth audio isn't available and it will go to it's default (FM in my case). If I then plug in the USB cable, the radio will switch to USB audio. BTW, USB audio is higher quality anyway. Think wi-fi vs. ethernet, so I use USB for my media from my phone and Bluetooth for the hands free phone functions.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 288
Likes: 1
From: near Montreal, Canada
The radio will try to go back to what it was doing, but since it takes time for Bluetooth to sync up, the radio comes to the conclusion that Bluetooth audio isn't available and it will go to it's default (FM in my case). If I then plug in the USB cable, the radio will switch to USB audio. BTW, USB audio is higher quality anyway. Think wi-fi vs. ethernet, so I use USB for my media from my phone and Bluetooth for the hands free phone functions.
As for quality. In theory both BT and USB are the same since the signal is digital. But a low quality BT sender/receiver or interference could constraint that; possibly to the point where you can hear it. I can't hear a difference but then again I can't tell an mp3 of 192kbps from a CD. 192kbps is my limit and that's with good headphones; in the truck I probably can't tell any difference over 128kbps.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 4
From: Lakehills, TX
Not really, no. It's a retroactive rationalization based on guesswork. In other Sync systems (such as my truck but with nav or an older Mercury Mountaineer with no nav) it simply waits to establish the Bluetooth connection like it does already, and once established, it starts playing, whether that's 1 second or 5. Instead in trucks like mine with no nav it goes to Sync Line In, in other words just silence.
Connecting to USB is not an acceptable work-around for this bug for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the whole point of Sync is not having to dig your phone out of your pocket to do stuff.
Connecting to USB is not an acceptable work-around for this bug for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the whole point of Sync is not having to dig your phone out of your pocket to do stuff.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 288
Likes: 1
From: near Montreal, Canada
I'm going to drop the USB cable entirely soon. Just waiting on the new iphone to get the new kind of cable and plug into the 12v outlet for faster charging. Ford is constrained by the USB standard to send no more than .5 amps to the USB but the Apple adapters can send 1 amp for the iphone and up to 1.6 amps for ipad.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 4
From: Lakehills, TX
PS I have a 2.1A low-profile cigarette lighter charger in the port in the center console with a lightning cable running out through the little channel on the passenger side under the lid. I use that to charge my phone every once in a while if it's appropriate/necessary when driving. Most of the time my phone stays in my pocket.