Question - How well does WP8 work with Ford Sync

[absonj]

No one answered this: "does Ford SYNC reads the music titles and library in general from your 920? this is impossible with the Lumia 900 running WP 7.5" going to try it today and come back with the answer....

no, it doesn't read music files or titles. And each model sync is different. My work Escape is fully compatible, while my daughters new 2013 Fiesta does not control playback. Everything else works great though.
Sent from my wicked sexy HTC 8X windows phone using Board Express

 

[migespy]

I have been having an issue with my Lumia 920 and my Ford Sync. I have a 2010 Escape, and I cannot turn off text notifications for the phone, so my music constantly gets interrupted. I had to turn this off with the Lumia 900 and had no issues, but now when I try to access Message Notifications within my console, it tells me my phone doesn't support them and won't let me turn them off... Might have to try completely re-syncing my phone to the car. Very frustrating to deal with. But honestly, the only issue I have with my 920 so far.

 

[migespy]

I have been having an issue with my Lumia 920 and my Ford Sync. I have a 2010 Escape, and I cannot turn off text notifications for the phone, so my music constantly gets interrupted. I had to turn this off with the Lumia 900 and had no issues, but now when I try to access Message Notifications within my console, it tells me my phone doesn't support them and won't let me turn them off... Might have to try completely re-syncing my phone to the car. Very frustrating to deal with. But honestly, the only issue I have with my 920 so far.

You should have a do not disturb button on the screen under the phone info screen. That will kill all phone notifications

 

[Ludaman64]

It has been a week since my above post. I not have a completely up to date Nokia 920 and my 2012 ford focus with SYNC has been updated completely.

I am MUCH HAPPIER!

Bluetooth does not randomly disconnect and the intermittent skipping sound is gone (note: have to turn off automatic phone book updating in SYNC).

Haven't had the need to try USB again since Bluetooth works now.

Still cant initiate a test, can still respond with one.

Nokia 920 hasn't froze since.

Note: if bluetooth is not selected as the input option for the car when the car is started and the phone gets synced then the music portion does not connect and music may play out of my phone(if I play it by using my phones interface). When I select the bluetooth input option on my car the phone syncs and works fine.

 

[lipper2000]

I've got a 920 with a 2013 ford explorer MFT/sync...
Seems to work ok although it will often freeze the phone when I turn the explorer off...the phone is still actually on but the screen is black and the buttons don't work...I have to do a soft rest to reboot it...if I turn the screen of the 920 on before turning off the vehicle, it doesn't freeze.
Definitely a bug...could be a handshake issue with sync as Ford has a terrible track record with this software...the latest update they actually sent new map data and it was a big update for sync/MFT...I believe they got MS to help them as the original company that worked on sync/MFT has parted ways with Ford

Anyway, would like to avoid this issue happening but it seems to be easy to resolve.

 

[kyderr]

That seems similar to the problem I was having. Something portico was to fix? My problem now is it's all garbled.

 

[kyderr]

It seems that it's pretty reliable that if you use BT, Nokia and Sync, you'll have lockups time to time. Even with Portico (Though it seems better) If you'd like to have fun, do what I am doing and spend your days and nights talking to, Verizon, Ford, Nokia, Sync, Microsoft, and then search the forums.. Everyone blames the other company.

 

[GreenScrew]

Its really quite ridiculous that they can't get this resolved. Even more so since it works (from the standpoint of my usage/needs) perfect on my older Sync system and not on my newer MFT system.

 

[GLMKSOwner]

From my understanding working with Ford and the API it is the same reason you can't see names for songs from cd's you load onto the hard drive in the Jukebox. I went to a local store and bought a refurbished Zune as you can use the same library for the Zune that you use for Itunes. It works great. In most cases you can put a lot more music on the zune connect it directly and your phone can still connect through Bluetooth and you can still select it as a music source. It is not a real friendly API to the Itunes setup. When I used my IPod in the vehicle it would reindex on every start of the car. The Zune will pick up exactly where I left off. MS is always stubborn when it comes to cross platforms like these.

 

[GLMKSOwner]

Yep drove me nuts. Its a setting on the Sync system under the devices settings. Anytime I started my MKS and the phone connected it would do it. I also made sure that I set the music player to use a Zune that is in the vehicle since I never plug my phone in the car. With over 4000 songs on the Zune and full voice interaction didn't need my phone for music or the battery drain. With the Zune hooked up and not having my phone listed as preferred music device I have never had the problem.

 

[kyderr]

It is one of those things... If it wasn't possible, it wouldn't be a big deal. The fact that it is Possible and it ALMOST works all the time, indicates to me that it's just a boneheaded coding error that needs fixing. While on the phone with Verizon today, we attempted to call Nokia, Got hung up on twice...

 

[lgdlman]

MS just released a brand new version of Sync. I have an iPhone and have been thinking about a new WP8. Love the integration!

 

[kyderr]

MS just released a brand new version of Sync. I have an iPhone and have been thinking about a new WP8. Love the integration!

what is your source on this? I am very interested.

 

[GreenScrew]

I've been very vocally ticked off about the fact that hands free texting works so great in my 2011 F-150 and like crap in our new Taurus MFT system. We'll, I drove the wife's Taurus to work today and the hands free texting worked great for me. Don't know what changed or maybe its her phone (we both have 8x's) guess I'll find out soon enough when she's home so I can test. But for now I have to bite my tongue. Its really impressive and convenient texting hands free. The Nav is still crap, phone works way better for that, but hands free texting is rocking!

 

[Cormango]

No problems with my 2012 Focus and Lumia 920. Every once in awhile I have issues with privacy, but you just tap the Bluetooth icon on the call screen twice to turn it off and then back on. Always fixes the problem. I also had this issue with my iPhone, but not as frequent.

BT text is not supported, but it doesn't matter because Sync just uses BT passthrough for the voice commands. What I don't like is that I have to press and hold the start button on the phone to initiate it in my car. Sync should have a command for BT passthrough. GM does...

But the speech to text is the best part by far. Love replying to texts with my voice.

 

[elee@ulgm.org]

My Escape 2010 has the issue with going into privacy mode that others have reported. Receiving and responding to text messages works fine. I've never tried initiating a new text message, so I can't say whether that feature works. Streaming music over Bluetooth does not display track information.

 

[THE_Lawnboy]

I have noticed with my 2011 Mustang w/ sync (not MFT) and my iPhone 4S, if you answer an incoming call with the phone, it will switch to privacy mode. Likewise if you initiate a call with the phone. If you answer or inititate calls with the steering wheel controls, the phone remains connected through Sync.

I don't know if this is what is going on with the Windows Phones, but it might explain the privacy mode issues people are having. Make sure you answer/make calls with the Sync controls and not the phone unless you want to be in privacy mode.

 

[gregtomchuk]

Hi,
Did this privacy mode issue get resolved. I have a 2010 ford escape and a nokia 920 with the same problem.

 

[NoLoveForFrank]

Hi,
Did this privacy mode issue get resolved. I have a 2010 ford escape and a nokia 920 with the same problem.

No, it hasn't. I'm dealing with it on a new 2014 Ford Mustang. So far it seems that the first outgoing call I make after connecting the phone to SYNC will default to Privacy Mode. I'm not yet ready to label this as a definite WP8 issue, though. I've now had the same Lumia 920 handset paired with multiple vehicles with SYNC in the past few months:
2012 Ford Expedition SYNC w/ MyFord Touch
2013 Ford Flex SYNC w/ MyFord Touch
2013 Ford Explorer SYNC w/ MyFord Touch
2014 Ford Mustang SYNC (no MyFord Touch)

On every unit previous to this one not only did I never get the Privacy mode issue, but the connections were almost seamless. I'd be listening to music (or on a call) before getting in and the moment the car was up and running it would transfer over to SYNC flawlessly. Artist/Song text would be displayed on the screen, and I rarely if ever had any kind of crash issues. On the 2014 Mustang, I very frequently get the Privacy mode issue which makes "hands free" calling an impossibility. It seems to take much longer (10-15 seconds) sometimes to connect via Bluetooth whereas on previous versions it was almost instant (maybe 3-5 seconds). And whenever I get into the car I have to force SYNC to select Bluetooth Audio whereas in the previous versions it was automatic.

I've received some conflicting responses from Ford support on this, and while I've been happy with how my dealer has responded to the concerns I'm not exactly happy with a solution of "leave the car with them for a few days" just to figure out what is going on. Next on my list to check is to try using other non-WP8 devices to see if I can pin anything down. But since I've heard reports of these things happening on WP8 and non-WP8 phones, on some versions of SYNC but not others, there just seem to be too many variables and I don't get the sense that Microsoft really cares about the issue.

 

[twan52]

I have identical issue with Focus Zetec Econetic 2013 and HTC 8X WP8. It is definitely NOT a Nokia issue. Windows phones are not listed as compatible on the Sync site. I have the UK Ford Sync team looking in to it! I had no problems with my last Focus (2012) with this handset - text messages, hands-free calling, BT Audio - all worked perfectly. It would seem that in this latest revision of Sync Microsoft have decided to stop supporting their on OS!?! This is the second windows phone I have had hoping that it would catch on and that software developers would invest in the OS, but several years later and the OS is still the last to be supported (Spotify is a good example) and now Microsoft have put the final nail in their own coffin. Android or iOS from now on!!