Navigation instructions

[11Edge]

Are there any instructions on how to use the navigation system? I get routes that are not logical. We live in the Dallas Ft Worth area and go to Fredericksburg twice a year, so I know how to get there. But when I asked the navigation for the route, it takes me on some back roads that are too hilly and curvy so that you can not maintain a steady speed. If I can't get to route me properly when I know where I'm going, I can't trust it to route me where I don't know the way.

 

My Garmin took me on the same idiotic way so it is not just Ford. Google offered me three routes and one is the one we take. I don't have data service on my cell phone so I can't download google or mapsco or whatever.

[wlepse]

I have somewhat of a similar problem. I have even seen that the nav picks different routes depending on direction of travel. But it does give you three options, I think one is fastest, the other is shortest and I think eco. So maybe one of those other choices is what you are looking for.

[akirby]

If you want a specific route use waypoints.

[rwolson]

I've never set up any waypoints on MFT, but Garmin allows a user to configure, via points. Basically, you add a destination along your intended route sving the destination as a way point. Next, create your route on the Garmin and include the via point(s). I'm going by memory and oversimplified the process.

 

For example, if you leave northern Mass heading to northern NJ all mapping software wants to send you through NYC. Great, more traffic. I'll add stops along my route to force the GPS to use my route avoiding known traffic hotspots or take the scenic route I want instead of mapping software thinking for me.

[CARR142]

Google offered me three routes and one is the one we take. I don't have data service on my cell phone so I can't download google or mapsco or whatever.

 

Google has a feature that after you plot a route to where you, want/way to go.

You then set this info to your cell phone number

Google will call your through MFT and your cell phone number with the instructions.

 

I have done this one time and the route sent to me was the way i had it set up.

 

JC

[wlepse]

Lots of times when I know better I just go that way and wait for the GPS to catch on. But I really do wish it had the ability to download routes from google or something else. I find navigating the MFT to set things up extremely cumbersome where google maps allows quick changes. With my TomTom unit I could do this, set up the route I wanted, use another website to convert th route to a TT file and I was good to go.

[ladybird4]

You do have the ability to download directions to your vehicle from both Google and

Mapquest using Sync Services. Your dealer should be offering free classes to there

customers on this. I have been teaching classes to customers at a local Ford Dealer

For 14 months.Attached is an instruction book on using Sync Services which is free

for 3 years to the first owner of most new vehicles. It also allowes you to download

turn by turn directions.

4SYNC_MFTMLT_TIG21312.pdf

5SYNC_MFTMLT_TIG_webFIN.pdf

[wlepse]

You do have the ability to download directions to your vehicle from both Google and

Mapquest using Sync Services. Your dealer should be offering free classes to there

customers on this. I have been teaching classes to customers at a local Ford Dealer

For 14 months.Attached is an instruction book on using Sync Services which is free

for 3 years to the first owner of most new vehicles. It also allowes you to download

turn by turn directions.

Unless they have changed things this isn't quite true. You can go to google or mapquest and send a destination address to sync services and in turn to the vehicle but you can't send the routing from either website to you vehicle. So while sync services may provide a different routing than the nav unit it still isn't a customized route that you can make easily on google. I really wish Ford would add this functionality because the nav routing is often painful and I simply don't trust it. Perfect example was a few weekends back I took the family out and the routing took us the long way, but on the way back it took the expected route. I have it set to default to quickest way and no longer have traffic so this is definitely a quirk in the software. Saw the same thing on a much longer trip last year and I am worried about this summers road trip to the Outer Banks. I simply don't trust this nav unit. My TomTom I got on clearance at Target for 30 bucks blows it away in accuracy, functionality and user friendliness.

 

Just did a quick double check...unless neither site has updated its walk through to send to sync they clearly say destination only.

Edited June 14, 2012 by wlepse

[ladybird4]

Google Maps and Mapquest may not be customizable but they have always been reliable for giving

the most direct route. Also if you have MyFord Touch with Navigation it works with it and bring up

the map when you download it to the car. Yes you are Also able to send it to sync services and then

download it to your car. You really do have 4 options

.

1. Google Maps

2. Mapquest

3. Sync Services

4. Built in Navigation

 

I have used them all and the only one that seems to be somewhat outdated is Sync Services.

Edited June 14, 2012 by ladybird4

[wlepse]

But if google and mapquest only send a destination isn't it sync services that determines the route? The same one you just said seemed somewhat outdated? Or by out dated do you mean the POI's are outdated compared to google, mapquest and built in nav? Just curious because if there is a better way to use this nav I would love to know. I have some time to test things out before our road trip at the end of summer.

 

Ladybird...as a side note, do you have a listing voice commands? Most of what I have seen are just samples of what you can do. Just curious because sometimes I swear what I have to say is different and wonder if this is part of the issues I am having with voice recognition. For instance, sometimes if USB music is playing I think I can say play some artist, but other times I think I need to say USB, then play artist. Not sure what the difference is at these moments or if I am just imagining this.

[11Edge]

Thanks to all for your input.

 

Ladybird, thoses pdfs are what the doctor ordered.

[ladybird4]

Sync Services does not determan the route directions whan using google or mapquest. What ever directions

these 2 sights determan is what will be downloaded to your car. The only thing that Sync Services is doing

is providing a place to send the imformation so it can be sent to your car. Also as you requested attached

is a list of voice commands. It's 37 pages long and contains everything you should be able to say. More than

my pea brain can remember. If anyone needs more help you can send me a message I am not an expert and

do not have all the answers but do teach this to customers every week. File was in word format and i had to

save it and send it as a Pdf file. If you dont get it pm me with your e-mail address.

SYNC GEN 2 Voice Commands 2.pdf

[wlepse]

Thanks...I am going to review that pdf and see if I am doing something wrong. But something else popped in my head last night. We do get a lot of noise when using the phone which has been attributed to mic noise. Does anyone know if this is an issue with the way it works over BT or if anything using the mic would have this noise? Just wondering if part of my voice recognition issues are because of the whooshing sound in the background.

 

Didn't know that about the google and mapquest. Will have to pick a couple of wacky routes and send those over to try.

[akirby]

Thanks...I am going to review that pdf and see if I am doing something wrong.

 

If you have Nav it only sends the destination then your Nav determines the route. If you don't have Nav it sends turn by turn directions through Sync Services.

[wlepse]

If you have Nav it only sends the destination then your Nav determines the route. If you don't have Nav it sends turn by turn directions through Sync Services.

Crap...that is what I thought but it seemed ladybird4 was indicating otherwise. Sucks because like I mentioned above I find it much more intuitive and user friendly to manipulate a route on google than the MFT.

 

Akirby...any input on the mic question?

[ladybird4]

I would check it out for yourself. Whan i used Navigation to get directions it gave me different directions than whan

i did the same thing using Google Maps. If you want to know for sure do a route that the Nav is messing up.

Nav seems to be fairly accurate Services not so accurate.Let us know what you find out.

[akirby]

Akirby...any input on the mic question?

 

It makes sense that a mic problem would affect both. Maybe this points back to an apim problem again.

[wlepse]

It makes sense that a mic problem would affect both. Maybe this points back to an apim problem again.

Still have had no luck getting anywhere on that. Another thread someone mentioned Ford updated the app for the MFT so maybe they are all waiting for that to come out and see if it fixes the problems. I may also try that mod of extending the mic from the board to see if that helps. I just played with the voice recognition sitting in the parking lot and it seemed fine so maybe this background noise is the issue.

 

OK back to sync services vs built in nav...tried this and both Goolge and sync services clearly say destination will be downloaded. I tried it anyway and get the same results as doing it through the nav. I did compare it to my TomTom and to Googles routing and it seems it is recommending googles alternate which has a lot more single lane country roads. My default is to go with fastest, the only thing I avoid are ferries and I no longer have traffic, so anyone have an idea why it would be chosing the route with the least highways? On this particular trip the google times/miles aren't that different but the discrepancy has been much larger before. The expected route is on the right, the MFT route goes through Allentown. As a side note the TomTom picks a completely different route, up in NJ I like it better, down in DE and MD I am not so sure.

 

Also can anyone confirm how you can search for POIs along a route? I don't see this as an option on my system and I used to use this all the time on my TomTom. Especially on those long trips when you know you'll want a break in say 2 hours, I could do a search for rest areas along the route and pick one that was maybe 100-120 miles away. With this systel it seems I can check near my home, near a destination, nearby or a specific place. Am I just missing something?

 

And for thsoe that modify your routes...what do you find is the most effective way to do this? I figure there must be a better way to use this than what I am doing now.