Strange message from radio

[edgemaster]

Hi, the other day my radio (2009 Edge, 6 CD changer) surprised me with a message if I wanted a report or something like that. I was so "shocked" that it took me a while to realize it.

What in the world was that?

[chefduane]

The vehicle is asking you of you want to run a "Vehicle Health Report." Very cursory report on basic status of vehicle systems. I usually ignore it.

[edgemaster]

How would I start a report?

[akirby]

How would I start a report?

 

Go back to 2017...........

 

That feature was recently removed.

[edgemaster]

It's a 2009 Edge!

[akirby]

It's a 2009 Edge!

 

They removed that feature on the Ford server side - has nothing to do with the vehicle itself.

[edgemaster]

Can this darn message be turned off since its useless?

[akirby]

It shouldn't be happening regularly.

[edgemaster]

Well, it does.

[akirby]

pics?

[edgemaster]

Pics? Of what?

[akirby]

Pics of the message on the screen

[edgemaster]

Due to my "shock" hearing that message while playing a CD, I didn't even notice the screen.

Anyway, this happens while driving in traffic, the last thing I would think of is taking a pic.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Check for instructions on the Ford Owner website. Should tell you how to stop this reminder.

[akirby]

Does it stay on the screen? If you can't give us the exact message it's difficult to help.

[edgemaster]

No, the message does not stay on the screen, at least I haven't seen it.

And, there is no screen to speak of anyway, just that green segment display.

[FordGuy1]

Go under settings and there is a selection to have it not run a Vehicle Health Report.

 

Ford removed the server so that it can't be run anymore. It nice that a company can get away with removing functions from vehicles without having to give the customers back any money for the less service. One other service that I used a lot was the ability to select an address from my downloaded phone contacts and have it navigate to that address. Ford removed that in v3.7 software update without telling anybody in the update notes.

[TheWizard]

You mean like Microsoft not supporting Windows XP anymore? Companies don't have to support software for any specific period of time and are free to change the terms as they see fit. Even advertising that a vehicle comes with a particular feature doesn't bind them to continue to support that feature unless they say something like "3 years of vehicle status reports included". You will notice in all advertising and brochures that there is a disclaimer that "features are subject to change without notice".

 

For that matter, manufacturers are under no obligation to even supply replacement parts for vehicles that are out of warranty. The federal government requires parts availability for emissions systems for eight years so almost all manufacturers have 8-year emissions warranties separate from their standard warranty.

[FordGuy1]

You mean like Microsoft not supporting Windows XP anymore? Companies don't have to support software for any specific period of time and are free to change the terms as they see fit. Even advertising that a vehicle comes with a particular feature doesn't bind them to continue to support that feature unless they say something like "3 years of vehicle status reports included". You will notice in all advertising and brochures that there is a disclaimer that "features are subject to change without notice".

 

For that matter, manufacturers are under no obligation to even supply replacement parts for vehicles that are out of warranty. The federal government requires parts availability for emissions systems for eight years so almost all manufacturers have 8-year emissions warranties separate from their standard warranty.

So "TheWizard" your happy with functions in your vehicle disappearing, I'm not. Just how would you feel if that as soon as your vehicle warranty ran out that the manufacturers stopped your engine from running, after all that in today's vehicles could be just a piece of software that they no longer support. That would help them sell more vehicles. I have complained to Ford in Dearborn, Michigan about the address-destination removal, if no one complains the big corporations will just take more advantage of the customers. I also have read the legal disclaimers about change without notice, etc., that still doesn't make it alright to just delete things, just legal.

 

I believe that the removal of the address-destinations and also the non implementation of app-link in Sync2 MFT fall under the false advertising since both were in Ford ads back when the vehicles were being sold but are no longer in the vehicles or in the case of app-link never were put in the vehicle as advertised. But that's what we seem to have to live with now since these companies are so big that they can do almost what they want. Have a nice day.

 

edgemaster - I checked and I no longer have the owners manual PDF for the 2009 Mercury that I use to have, but if you look up the manual for your 2009 Edge there should be a section that tells how to turn off the Automatic Vehicle Health Report.

[TheWizard]

I don't recall saying I was happy about it - I was merely pointing out the reality of the situation. Bear in mind that software is licensed not purchased so you don't actually own the software and the provider can make whatever changes they deem appropriate because it's their property.

 

Eliminating some little-used peripheral functions like vehicle status reports is nothing like eliminating primary functions such as engine management... but even there the manufacturer is under no obligation to provide you with the latest and greatest updates as long as the car runs as intended. Your comparison is just plain silly.

 

You can tilt at windmills all you like but in the end it all comes down to cost/benefit calculations for the manufacturer. I'm afraid that's just the real world.

[akirby]

So "TheWizard" your happy with functions in your vehicle disappearing, I'm not. Just how would you feel if that as soon as your vehicle warranty ran out that the manufacturers stopped your engine from running, after all that in today's vehicles could be just a piece of software that they no longer support. That would help them sell more vehicles. I have complained to Ford in Dearborn, Michigan about the address-destination removal, if no one complains the big corporations will just take more advantage of the customers. I also have read the legal disclaimers about change without notice, etc., that still doesn't make it alright to just delete things, just legal.

 

It has nothing to do with being happy about it, it's about understanding how software works overall, not just in vehicles. And it's not done to sell more new vehicles. It's done to cut support costs especially on features that don't add much value and that not very many owners use like the VHR.

 

Features that integrate with the phone are very difficult to maintain as phone operating systems change. And I presume this is another feature that very few people used.

 

You don't have to like it, but you should understand why it's being done, that it's perfectly legal and all mfrs either do it or will be doing it at some point.

[IWRBB]

It was a pointless feature anyways. If there's anything wrong that needs to be addressed, the check engine light comes on. It's not like it says "your brake pads are now at 1.6 mm thickness and your air filter has a 2 in-hg restriction". That would be a useful vehicle health report. Since the car can't determine any of that or anything remotely close- again, total worthless feature.

[enigma-2]

You mean like Microsoft not supporting Windows XP anymore?

Actually, they still do. One of my work computers is an XP machine and Microsoft just updated it with several security updates yesterday.

[enigma-2]

It's set to pop up at selected milage intervals. If you want to turn it off (as others have said, it's been disabled on Ford's end), do the following:

1. Press the PHONE hard button on the navigation system.

2. Select the Settings tab on the touchscreen.

3. Press Advanced.

4. Select Vehicle Health Report.

5. Select Automatic Reports.

6. Select "automatic reports off".

[TheWizard]

Actually, they still do. One of my work computers is an XP machine and Microsoft just updated it with several security updates yesterday.

 

Yes, companies can pay big bucks for an extended support contract with Microsoft to provide security updates well past the end-of-life date (which was way back in April 2014). This is intended to support systems like ATMs and point-of-sale systems but will cover any Windows XP machine the company wants to pay for. There is also a registry "hack" that will extend support on a Windows XP machine until April 2019 by making Microsoft see the computer as a POS device.

 

But for ordinary users, there is no support for Windows XP anymore. Maybe I should have used Windows Vista in my example because it was far less popular and has not had any offer of extended support (thankfully it died a well deserved death).