Ford Ka: SYNC Troubleshooting

The SYNC system is easy to use. However, if you have any questions, refer to the tables below.

To check your phone's compatibility, visit the regional Ford website.

Mobile phone problems
Problem	Possible causes	Possible solution
Loud background noise during the call.	The audio control settings of the mobile phone may be affecting the proper operation of the SYNC system.	For audio adjustments, refer to the device's manual.
During the call, I can hear the person I am calling, but they cannot hear me.	Possible malfunction of the mobile phone.	Turn off the mobile phone, reset it or remove the battery, then try again.
	Possible malfunction of the mobile phone.	Make sure the SYNC microphone is not set to Off.
SYNC is unable to download my phone book.	This feature depends on the mobile phone.	Check the compatibility of the mobile phone.
	Possible malfunction of the mobile phone.	Turn off the mobile phone, reset it or remove the battery, then try again.
		Try to save the phone book contacts to the SYNC system by selecting the add option.
		Turn on the mobile phone and activate the SYNC automatic phone book download function.
The system displays "Phone book downloaded", but the SYNC phone book is empty or is missing contacts.	Capacity limits of the mobile phone in use.	Try to save the phone book contacts to the SYNC system by selecting the add option.
		If the missing contacts are saved on the SIM card, try to move them to the mobile phone memory.
		Remove any special images or ringtones associated with the missing contacts.
		Turn on the mobile phone and activate the SYNC automatic phone book download function.
I cannot connect the mobile phone to SYNC.	This feature depends on the mobile phone.	Check the compatibility of the mobile phone.
	Possible malfunction of the mobile phone.	Turn off the mobile phone, reset it or remove the battery, then try again.
		Try to delete the device from SYNC, delete SYNC from the device, then try again.
		Always check the security settings and the "auto accept prompt" setting for the SYNC Bluetooth connection on your mobile phone.
		Update the firmware of the mobile phone.
		Turn off the automatic download setting.
Text messages do not work on SYNC.	This feature depends on the mobile phone.	Check the compatibility of the mobile phone.
	Possible malfunction of the mobile phone.	Turn off the mobile phone, reset it or remove the battery, then try again.
	iPhone	Go to the "Settings" menu of the mobile phone. Go to the "Bluetooth" menu. Make sure the connection status shows "Not Connected". Press the blue circle to access the next menu. Turn on "Show Notifications". Turn on "Sync Contacts".
	iPhone	The iPhone is now configured to forward incoming text messages to SYNC. Repeat these steps for each other vehicle equipped with SYNC to which you are connected. The iPhone will forward incoming text messages to SYNC only if it is unlocked. The iPhone does not support replying to text messages using SYNC. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger text messages are not supported.
Audible text messages on the mobile phone do not work.	This feature depends on the mobile phone.	To receive incoming text messages, the mobile phone must support the text message download function via Bluetooth.
	This feature depends on the mobile phone.	Access the SYNC Text Messages menu to check whether your mobile phone supports the function. Press the PHONE key, scroll through the items and select the text messages option, then press OK.
	This is a limitation of the mobile phone.	Since every mobile phone is different, refer to the manual of the specific phone you intend to pair. Indeed, differences may exist between mobile phones due to brand, model, service provider and software version.

USB and media device problems
Problem	Possible causes	Possible solution
I have difficulty connecting the device.	Possible malfunction of the device.	Turn off the device, reset it or remove the battery, then try again.
		Make sure the cable you are using is the manufacturer's cable.
		Make sure the USB cable is correctly inserted into the device and into the vehicle's USB port.
		Check that the device does not have an auto-install program or security settings enabled.
SYNC does not recognize my device when I start the vehicle.	This is a limitation of the device.	Remember not to leave the device inside the vehicle in extremely hot or cold temperatures.
No audio output via Bluetooth.	This feature depends on the device.	Make sure you have connected the device to SYNC and pressed the Play button on the device.
No audio output via Bluetooth.	The device is not connected.
SYNC does not recognize the music on my device.	The music files may not contain correct information about artist, track title, album or genre.	Check that all the track details are filled in.
	The file may be corrupted.	Replace the damaged file with a new version.
	The track may be protected by copyright and therefore cannot be played.	Some devices require changing the USB settings from mass storage to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) class.
Sometimes, when the iPhone or iPod Touch is connected via USB and Bluetooth at the same time, no sound is heard.	This is a limitation of the device.	From the music playback screen of the iPhone or iPod Touch, select the AirPlay icon of the audio device at the bottom of the iPhone or iPod Touch screen.
		To listen to the iPhone or iPod Touch through Bluetooth audio, select SYNC.
		To listen to the iPhone or iPod Touch through USB, select the dock connector.

Voice command problems
Problem	Possible causes	Possible solution
SYNC does not understand what I say.	The voice commands being used may not be correct.	Review the voice commands for the mobile phone and media devices at the beginning of their respective chapters.
	The voice commands being used may not be correct.	During a hands-free session, check the list of voice commands shown on the audio unit display.
	You may be speaking too early or at the wrong time.	The system microphone is located in the rearview mirror or in the headliner just above the windshield.
SYNC does not understand the name of a track or an artist.	The voice commands being used may not be correct.	Review the media device voice commands at the beginning of the media devices chapter.
	The name may not be pronounced exactly as the system has stored it.	Pronounce the song or artist exactly as the system has stored it. If you say "Play artist Prince," the system will not play music by Prince and the Revolution or Prince and the New Power Generation.
		Make sure to pronounce the full title, for example "California remix featuring Jennifer Nettles."
		If track titles are in capital letters, pronounce each letter separately. LOLA should be pronounced "L-O-L-A."
	The system may not "read" the name the same way it is pronounced.	Do not use special characters in the title, as the system does not recognize them.
When I want to make a call, SYNC does not understand or calls the wrong contact.	The voice commands being used may not be correct.	Review the phone voice commands at the beginning of the mobile phone chapter.
	The voice commands being used may not be correct.	You can also use the mobile phone and the media candidate list to get a list of possible matches when the system cannot fully understand what was said. See Using Voice Recognition.
	The name may not be pronounced exactly as the system has stored it.	Be careful to pronounce the name exactly as the system has stored it. For example, if the contact name is Joe Wilson, say "Call Joe Wilson."
		The system works best when you give full names such as "Joe Wilson" rather than "Joe."
	Contacts in the phone book may be very short or similar, or may contain special characters.	Do not use special characters such as 123 or ICE, as the system does not recognize them.
	Phone book contacts may be in capital letters.	If contact names are in capital letters, pronounce each letter separately. JAKE should be pronounced "Call J-A-K-E."
The SYNC voice command system has difficulty recognizing foreign names stored in the mobile phone.	Foreign names may be pronounced using the language currently selected for SYNC.	The SYNC system applies the phonetic pronunciation rules of the selected language to contact names stored on the mobile phone.
		Helpful tip: you can select the contact manually. Press PHONE. Select the phone book option, then the contact name. Press the softkey option to listen. SYNC will read the contact name, giving you an idea of the pronunciation to expect.
The SYNC voice command system has difficulty recognizing foreign track, artist, album, genre and playlist names from the digital music player or USB flash drive.	Foreign names may be pronounced using the language currently selected for SYNC.	SYNC applies the phonetic pronunciation rules of the selected language to contact names stored on the digital music player or USB flash drive. It can make some exceptions for very well-known artist names (e.g., U2), for which the English pronunciation can always be used.
The system generates voice prompts, and the pronunciation of some words may not be perfect for the specific language.	SYNC uses text-to-speech voice prompt technology.	SYNC uses an electronic voice instead of a pre-recorded human voice.
	SYNC uses text-to-speech voice prompt technology.	SYNC offers several new voice command functions for a wide range of languages. Dial the number of a contact directly from the phone book without pre-recording (e.g., "Call Sergio Rossi") or select the track, artist, album, genre or playlist directly from the digital music player (e.g., "Play artist Madonna").
The previous Bluetooth voice command system allowed you to control the radio, CD and climate control systems. Why can these systems not be controlled with SYNC?	The purpose of SYNC is to control mobile devices and the content stored on them.	SYNC offers many more functions than the previous system, such as the ability to dial the number of a contact directly from the phone book without pre-recording (e.g., "Call Sergio Rossi") or to select the track, artist, album, genre or playlist directly from the digital music player (e.g., "Play artist Madonna").

General
Problem	Possible causes	Possible solution
The language selected for the instrument cluster and audio/video display does not match the SYNC language (mobile phone, USB, Bluetooth audio, voice commands and voice prompts).	SYNC does not support the language currently selected for the instrument cluster and audio/video display.	SYNC supports only four languages in a single module for text display, voice commands and voice prompts. The four languages, chosen according to their frequency of use in the local market, depend on the country where the vehicle was purchased. If the selected language is not available, SYNC continues to use the language currently active.
		SYNC offers several new voice command functions for a wide range of languages. Dial the number of a contact directly from the phone book without pre-recording (e.g., "Call Sergio Rossi") or select the track, artist, album, genre or playlist directly from the digital music player (e.g., "Play artist Madonna").

AppLink Malfunctions
Problem	Possible causes	Possible solutions
AppLink mobile applications: when you select "Find new apps," SYNC does not find any applications.	No AppLink-compatible phone connected to SYNC.	A compatible smartphone is required: Android with OS 2.3 or higher, or iPhone 3GS or newer with iOS 5.0 or higher. Also, to find AppLink-compatible applications on the phone, the device must be paired and connected to SYNC. iPhone users must also connect to the SYNC USB port using an Apple USB cable.
The phone is connected but I cannot find any app.	The mobile phone is not set up for AppLink-compatible apps.	Download and install the latest version of the app from the phone's app store. Make sure the app works on the phone. Some apps require you to register or log in to the phone app before use with AppLink. Some of them may also be set to "Ford SYNC," so check the app settings menu on the phone.
The phone is connected, the apps work, but I cannot find any app.	In some cases, the apps do not close and do not properly reconnect to SYNC, for example after ignition cycles.	Close and restart the apps to allow SYNC to find the application if it is not detected in the vehicle. On Android devices, if the apps have an "Exit" option, select it and then restart the app. If this option is not available, you can also force the app to close manually from the phone's Settings menu. To do this, select the applications menu, look for the app in question and choose the force stop option. Then restart the app and select "Find new apps" on SYNC.
		To force close the app on an iPhone with iOS 7 or later, double-click the Home button, then swipe the app up. Press the Home button once again, then select the app again to restart it. After a few seconds, the app should appear in the SYNC phone apps menu.
The Android phone is connected and the apps work, but after restarting them I cannot find the apps.	On some older versions of Android OS, there is a Bluetooth malfunction that may prevent the apps detected during the last use of the vehicle from being found if Bluetooth was not turned off.	Reset the Bluetooth on the phone by turning it off and then back on. If you are in your vehicle, SYNC should be able to reconnect automatically to your phone by pressing the "Phone" button.
The iPhone is connected and the app works, but after restarting the app I cannot find it on SYNC.	If necessary, reset the USB connection on SYNC.	Disconnect the USB cable from the phone, wait a moment, and reconnect the USB cable. After a few seconds, the app should appear in the SYNC phone apps menu. Otherwise, force close the application and restart it.
With an Android phone. After finding and starting the media app on SYNC, no sound is heard or the sound is very faint.	Possibly low Bluetooth volume on the phone.	Increase the Bluetooth volume of the device using the volume buttons, usually located on its side.
Only some of the AppLink apps in operation listed on the SYNC phone apps menu are visible.	Some Android devices have a limited number of Bluetooth ports that apps can use for connection. If there are more AppLink apps on the phone than available Bluetooth ports, not all apps listed in the SYNC phone apps menu can be displayed.

SYNC Troubleshooting

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