Bluecruise without Subscription

[L33der]

Hi all! Not sure what the hell is going on. My Bluecruise trial expired back in October, however it is still working! I thought, maybe they extended the trial. I checked Ford Pass app Connected Services and under Bluecruise it says "Activate". So, I can confirm I DO NOT have an extended trial or active subscription. The only thing that may be causing this is, back in August I ran some updates with FDRS. After I installed all the available updates, I received DTC U211B: 51. Some 2023-2024 F-Super Duty and 2024 F-150/Nautilus vehicles may set DTC U211B: 51 in the telematics control unit (TCU) module after a software update on the TCU is performed at dealer or via over the air (OTA) Update. However, I received an OTA update on October 21st for 10.1.1 Enhanced Connectivity and Power Management. OTA updates are at least still working. Is it possible that this DTC (that is still present) may be preventing my Truck from talking to Ford as far as subscriptions are concerned? Anybody have a clue as to why I have free Bluecruise? I am NOT complaining. And, I probably just snitched on myself to Ford

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[Riddick]

On my 24 I noticed the same thing last week. However, a couple days later the subscription expired again, I received an email stating my subscription expired even though I never renewed it to begin with.

For what it's worth I purchased my truck in May.... I think the blue Cruise expired originally back in October.

 

[L33der]

On my 24 I noticed the same thing last week. However, a couple days later the subscription expired again, I received an email stating my subscription expired even though I never renewed it to begin with.

For what it's worth I purchased my truck in May.... I think the blue Cruise expired originally back in October.

Interesting, I was just out on the Highway about an hour ago and tried it. It is still working perfectly!

 

[Horskrzy]

Perhaps it's easier not to provide any more updates vs. turning it off? So you may just be driving with old data as time passes.

 

[terihenry]

When Bluecruise subscription it is over it is like a drunk going down the road bouncing off the lines on the center and edge of the road. Not true Bluecruise.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

When Bluecruise subscription it is over it is like a drunk going down the road bouncing off the lines on the center and edge of the road. Not true Bluecruise.

Sure……unless you do the hack. It actually works rather well.

 

[L33der]

Just checked and I have Blue Cruise 1.4. All OTA updates coming through. Blue Cruise still working perfectly. Definitely not a drunk going down the road.

@FaaWrenchBndr what is this Hack you speak of? Are you referring to Blue Pilot w/ the Comma3x or the Ankle weight attached to the wheel? Feel free to PM me about it.

 

[tmark]

It will be a cold day in Georgia July before I will subscribe to technology that should be a standard. I will pay for the cost of the option but that is it.

 

[roadPilot]

When Bluecruise subscription it is over it is like a drunk going down the road bouncing off the lines on the center and edge of the road. Not true Bluecruise.

This doesn't sound like you're actually using Bluecruise with an active subscription OR you don't have all the BC options enabled.

I posted this on the 'other' F150 forums, but thought it might be of use to some here:

-=-
As a 2.5 year user of BlueCruise in an F150 (including working with Ford engineers and my dealership to become one of the first, if not the first, 2021 Job 1 F150 with BC enabled in SE Michigan, and one of the first to upgrade to BC 1.4 in a pre-2024 F150 as well), I can provide the following feedback:

1. Before complaining about hands on the wheel and other various things, make sure you're actually USING BlueCruise. If the dash isn't displaying the blue steering wheel and the words "hands free", BC is not in use.
2. A truck without BC enabled has 90% of the same driver assistance features that a truck with BC enabled does. Many people confuse adaptive cruise control and lane keeping features with full BC. These are NOT equal.
3. Set REALISTIC expectations. BlueCruise is a level 2 autonomous driving system. That means you are EXPECTED to be prepared to regain control AT ANY TIME. BlueCruise is not "hands-off-the-wheel-foot-off-the-pedal-take-a-nap-and-wake-up-at-your-destination" system.
4. If you do not understand the 6 levels of vehicle autonomy, take a few minutes to read up on it.
5. BlueCruise ONLY works on the interstates and major highways that have been pre-mapped by Ford. It does NOT work anywhere else.
6. The aforementioned adaptive cruise control and lane keeping WILL provide a very similar experience when NOT on interstates and major highways, but NOT the same. Again, if you don't see the BLUE steering wheel and the words "hands free", you're NOT using BC, even if your truck HAS BC enabled.
7. The environment MOST CERTAINLY affects if and how BC works. Bright sunlight, rain, snow, and other weather conditions can degrade or stop BC from working.
8. Road conditions MOST CERTAINLY affect if and how BC works. If the painted lines are not consistent and visible to the system, this can degrade or stop BC from working. Construction areas, too.
9. Older BC version (1.0) is not as smooth and predictable as the latest version (1.4). Lane centering is better in 1.4 and it doesn't force you to "take control" as often as 1.0 does. When passing other vehicles (esp big trucks), BC 1.4 will actually move you slightly away from the other vehicle, but still keep you in your lane. BC 1.4 has improvements such as lane change assist, predictive speed assist (slow down for upcoming curves), and other things that BC 1.0 does not.
10. I can't say it enough: Set REALISTIC expectations. BlueCruise is NOT going to, nor was it ever intended (yet) to, provide a door-to-door driving experience. It's meant to "give you a break" during long, monotonous driving on the interstates and highways. BC is not your valet or chauffeur.

I've been using BC 1.0 since early 2022 and BC 1.4 the last 3-4 months (IIRC).
I drive 110 miles round-trip five days per week, 95% of that on two different interstate highways.
With BC 1.4, I have virtually zero complaints about it because I have realistic expectations of what a level 2 autonomous driving system can and cannot do.

The above is based on my years of experience using BC 1.0 and 1.4 with my 2021 Job 1 F150. So depending upon your truck, YMMV and things may be different.
-=-

 

[Jwinstead]

Hi all! Not sure what the hell is going on. My Bluecruise trial expired back in October, however it is still working! I thought, maybe they extended the trial. I checked Ford Pass app Connected Services and under Bluecruise it says "Activate". So, I can confirm I DO NOT have an extended trial or active subscription. The only thing that may be causing this is, back in August I ran some updates with FDRS. After I installed all the available updates, I received DTC U211B: 51. Some 2023-2024 F-Super Duty and 2024 F-150/Nautilus vehicles may set DTC U211B: 51 in the telematics control unit (TCU) module after a software update on the TCU is performed at dealer or via over the air (OTA) Update. However, I received an OTA update on October 21st for 10.1.1 Enhanced Connectivity and Power Management. OTA updates are at least still working. Is it possible that this DTC (that is still present) may be preventing my Truck from talking to Ford as far as subscriptions are concerned? Anybody have a clue as to why I have free Bluecruise? I am NOT complaining. And, I probably just snitched on myself to Ford

I have a 2022 which came with the 3year trial subscription and is set to expire on Jan 9th. When I went in to renew and see what the updated costs were now that Ford has changed some pricing around, it gave me a one year complimentary extension. Depending, Ford may have just bumped your trial without you having to manually accept it. Again not saying that is what has happened but just a possibility.

 

[gnikdaor]

Maybe they “forgot” to end your free trial period. I know that most likely there is some automated system that ends everyone’s free trial periods, but like all software, you are probably the lucky recipient of a “glitch” that didn’t automatically disable your free trial.

On the 2019 F150 that I leased, my free XM satellite radio subscription trial didn’t end after the trial period was over. I had it for all three years of my lease. I never paid for it. When I did a factory reset of the infotainment system the day I turned my truck in at the end of my lease, that ended the XM radio from playing on that truck.

A little off topic, but as an fyi for anyone that may not think about it, anytime you return a rental car, leased vehicle, or trade or sell a vehicle, if it has an infotainment system and you have ever paired your phone to it, or used the navigation, all that info is saved, so the new renter/owner will have access to that data. And if you have saved your address on the navigation as “home”, anyone using that vehicle will know where you live, and will also know everywhere you’ve been. Friends, family, where you work, etc. So always do a factory reset, that will erase all that data, before you leave that vehicle for the last time.

 

[Paul Neubauer]

Maybe they “forgot” to end your free trial period. I know that most likely there is some automated system that ends everyone’s free trial periods, but like all software, you are probably the lucky recipient of a “glitch” that didn’t automatically disable your free trial.

On the 2019 F150 that I leased, my free XM satellite radio subscription trial didn’t end after the trial period was over. I had it for all three years of my lease. I never paid for it. When I did a factory reset of the infotainment system the day I turned my truck in at the end of my lease, that ended the XM radio from playing on that truck.

A little off topic, but as an fyi for anyone that may not think about it, anytime you return a rental car, leased vehicle, or trade or sell a vehicle, if it has an infotainment system and you have ever paired your phone to it, or used the navigation, all that info is saved, so the new renter/owner will have access to that data. And if you have saved your address on the navigation as “home”, anyone using that vehicle will know where you live, and will also know everywhere you’ve been. Friends, family, where you work, etc. So always do a factory reset, that will erase all that data, before you leave that vehicle for the last time.

I always do a factory reset on my service loaner vehicles when I pull into the lot to return them also.

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