2021 FORD EXPLORER audio

HD Radio Reception and Station Troubleshooting
Potential Reception Issues
If you are listening to a multicast station and you are on the
fringe of the reception area, the station may mute due to
weak signal strength.
Reception area
If you are listening to HD1, the system changes back to the
analog broadcast until the digital broadcast is available again.
However, if you are listening to any of the possible HD2-HD7
multicast channels, the station mutes and stays muted unless
it is able to connect to the digital signal again.
When the system first receives a station (aside from HD2-
HD7 multicast stations), it first plays the station in the analog
version. Once the receiver verifies the station is an HD Radio
station, it shifts to the digital version. Depending on the station
quality, you may hear a slight sound change when the station
changes from analog to digital. Blending is the shift from
analog to digital sound or digital back to analog sound.
Station blending
In order to provide the best possible
experience, use the contact form to report
any station issues found while listening to
a station broadcasting with HD Radio
technology. Independent entities own and
operate each station. These stations are
responsible for ensuring all audio streams
and data fields are accurate. Potential Station Issues
Action
Cause
Issues
No action required. This is a
broadcast issue.
This is poor time alignment by
the radio broadcaster.
Echo, stutter, skip or
repeat in audio.
Increase or decrease in
audio volume.
No action required. The recep-
tion issue may clear up as you
continue to drive.
The radio is shifting between
analog and digital audio.
Sound fading or
blending in and out.
No action required. This is
normal behavior. Wait until the
audio is available.
The digital multicast is not
available until the HD Radio
broadcast is decoded. Once
decoded, the audio is available.
There is an audio mute
delay when selecting
HD2 or HD3, multicast
preset or Direct Tune.
447
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3

Potential Station Issues
Action
Cause
Issues
No action required. The station
is not available in your current
location.
The previously stored multicast
preset or direct tune is not
available in your current recep-
tion area.
Cannot access HD2 or
HD3 multicast channel
when recalling a preset
or from a direct tune.
Fill out the station issue form.1
Data service issue by the radio
broadcaster.
Text information does
not match currently
playing audio.
Fill out the station issue form.
1
Data service issue by the radio
broadcaster.
There is no text
information shown for
currently selected
frequency.
1 You can find the form here: Website
http://hdradio.com/stations/feedback
HD Radio Technology manufactured under
license from iBiquity Digital Corporation
and foreign patents. HD Radio and the HD
and HD Radio logos are proprietary
trademarks of DTS. The vehicle
manufacturer and DTS are not responsible
for the content sent using HD Radio
technology. Content may be changed,
added or deleted at any time at the station
owner's discretion. CD (If Equipped)
Once you select this option, the system
returns you to the main audio screen.
The current audio information appears on
the screen.
The following buttons are also available: Function
Button
You can use the browse button to select a track.
Browse
Select this button and a small number one displays to indicate
the track is set to repeat.
Repeat
448
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3

Function
Button
For MP3 CDs, this button allows you to toggle through repeat
off, repeat one track (a small number one displays), and repeat
current folder (a small folder displays).
Select the shuffle symbol to have the audio on the disk play
in random order.
Shuffle
You can use the forward, reverse, pause or
play buttons to control the audio playback. Bluetooth Stereo or USB
Bluetooth Stereo and USB allow you to
access media that you store on your
Bluetooth device or USB device such as
music, audio books or podcasts.
The following buttons are available for Bluetooth and USB: Function
Button
Pressing the repeat button toggles the repeat setting through
three modes: repeat off (button not highlighted), repeat all
(button highlighted) and repeat track (button highlighted with
a small number one).
Repeat
Play the tracks in random order.
Shuffle
You can use the forward, reverse, pause or
play buttons to control the audio playback.
To get more information about the
currently playing track, press the cover art
or Info button. For some devices, SYNC 3 is able to
provide 30-second skip buttons when you
listen to audio books or podcasts. These
buttons allow you to skip forward or
backward within a track.
While playing audio from a USB device you
can look for certain music by selecting the
following: Function
Button
If available, displays the list of tracks in the
Now Playing playlist.
Browse
This option, which is available under
browse, allows you to play all tracks or to
filter the available media into one of the
below categories.
New Search
Play All
449
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3

Function
Button
Playlists
Artist
Albums
Songs
Genres
Podcasts
Audio books
Composers
This button allows you to choose a specific
letter to view within the category you are
browsing.
A-Z Jump
If available, this allows you to browse the
folders and files on your USB device.
Explore Device
USB Ports The USB ports are in the center console or
behind a small access door in the
instrument panel.
This feature allows you to plug in USB
media devices, memory sticks, flash drives
or thumb drives, and charge devices if they
support this feature. Select this option to play audio from your
USB device.
Apps
The system supports the use of certain
audio apps such as iHeartRadio through a
USB or Bluetooth enabled device.
Each app gives you different on-screen
options depending on the app's content.
See Apps (page 461).
Supported Media Players, Formats
and Metadata Information
The system is capable of hosting nearly
any digital media player, including iPod,
iPhone, and most USB drives.
Supported audio formats include MP3,
WMA, WAV, AAC, and FLAC.
Supported audio file extensions include
MP3, WMA, WAV, M4A, M4B, AAC, and
FLAC.
450
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3E211463

Action and Description
Menu Item
Select to choose from a listing of
weather locations.
Area
Touch this button to view scores and schedules from a variety
of sports. You can also save up to 10 favorite teams for easier
access. The score automatically refreshes when a game is in
progress.
Sports Info
Touch this button to view ski conditions for a specific area.
Ski Conditions
SETTINGS Press the button to enter the
settings menu.
Once you select a tile, press the
button next to a menu item to
view an explanation of the
feature or setting.
Sound
Select this tile to adjust the sound settings.
Clock
Select this tile to adjust the clock settings.
Bluetooth
Select this tile to switch Bluetooth on and
off and adjust the settings.
Phone
Select this tile to connect, disconnect, and
manage the connected device settings.
Audio
Select this tile to adjust the audio settings. Driver Assist (If Equipped)
Select this tile to adjust Driver Assist
features like Parking Aids, Lane Keeping
System, Pedestrian Detection, and
Auto-Start-Stop.
Vehicle
Select this tile to adjust vehicle settings
like windows, alarm, lighting, and MyKey
settings.
FordPass
Select this tile to adjust the FordPass
settings
General
Select this tile to adjust settings like
language, measurement units, or to reset
the system.
911 Assist
(If Equipped)
Select this tile to switch 911 Assist on and
off.
Automatic Updates
Select this tile to adjust the automatic
update settings.
Mobile Apps
Select this tile to adjust permissions,
enable, disable, and update mobile apps.
464
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3E280315 E268570

Possible Cause and Resolution
Symptom
–You are not saying the name exactly as it appears on
your device.
•Say the first and last name of the contact exactly
as it appears on your device. Spell out any abbrevi-
ations in the name.
– The name contains special characters, for example *,
- or +.
•Rename the contact on your device or use the
touchscreen to select and call the contact.
The system does not under-
stand the name of a contact
in the phonebook on my
device and calls the wrong
contact.
–You are not saying the name exactly as it appears on
your device.
•Say the first and last name of the contact exactly
as it appears on your device. The system applies
phonetic pronunciation rules of the selected
language to the names of contacts in the phone-
book on your device. Select the name of the
contact on the touchscreen and use the Hear it
option to get an idea of how the system expects
you to pronounce it.
The system does not under-
stand foreign names of
contacts in the phonebook
on my device.
–Device limitation.
•The system uses text-to-speech technology and
uses a synthetically generated voice rather than
pre-recorded human voice.
The system voice prompts
and the pronunciation of
some words does not seem
to be very accurate.
USB and Bluetooth Audio Possible Cause and Resolution
Symptom
I cannot connect my device. –Device malfunction.
•Disconnect your device. Switch your device off,
reset it and try again.
– Cable connection issue.
•Correctly connect the cable to your device and the
vehicle USB port.
– Incompatible cable.
•Use the cable recommended by the manufacturer
of your device.
467
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3

Possible Cause and Resolution
Symptom
–Incorrect device settings.
•Make sure that your device does not have an auto-
install program or active security settings.
• Check that your device is not set only to charge.
– Device lock screen enabled.
•Unlock your device before connecting it.
The system does not recog-
nize my device. –
Device limitation.
•Do not leave your device in your vehicle during very
hot or very cold weather conditions.
– Cable connection issue.
•Correctly connect the cable to your device and the
vehicle USB port.
– Incompatible cable.
•Use the cable recommended by the manufacturer
of your device.
The system does not under-
stand the name of a track or
artist. –
Device limitation. Bluetooth does not support voice
commands.
•Connect your device to a USB port.
• If you have an iOS device, press and hold the voice
control button on the steering wheel to use Siri to
play specific tracks.
I cannot stream audio from
my Bluetooth device. –
Incompatible device.
•Check the compatibility of your device on our
website.
– Device not connected.
•Pair your device. See Phone (page 453).
– Media player not running.
•Start the media player on your device.
The system does not recog-
nize the music on my device. –
Missing or incorrect audio file metadata, for example
artist, song title, album or genre.
•Repair the files on your device.
– Corrupt files.
•Repair the files on your device.
468
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3

Possible Cause and Resolution
Symptom
–Copyright protected files.
•Use a device that contains files that are not copy-
right protected.
– Unsupported file format.
•Repair or convert the files to a supported format.
See Entertainment (page 441).
– Device indexing required.
•Re-index your device. See
Settings (page 464).
– Device lock screen enabled.
•Unlock your device before connecting it.
Sometimes I cannot hear a
track playing on my device. –
Device malfunction.
•Disconnect your device. Switch your device off,
reset it and try again.
When I disconnect my iOS
device the audio volume is
set to maximum. –
Device limitation.
•Turn the volume down on your device
If the system does not play the tracks on your USB device
in the correct order, the following information could help:
The system does not play
the tracks on my USB drive
in the correct order.
–If you are selecting USB as the audio source when the
system is still indexing, SYNC plays tracks sorted
alphabetically by file name in the root directory.
– If you are selecting USB as the audio source after the
system has finished indexing, SYNC plays all tracks
sorted alphabetically by the title in the ID3 tag
regardless of where they are located. SYNC uses the
file name if the title in the ID3 Tag does not exist.
– If you are selecting the option to play all tracks from
the browsing menu, SYNC plays all tracks sorted
alphabetically by the title in the ID3 tag regardless of
where they are located. SYNC uses the file name if the
title in the ID3 Tag does not exist.
– If you are selecting a track when using the explore
device option, SYNC plays tracks sorted alphabetically
by file name in the folder you have selected. SYNC
then plays all tracks in any subfolders in the folder you
have selected.
469
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3