Scary moment while driving today

[dannycamps]

While I am sure this has happened to others before, this was the first time it happened to me.

I was driving down the road today minding my own business when suddenly the music track I was listening to started to stutter like when a CD skips. I go to skip to the next track and I realize the MCU is completely frozen. I then check the main instrument cluster and I realize the entire thing is frozen (like when a computer deadlocks).

As I was doing 60 on a highway with no good place to stop, I did the two-finger MCU reset figuring it would silence the blaring stuttering sound. After holding the steering wheel buttons for about 5 seconds, both LCD panels turned off completely as did the AC. Now I am silently driving down the road and I realized I had no directional lights and I am not 100% certain the brake lights were working either. I however did not lose propulsion and was able to maintain highway speed until I found a safe spot to pull over to try to figure out my next move.

About 30 seconds later, the MCU rebooted on its own followed by the instrument cluster about a minute later. Once everything rebooted, I continued on my trip without issue.

This was kind of nerve-wracking but I am glad that when the MCU/cluster froze, the car did not lose the ability to drive. For now I am just going to chalk it up to the MCU not liking the song I was playing (joking).

In the event this happens again, what is the correct procedure for resolving? Is the two-finger salute the right approach?

Thanks,
-DJ

 

[Uncle Paul]

While many people will reboot their computers while driving down the road at high speeds, others will find it prudent to pull over into a safe place and reboot while safely parked.

 

[dark cloud]

After a few more times it will not give you any anxiety. AP still works fine while rebooting as well. I haven't checked but I am sure the brake lights were working also.

 

[alexdav]

The brakes and turn signal lights do function while rebooting. You just won’t get turn signal noises until it finishes rebooting.

 

[Snowstorm]

While I never have experienced a frozen MCU/IC, I have rebooted my MCU a few times while driving, usually to fix a frozen browser issue (which is fixed with 2019.20.x).

Everything core to driving still works during the reboot sequence, accelerate, brake, steer, signal lights (minus the fake relay click noise). The HVAC does turn off for maybe 30 seconds or so. The LTE does sometimes take 5 minute before it reconnects.

 

[dark cloud]

The LTE does sometimes take 5 minute before it reconnects.

No LTE ever connects in my car....

 

[maximizese]

I had the audio stutter for a goof 1.5 minutes while on a road trip in our 2013 MS 85. Luckily the volume was low enough to be tolerable and it fixed itself without needing to reset the MCU. The touchscreen was completely unresponsive and I don't recall if the instrument cluster froze or not...I'm leaning on it didn't. But as others have stated, the turn signals and brake lights should still operate even though the cluster might not show it.

 

[demundus]

The car can drive with all legal driving requirements (lights, signals, etc) with the MCU off... MCU (media unit) controls things such as A/C and sound, so you have no clicker feedback through the speakers anymore since its being reset. A dead MCU is annoying and does prevent faster charging, but the car is totally isolated from it for driving.