Okie

I'm assuming you have the 8" My Ford Touch screen.  If yours has an older version of Sync 2 there is a way to add navigation to a non-navigation APIM.  You will need forscan and the appropriate update file.  Do a search there are a bunch of tutorials and videos out there.  Additionally you will need the SD Card that has the maps.  These can be found on ebay or amazon but ebay is usually cheaper but you do run the risk of getting bootlegs.  The A11 (north america and canada maps) are pretty inexpensive on ebay.

Additionally you could also go to Sync 3 if you wanted newer features and willing to spend more.  I did the Sync 3 conversion on the Edge my son drives and he loves it.  See my post on it.

You can find Sync 3 options pretty cheap on car-part and even ebay from time to time.  I converted my sons to Sync 3 and detailed it here.  If you get the correct screen you don't have to worry about 3D printing brackets.

On 1/22/2021 at 9:31 AM, Flyedge said:

A little update to close this out incase anyone finds themselves in the same spot. I came across a post on this forum about 3D printing a brackets to make the flat screen work-https://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/24155-sync-2-to-sync-3-in-2011-with-3d-printed-brackets/?tab=comments#comment-183751

I don’t have a 3D printer myself, but was able to find someone on a local Facebook group who was kind enough to print them out for me. The brackets fit perfect without any adjustment, and seem fairly sturdy, though we will see how they hold up long term. 
 

The rest of the install went fine, I was aIso able to use the As Built information in that thread on my vehicle as it was very similar to my set up. I will probably have to tweak a few minor things eventually, but it was close enough to get it working until I have more time to dig into the programming.

All in I was able to do the whole Sync 2 to Sync 3 with nav swap for under $90 CAD as I managed to find most of the parts at a junkyard, and did the programming myself. 

I'm glad they worked out for you.  The ones I printed when I created that thread have been going strong with no issues in my sons daily driver. 

Have you tested it since you turned the vehicle completely off and back on? I had issues like that with my 2013 F150 (3 step heated and cooled) and 2011 edge (2 step heat) when I was programming them.

Candurin,

 

Any idea what the correct value should be? When I reference the F-150 or Explorer spreadsheets for Sync 3 settings it mentions adding a 3 for heated seats only. 2 mentions heated and cooled seats. I know on the 2014 there are three levels for the heat icon.

 

This is my current setting - 7D0-01-01 2221 0002 230F

 

Thanks

Have you thought about doing a Sync 3 swap? It's more expensive since it involves the screen, hub, GPS antenna and an adapter but the difference is totally worth it IMO. I've done 3 (2 (2 of my personal cars and 1 for a friend). If you did go the Sync 3 route I would check with a local junk yard versus ebay. My friend was able to get a Sync 3 screen and APIM for around $200. In all he spent less than $400 and couldn't be happier. He swapped his due to the black screen issue. My 2 I just hated Sync 2 compared to 3

To answer your questions.

1. I know ford changed part numbers on Sync 2 modules a few times. The modules PNs are different between my 2011 and 2013 but the units are swappable between the two,

2. You used to be able to make a non-nav APIM a Nav APIM but ford patched that somewhat with one of the Sync updates.from what I heard. Depending on the version on the APIM you may or may not be able to do this.

3. The 3rd connector is for another USB port not used in our cars. I can look at mine tonight and edit this post but don't remember if all 3 had the extra usb.

Edit:

My 2011 APIM is PN BT4T-14F239-CJ Date Code 10-01-10

My 2013 APIM is PN DL3T-14F239-AK Date Code 09-20-12

Both have the extra USB.

I'd give one of mine if I wasn't holding onto them to swap back if I get rid of the vehicles. I have no other reason to hold onto them.

Is it Sync services? I found the following post

 

Ford has made the important decision to start phasing out SYNC® Services. Starting July 1st, 2017, the ability to purchase or renew a paid SYNC Services subscription will no longer be available. However, those with an active or complimentary subscription will still be able to use all the features of SYNC Services until their subscription expires or August 1st, 2018, whichever comes first. Regardless of subscription status, SYNC Services will no longer be available starting August 1st, 2018.

We'd like to thank you for being a part of the SYNC Services experience that we've brought to Ford customers over the years. Although SYNC Services is being phased out, owners can still take advantage of the many features available through SYNC, such as AppLink® for SYNC and SYNC 3, and other services offered by SiriusXM® Traffic and Travel Link®. If you aren't already aware of these features, click here to see what options are available for your specific vehicle.

For additional updates and to manage your subscription, please visit the SYNC Services page on the Owner website.

We appreciate you being a member of the Ford family and look forward to continuing to improve your experience!

 

 

I haven't seen this done on a 2011 but it should be possible. Here is what I generally have seen when converting from 4" to 8" (posted in another thread)

You might be able to talk to one of the companies that sells a harness to be a test subject for a discount etc.

https://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/24145-changing-the-2018-ford-edge-se-head-unit/?p=183989

I was thinking if i got a limited faceplate, a sync 3 screen (recessed model), and APIM i would be off to a good start. I think i would also need a microphone and steering wheel controls, and probably some wiring harness to power the screen (if this idea would work). Even if sync 3 would not work, if i could get a limited faceplate to work (i.e. still control HVAC and hazards) that would be a win because it would open up real estate to install an aftermarket screen such as the Alpine Halo setup. The lack of faceplates other than Metra is frustrating. Thanks for the help!

My understanding most of the issue is related to the APIM. Sync2 APIMs can be bought on ebay pretty cheap but you never know how long they will last. You may be able to find a user who updated to Sync3 and may be able to get you the complete Sync2 unit cheap. If I wasn't holding onto both of mine to put back into my 2011 Edge and 2013 F150 I'd send you one for shipping cost since they are really just collecting dust until I get ready to trade the vehicles off.

My 2011 Edge Limited has the Black screen of death.

Hit a bump and it came back on. Hit another and it went off, to not turn on again.

Have all my dash displays fine, just no radio, camera, nav, phone...

 

Any ideas?

 

My local dealer isn't very helpful and just wanted to charge me $800 plus labor to fix.

This was over the phone of course. They didn't seem over joyed to help me.

 

 

I think your 2015 model has different brackets than my 2011 when looking at pics. I'd send you a spare set I made for free but I don't think it would work for your model year.

Update: the seller ended up offering to sell me touchscreen+apim for $310 so I'd remove my nasty review/feedback. Very excited for that to come in.

 

Okie, you're the one who 3D printed the brackets right? How much would you charge for me to get some from you?

Once I connect my phone, it automatically brings up android auto. I have to back out of android auto and go back to sync. Once I am in sync mobile apps is locked out for me. It is only accessible if I disconnect my phone.

You have to turn off Android auto and carplay in settings to use the mobile apps

As others have said try a different cable. I've used several phones with AA across multiple Ford's and aftermarket headunits. Everytime I've had issues it's been the cable. Length and quality can all cause issues with AA. On my sync 3 specifically I've had issues with Anker cables over 1.5 feet. I'd get errors that there was a problem with AA and it would disconnect.

4D has some good stuff but it is expensive compared to what you find used. Their hubs and GPS module are over twice the cost from ford and amazon.

If they are all new parts for the screen and APIM then the cost is probably fair. If they are selling you salvaged parts I'd look elsewhere for the screen and APIM. I bought one of their adapters for the hub power and it worked well. I made an adapter on my F150 but didn't want to sacrifice the part from the sync 2 hub this time around on the Edge. This is just my opinion. I could easily justify the Sync 3 upgrade for $500 - $700 based on the cost of a decent aftermarket headset with the same features. Once you start talking $1500 - $2000 though it was harder for me to swallow.

I have a SYNC 3 system installed that I purchased from www.4dtech.com. Go and check out there site

says its without the APIM on the listing...states screen only. Hopefully you talked to the seller first.

So_Edgy - Candurin is right that the SB screen is the non-recessed on the sides.

I put an overview of the details I found out while searching for APIMs and Screens in the following post Sync 3 Overview

Looking online it looks like the brackets are completely different than my 2011 Edge for your 2015. It looks like they bolt to the top and bottom of the screen versus the sides. This is just from looking online so I can't speak for sure. You may be able to make a bracket to tie into the top and bottom brackets that mounts to the side of the screen you got. You may also be able to talk to the person you bought it from and see if they have a different model since they are a recycler

I thought I would post my APIM settings.

Details of my vehicle. 2011 Limited AWD with heated seats, Sony, HD, dual zone, ambient lighting and a Nav APIM.

See attached image

I was getting that when I had the antenna closer to the front of the dash. Since I moved mine as far back as I could on the cross member I haven't had this issue. I originally thought it might be the antenna itself so swapped the one I used on my F150 which has worked without issue for a year and it had the same issue.

Also sometimes when it would work it was inaccurate. Relocating it as I stated above I've had no issues for the past 4 days.

I am getting a GPS signal error (red circle with diagonal line over the letters GPS). Nav still works no problem. Anyone else get that error with the GPS antenna located in the dash behind the screen on the metal cross member? Wondering if my antenna is bad or location is bad or this is normal due to location?

 

Thanks for your input.

SWRStock. Good job on the screen

There's a free app on the F150 forum called As Built Hacker 2.2. It lets you pull up details about your modules and deciphers the available options based on your VIN. It's a good starting point. I think it would have made things a little easier when I was looking for Forscan values.

I can also post my Forscan settings too for my 2011 limited if that helps people here.

From what I remember if you check for updates once and then turn wifi off it will no longer prompt you. I don't get the prompts on either vehicle I updated to 3.0. I also have never had it install an update over Wifi. It checks but never downloads them. My assumption is when it checks your VIN it doesn't see it as a valid Sync 3 vehicle.

There are cheaper options available on Amazon but sometimes you get what you pay for.

I have a cheap $10 adapter I use and another that has the switch. Both I got on Amazon. I 99% of the time use the $10 adapter. Though to be honest I've only done a few things outside of APIM setup (Disable tpms, set turn signal behavior, enabled high beam with fogs, read door lock code). There's definitely pros going to a wired adapter especially if they work out the bugs with the firmware programming but if you aren't planning on doing forscan mods all the time you may not need it.

I'm sure it gets the active line info from your steering wheel location. I haven't been able to get this to function on the 2011 edge or my 2013 f150 both with sync 3. On my 2013 it shows the lines on the sample image under vehicle but not on the actual camera. The 2013 raptor has these lines on the front and back so I was more hopeful with it but still wasn't able to get it to work. Since it wasn't there on the MFT with the edge I didn't spend much time on it.

If this is the 4" Sync screen version you can do the switch but you will need a minimum of the following

• Dash panel with AC controls ($100 - $200)
• Harness to adapt the 4" Sync harness to the 8" harness (there are different versions of this depending if your original AC controls are manual or auto) ($250 - $350)
• Adapter for the backup camera input to new harness (with above most likely or a $25 - $50 addon)
• Sync 3 APIM and Screen ($300 - $700 depending on Nav or non nav - keep in mind this is used parts too not new)
• USB cable from the APIM to your console ($35 - $75) you may be able to use a male to male mini usb cable but it wouldn't be locked into place (also I haven't tested this myself.)
• USB Hub for Sync 3 ($50)
• GPS antenna ($10 - $20)

You will also need to program the APIM for your vehicle as well. The software (Forscan) is free but you will need a OBD2 bluetooth or usb adapter ($10 - $50).

I've seen some people build the harness themselves on the F150 forums. There are companies that sell PnP kits as well. Prices I quoted are just for things I saw from different vendors when researching my recent options when buying my son a car. Because of all this I decided to get one that already had a Sync 2 touchscreen which doesn't require a harness kit.

So Edgy,

You will also need a GPS antenna for Nav or compass and a pigtail or an adapter to supply power to your USB hub.

Overview and differences in APIMs:

I've done two Sync 2 to Sync 3 conversions (My 2013 F150 last year and my sons 2011 Edge last week). APIMs at least 2016 models that have the 2nd to last letter with a C or K are navigation models, 2017 2nd to last with a C is navigation. All others I've seen which with a B,D, or F 2nd to last letters are non-navigation but this may vary. Best to pick one that shows the unit powered up at some point or gives you the VIN of the vehicle it came from so you can check its As built data to see if it had Nav or find the window sticker for it online to see if it did.

Screen and APIM assemblies that end with SB are the flat sided and those with SC are stepped or indented. I'm unsure of which model the 2015 uses but you can tell by looking at your Sync 2 screen with the bezel removed. The 2011 had the stepped screen. I used a SB assembly so had to 3D print some brackets to fit. My post is on the forum

Configuration:

Once you install the screen you will most likely need to program it to work with your vehicle. There is a free Windows program called Forscan. You can use it with a wired or bluetooth OBD2 dongle to program the options you have. People generally look up the "As Built" information of a vehicle that originally came with Sync 3 that has the same or as close as possible options as your vehicle. From there you can look at the Sync 3 spreadsheet on the F150 forums to tweak as needed. Since yours is a 2015 a similarly specified 2016 vehicle will probably work.

Updating:

Updates have to be for the correct type of APIM you have so Nav or non-nav. The difference between the two are the amount of storage space on the APIM. If you try to install a NAV update on a Non-Nav APIM it will hang once it fills up the storage space (since it doesn't delete old data until the end) and no longer boot to the user interface. There are ways to recover from this with a modified install file but the best bet is to make sure you are updating with the right file. I used a VIN from a wrecked explorer that had nav to get my updates from ford. I updated form 2.2 to 2.3 to 3.0 on the F150 and 2.3 to 3.0 on the Edge using the same USB stick. This might not always work however as there have been recent hardware changes to the 2018 version of the APIMs. As long as it matches for the APIM year and type you have you should be okay.

Random stuff:

There is a current modder group working on additional changes to the Sync system. I know they've gotten Nav to work on Non-Nav units and customized the splash screen and background. I typically stay away from this since you are always dependent on said modders for updates. Honestly even though my APIMs are both Nav I never use the factory nav. I use Android Auto all the time. Once Waze does the update to use it directly on the GUI (hopefully this month or next) I see no reason why anyone would use the factory navigation maps unless they were in an area without an internet connection. There's also Sygic support too but I've never used it so can't speak on it.

Cost:

You can sometimes find non-nav screens and APIMs for around the $300-$400. Nav screens generally go around $500+. You can find ones for less sometimes if you are lucky. I bought both of mine with APIM and screen together. If i would have bought them separately it would have cost me around $200 more.

Sync 3 vs Sync 2

No comparison here. I originally did my 2013 due to the lag of clicking an option to when that option was performed. It drove me insane. The screen is better and the layout and app support is better. Android Auto and Carplay is just the icing on the cake.

Good luck Hopefully this helps.

-Deric

note: edited to clarify APIM nav/non-navs I've seen.

Hi all,
Im new to the forum and relatively new to my vehicle, and Im hoping to get some precise info on a project I want to start. I have a 2015 Edge Titanium, and I want to replace the MyFord Touch with the necessary hardware to:
- Add Sync 3 compatibility
- retain all current integration with MyFord Touch (I.e.: steering wheel controls, instrument cluster integration, etc)

My current research concludes that I will need to source the following:
- a touchscreen/info display from a 2016+ Edge
- a Sync 3 APIM module with Nav (vehicle specific?)
- Sync 3/CarPlay compatible USB hub

Are there any other specific parts I will need in order to retain all functionality, while adding Sync 3?

Thanks, and looking forward to learning more from the community here.

FYI I added the brackets to thingiverse

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2848653

I updated to 3.0 in my 2011 Edge and 2013 F150 the other day. One bug I found is with Android Auto connected you used to be able to click maps at the bottom or on the left of the Sync home screen (where the default maps are when not in AA mode) and it would take you directly to maps of Android Auto. With 3.0 it does nothing. Just toggles with no function. I use this all the time when if navigating and needing to toggle my seats on or off. Hopefully they fix it if 3.2 gets an update release for existing APIMs