No APIM in XLT and below (Unable to upgrade Sync)

[uh50]

I honestly dont think it has anything to do with them thinking that its a technology on the way out. They didnt even include HD radio which should be standard at this point. It was either a supply chain constraint or just a total cost savings measure.

I think you are right about either a supply chain constraint or total cost savings measure. I bought an XL and did enough research to understand it and the XLT did not have SiriusXM or HD radio and it took a lux. package Lariat to get SiriusXM. You know I can understand the XL without an APIM and SiriusXM capability because of the low price point. I do not understand the XLT without this capability and it seems like a mistake by Ford since we all know eventually the XLT will be the most popular trim chosen by consumers since it is a good choice between high and low costs. Wish Ford Marketing personnel would explain this reasoning.

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[CenTexMav]

I think you are right about either a supply chain constraint or total cost savings measure. I bought an XL and did enough research to understand it and the XLT did not have SiriusXM or HD radio and it took a lux. package Lariat to get SiriusXM. You know I can understand the XL without an APIM and SiriusXM capability because of the low price point. I do not understand the XLT without this capability and it seems like a mistake by Ford since we all know eventually the XLT will be the most popular trim chosen by consumers since it is a good choice between high and low costs. Wish Ford Marketing personnel would explain this reasoning.

The quality of the radio was the biggest surprise for me. I expected something better. I'm hoping someone comes up with a good upgrade.

 

[houselog442]

I bet there is an APIM but I have seen the videos on upgrades for the Escape and the Bronco Sport and basically, you will have to tear out most of your entire dash and everything in the center console to do it.

Escape


Bronco Sport

 

[propp2531]

I bet there is an APIM but I have seen the videos on upgrades for the Escape and the Bronco Sport and basically, you will have to tear out most of your entire dash and everything in the center console to do it.

Escape


Bronco Sport

You actually don’t have to take the dash apart too much to get to the radio. You pop the hvac controls off which you can do by hand and it’s all back there. The biggest issue is the missing 54 pin connector. Without that it makes the upgrade way more difficult. A wiring harness to solve the problem is actually not a difficult fix. It’s a bit above my abilities though

 

[uh50]

I bet there is an APIM but I have seen the videos on upgrades for the Escape and the Bronco Sport and basically, you will have to tear out most of your entire dash and everything in the center console to do it.

Escape


Bronco Sport

That may be true, however both of the videos above have Sync 3, the Maverick XL and XLT are both Connected Touch without Sync 3.

 

[justiz00]

.

 

[propp2531]

So what does the 50 pin connector go between? The APIM and Screen or something else? Is it as simple as a matching APIM, 50 pin harness and screen?

the 54 pin connector goes into the APIM. the wiring harness in the XLT looks way different than the lariat. There’s only one radio connector in XLT. Two in lariat. So I thought maybe you can get a wiring harness from a bronco sport or escape on eBay and use the wires needed but not sure if that works

 

[propp2531]

I was doing more research on this head unit and Ford has simply just rebranded Sync 2.5 to Connected Touch. Sync 2.5 is prevalent in Europe apparently with the videos I have seen. Mostly in Fiestas and the European equivalent. There is very little information on these radios and a path to any upgrade that isn't a 3rd party is going to be very difficult.

https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/is-upgrading-to-3-4-possible-sync-2-5/2330

 

[FakeCowboy]

So they did repurpose those old fiesta radios? Good eye on you! I didnt even notice the label being covered like that. This explains why the performance of these radios is so bad. Ford used these things in 2015.

I'm sure they did this as additional cost savings for initial rollout when popularity was a question mark and to keep initial production costs down. Don't be surprised to see an upgraded unit for the 2023 (or maybe 2024) model year, the cubby to the right of the touch screen is not intended to be a cubby because what purpose does it serve? It's intended to take up space in order to use an existing off the shelf touchscreen unit to save money on initial production and then upgrade to a larger more technologically relevant (expensive) unit once the model proves profitable.

For those of you who question whether Ford would make such changes after just one model year, consider when I purchased my 2015 WRX premium (The first year of that generation WRX), my order was converted to a 2016 because of production changeover and as a result I got a better infotainment system as well as standard 18" wheels instead of the 17" wheels that the 2015 model year got.

 

[propp2531]

I'm sure they did this as additional cost savings for initial rollout when popularity was a question mark and to keep initial production costs down. Don't be surprised to see an upgraded unit for the 2023 (or maybe 2024) model year, the cubby to the right of the touch screen is not intended to be a cubby because what purpose does it serve? It's intended to take up space in order to use an existing off the shelf touchscreen unit to save money on initial production and then upgrade to a larger more technologically relevant (expensive) unit once the model proves profitable.

For those of you who question whether Ford would make such changes after just one model year, consider when I purchased my 2015 WRX premium (The first year of that generation WRX), my order was converted to a 2016 because of production changeover and as a result I got a better infotainment system as well as standard 18" wheels instead of the 17" wheels that the 2015 model year got.

I don’t doubt that they will do this. My concern is finding a path to makes this upgrade on my XLT. Right now I don’t see anyone who was successful in upgrading sync 2.5 to Sync 3.

 

[Jwhisl]

I don't know if this has been me ruined already but looks like the head unit is a Harman model CTR. If you Google that you can get the manual for it and it (appears) to have satellite and gps capabilities. I bet someone can get those features working through firmware and plugging in the proper antennas

 

[propp2531]

I don't know if this has been me ruined already but looks like the head unit is a Harman model CTR. If you Google that you can get the manual for it and it (appears) to have satellite and gps capabilities. I bet someone can get those features working through firmware and plugging in the proper antennas

Harman made a few different models for them. This is the unit inside of the truck which doesnt have that capability.

https://www.opuradio.com/products/h...-for-2018-2020-ford-fiesta-mk8-receiver-focus

The literally just slapped a new sticker over the old ones with this different number. There is no sync 2.5 unit that has Sirius or nav.

 

[Jwhisl]

Harman made a few different models for them. This is the unit inside of the truck which doesnt have that capability.

https://www.opuradio.com/products/h...-for-2018-2020-ford-fiesta-mk8-receiver-focus

The literally just slapped a new sticker over the old ones with this different number. There is no sync 2.5 unit that has Sirius or nav.

Seems like it could be a cheap upgrade though. All the plugs look the same

 

[propp2531]

Seems like it could be a cheap upgrade though. All the plugs look the same

The problem is the wiring harnesses. You can find a Sync 2 tonSync 3 but no Sync 2.5 to Sync 3. They have vastly different wiring

 

[propp2531]

Ok so this is going to be a bit long. My initial goal was to get Sirius on the radio and to be a factory like experience.

In this manual for the Harman CTR which is what is in the XL and XLT.

https://www.manualslib.com/products/Harman-Ctr-11469885.html

Apparently they have the ability to run Sirius from a software perspective as you can see on page 15

They also have the ability to run Nav as well. The problem is that the Sirius Fakra connection is missing on the unit. You can see in this diagram its supposed to be the last one on the left labeled SDARS but there is no connector there.

So the question I have is that is this just a matter or adding that connector and buying a separate Sirius tuner or is this just not possible. Also given that the GNSS connector is there and is for GPS can the nav be turned on by Forscan?

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