Sync4 APIM and 13.2" Screen Installation Guide (Lariat Models)

[Bobert47]

Bobert, nice job. Since you have Sync 4 with the larger screen, have the climate control with the dials and buttons, and all works well togther, do you think there's any chance that a climate control until from a 2021-2024 could possibly fit in a 2025 with Sync 4, and be tweaked via Forscan so it would all work together right?

Maybe that's a pipe dream, but it would make a few people happy if it was a simple switch-a-roo.

I See what you mean here, I noticed the 2025 Mavs don't have physical controls and went the way of the 2023+ Escapes. Someone with a 2025 Mav would have to check, but I don't think the two wiring harness plugs that would carry power and signal from a climate control unit will be there. This would make a nice switch-a-roo a no-go without replacing those harnesses with those from 22-24 Mavs (longshot they will still match the needed wiring in the 2025 even if they do). So possible maybe, but probably no, sadly. :/


The climate plugs for reference in 2023 Mav

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[yeahiguessman]

What a write up! This gives a lot of extra insight. On one hand, I got almost everything working properly with mine. Unfortunately I still have two issues I have been unable to solve or find exact replications of online with a fix.

USB audio still does crackling. Bluetooth, wireless CarPlay, and AM/FM radio work perfect. It’s just wired audio. I did try two APIMs (returned the first) and both had the same issue, but when swapping the Sync 3 back in to check it was totally fine.

The other issue is that wireless app projection for CarPlay is a bit finicky. Sometimes it’ll turn itself off and I have to factory reset the unit to get it back on. It happens about twice a week. Very annoying.

Still holding out hope I can find a solution!

After collecting information from lots of people on this thread (especially Billzilla15, 801Maverick801, pantera156, yeahiguessman, and Redneck Garage’s youtube videos…thank you everyone!!), I am happy to report that I now have a fully functional, all knobs and buttons working, no audio issues, working nav, and working reverse camera SYNC4 swap!

My Dad (Skilled Trade Ford retiree) and I sunk a considerable amount of time into this project and we wanted to give back to this great community. Here are the steps and “gotchas” we ran into and I hope this is helpful for those still trying to get things sorted out.

Background: I started with a stock 2023 Maverick Hybrid Lariat w/ Lux package & Co-pilot360, factory navigation, and B&O sound system.

1. Obtain necessary parts (basically what others have stated here, but this is what I used)
   • 2023 Ford Escape APIM SYNC4 (P/N: PJ6T-14G670-BFP)
   • 2022 Ford Transit 12in display w/HOUSING (P/N: NK4T-18B955-FC3UAW)
   • SYNC3 54pin passthrough cable (Amazon)
   • Screen Power Wire (P/N: 6U2Z14S411JB)
   • Screen Data Cable (P/N: ML3Z14D202B)
   • Aluminum flat stock (1/8in)
   • M5-0.8x30mm bolts (for custom bracket to dash mounting, factory thread patten)
   • M5x8 bolts (for Transit screen to bracket mounting, you can use what you have)
   • 25mm Nylon Standoff (M5 center hole)
2. Take a photo or use FORscan to make a backup of your current SYNC3-3.4 APIM AsBuilt data (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP)
   • The HEX code page with the strings of numbers/letters for the APIM is what we are interested in here.
3. Use this piece of software from @consp GitHub repository (Thank you sir!!) https://github.com/consp/apim-asbuilt-decode/releases
   
   • You can open you SYNC3-3.4 APIM AsBuilt ABT file from FORscan and make notes of your configuration as shown. This will help tremendously in knowing what to set when programming SYNC4 APIM. The settings and values Ford has provided are NOT intuitive and there is a lot of missing context. Ex. Often times “Disable” value is what is needed for a setting if you already have a hard-button on your truck.
4. Prepare your SYNC3 passthrough wiring harness
   • NOTE: This is the piece (as many other have mentioned) is what caused me the most issues. I have a non-functioning reverse camera that was difficult to diagnose because of this cheap harness. I highly recommend depinning, and slightly bending the locking tab/barb on the pins outward for every pin and reinstalling. These pins are exceptionally loose from the factory apparently, and my camera pin was wired correctly but not tight enough to make a connection!
     
5. Disassemble the Transit screen from the housing and snip off the three little black “pins” sticking out from the bottom. Not doing this can make mounting the screen squarely to the dash difficult, at least for me.
6. While the housing is off of the screen, remove the metal screen bracket from the LCD carefully, and cut off enough of the central mounting tab so it is at least flush with the outside plastic housing when reinstalled. This allows you mount the screen more securely later.
   
   
7. I watched a couple of YouTube videos (thank you @ Redneck Garage) for the teardown and physical install.
8. No one was kidding, removed the factory APIM from the dash was a NIGHTMARE. It can and will cut you, scratch up your plastic interior, and came close to nicking some nearby wiring harnesses during removal/install.
   • I found carefully rotating the APIM 90deg left of right so you can get better access to unplug cables…things will still be very tight to get a hand in for unplugging.
9. Plug in all new parts (screen, passthrough harness, APIM, climate knobs, etc…) carefully and turn ignition to ON.
10. Make a FORscan APIM backup (image and file) of the SYNC4 APIMs AsBuilt (This is handy for troubleshooting later and for the values in memory block 10, which isn’t fully defined in the analysis software from GitHub yet).
11. Does the screen boot up???
    • If YES, then success! Proceed with install
    • If NO, then your passthrough wiring harness likely has a fault
12. Use the aluminum bar stock to layout where the CENTER dash mounting hole from the OEM screen will be, and also the PASSENGER side mounting hole for stability.
    • This is very important for Audio quality…the center screw hole in the dash from the original screen is the only grounded mount to the car frame (image). This made a pretty big difference for me.
13. We chose to use our own M5x30mm bolts to mounting our cut aluminum bar stock using through holes, and then drilled and tapped hole on the ends for the Transit screen mount after tracing the layout.
    
    
14. If you cut off the center metal tab on the screen housing mount, you can reinstall the factory begin screen tray without any modification.
    • We used some 3/8-1/2in sections of heatshrink tubing to fill the gaps next to the screen until I can 3D print something (maybe at a later date).
      
15. At this point everything should be reinstalled and new screen mounted.
16. Using FORscan, I started with Billzilla15’s (this helped a ton, thanks again!) to get things in a mostly working starting state.
    • As Billzilla15 mentioned, this is VERY SPECIFIC to your vehicle. That posted AsBuilt is setup for an AWD EcoBoost Mav, and it mostly worked with my Hybrid, but fuel efficiency, switch to electric, and braking seemed a little “off” until I tweaked to for my Hybrid Mav (as expected).
17. I used the software from consp’s GitHub to match all of the setting that I could from my factory APIM SYNC3 AsBuilt to make a SYNC4 APIM AsBuilt for my vehicle.
    • The major tweak for me was under the “Visual Design” setting to “12in Landscape”, and setting “HEV/Hybrid” to “Enable/HEV”.
18. Success!! The following work as they did from factory:
    • Volume knob works and show volume number correctly on new display.
    • Climate controls and fan speed shows numbers on display when changed.
    • Heated seats and heated steering wheel work.
    • Reverse Camera is bright, clear, and works perfectly with proximity sensors.
    • Audio plays clearly and without static, pops, or cracks (woot!)
    • Navigation/GPS is spot on
    • Ambient Lighting works as original.
    • CarPlay works flawlessly.
    • FordPass App allows all of the same functionality as factory. (Must HotSwap already app connected factory APIM to SYNC4 APIM….DO NOT FACTORY RESET SYNC or you have to tear down, reinstall factory APIM, reconnect app, then reinstall SYNC4 hardware!)
    • Door Keypad and Intelligent Access work
    • You cannot get OTA SYNC4 updates now.
    • HD Radio works

This would not have been possible without all of the information contributed, so thanks to everyone again! Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll see if I can help.
-----------------------------------------------------

Here is my SYNC4 APIM AsBuilt for the above, hopefully it helps someone!

;Block 1

7D0G1G1: A081-4804-80C6

7D0G1G2: 0000-C609-38E1

7D0G1G3: 0001-0020-0C08

7D0G1G4: 02E0-00C0-007E

;Block 2

7D0G2G1: 0520-000A-0009

7D0G2G2: 02C0-00B0-004D

7D0G2G3: A040-0000-00BC

;Block 3

7D0G3G1: 5553-1503-039E

7D0G3G2: 0B00-073E-012D

7D0G3G3: 0000-0000-00DD

;Block 4

7D0G4G1: 0500-0000-00E1

;Block 5

7D0G5G1: 2102-3800-0038

7D0G5G2: 0000-0000-00DE

7D0G5G3: 0000-0000-00DF

;Block 6

7D0G6G1: 1806-1810-2F53

7D0G6G2: 4423

;Block 7

7D0G7G1: 1800-3300-002A

7D0G7G2: 03E8-A4B6-0025

7D0G7G3: 0056-5680-000D

7D0G7G4: 886A

;Block 8

7D0G8G1: C000-0001-00A1

7D0G8G2: 0000-0000-00E1

;Block 9

7D0G9G1: 0613-422C-F65E

7D0G9G2: 606C-5E00-0410

7D0G9G3: 0240-0000-0025

7D0G9G4: 1040-0000-0034

7D0G9G5: 0000-0000-00E5

;Block 10

7D0GAG1: 0000-0000-00E8

7D0GAG2: 0000-0000-00E9

7D0GAG3: 0000-0000-00EA

7D0GAG4: 0000-0000-00EB

7D0GAG5: 0000-0000-00EC

 

[Blvckrose]

Is there anyway of doing this in the XLT?

 

[elizabethk314]

Is there anyway of doing this in the XLT?

this is the thread I’m following. Just starting in on swapping out my everything on my xlt.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/how-to-sync-3-4-swap-for-non-sync-3-xl-xlt.11860/

 

[FreedomPenguin]

random- does your screen off button still work? and music and everything still plays? for those who did a sync 4 into older model

 

[FreedomPenguin]

does your button for screen off still work? does the unit still play music if so while scree is off? thanks for reply in advance

 

[CurtisB]

I'm going to wait till Crutchfield comes out with the whole shebang. Head unit, wiring harness, and instructions.

 

[Blvckrose]

I'm going to wait till Crutchfield comes out with the whole shebang. Head unit, wiring harness, and instructions.

do you think they will its already been how many years and there is still nothing?

 

[801Maverick801]

does your button for screen off still work? does the unit still play music if so while scree is off? thanks for reply in advance

I posted a video earlier in this thread of this and the button works. Music still plays.

 

[FreedomPenguin]

I posted a video earlier in this thread of this and the button works. Music still plays.

for anyone looking- dude I want to have this feature so bad if I get a 2025! now that we know its possible, I have to figure out how that works with the screen. did it plug straight into the screen unit or was there a big wiring harness that it clipped into? I need to figure out if it's a harness, what exactly is being re routed through the harness.

but now I know its possible, probably simple too if I knew which wire the button, ultimately go to on screen connection. hopefully no wiring harness would be needed really, just a intercepted wire into button.

any opinion on how it works? because they took screen off entirely from 2025 units D: dumb

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...llation-guide-lariat-models.51865/post-994306



edit

can anyone with a 2025 push in their volume knob to make it go to clock screen? and then push and hold it again to see if screen turns off, and press and hold it again to see if turns back on?

because in theory, maybe people just dont realize thats how you turn it off! "wishful thinking"

maybe a forscan code unlock could enable the 2nd click of screen off.

 

[Bobert47]

does your button for screen off still work? does the unit still play music if so while scree is off? thanks for reply in advance

Mine acts the same way...screen will go to calm screen on first press, then off on second press, but audio (radio or carplay) continue to play in the background no matter display status. I never use the button, so that one was new to me. I would think it has to do with how the button interfaces with the APIM and the Radio unit. The OEM screen would go off with the Radio using that button, but it was also powered from the APIM, not BEFORE the APIM with the SYNC passthrough harness we had to use for this mod. Just my 2 cents

 

[FreedomPenguin]

Mine acts the same way...screen will go to calm screen on first press, then off on second press, but audio (radio or carplay) continue to play in the background no matter display status. I never use the button, so that one was new to me. I would think it has to do with how the button interfaces with the APIM and the Radio unit. The OEM screen would go off with the Radio using that button, but it was also powered from the APIM, not BEFORE the APIM with the SYNC passthrough harness we had to use for this mod. Just my 2 cents

using your knowledge of modules and how that works, do you think, its possible to get the 2025 to work in same way somehow? what do you think would be best way to test/try- or just make a stupid flap. D:

because what you guys have, with the sync 4 in older maverick and ability to turn screen off, is legit amazing. its a big hit to me, ford is stupid for not wanting to offer off screen anymore. I read about mach e owners and f150 owners all complaining they cant turn it off, and the calm screen/dim screen is still too bright. (mach e screen is massive) so I really feel for them

 

[Billzilla15]

random- does your screen off button still work? and music and everything still plays? for those who did a sync 4 into older model

Yep

 

[CurtisB]

do you think they will its already been how many years and there is still nothing?

I didn't think they would when I had my 2015 Prius and they did. It takes a few years to refine the wiring harness and the necessary accesories to make it work. They seem to take their time but they realize the in result is worth it.

 

[Bobert47]

using your knowledge of modules and how that works, do you think, its possible to get the 2025 to work in same way somehow? what do you think would be best way to test/try- or just make a stupid flap. D:

because what you guys have, with the sync 4 in older maverick and ability to turn screen off, is legit amazing. its a big hit to me, ford is stupid for not wanting to offer off screen anymore. I read about mach e owners and f150 owners all complaining they cant turn it off, and the calm screen/dim screen is still too bright. (mach e screen is massive) so I really feel for them

Unfortunately, I would think this wouldn't work, at least not cleanly. The screen off button is part of the larger switch unit that uses one special plug to interface with the other modules. You *might* as a real long show be able to get it connected, but programming it work and then cleanly install in the dash I don't have much confidence in. The best thing I can think of as a possible solution would be to isolate the display wiring and put your own inline rocker switch...this still may leave the audio running but could cut power to the display. This could also create a whole slew of other problems as far as how the rest of the modules interact. I wouldn't recommend, but could be a longshot option. Maybe someone else has a better idea?

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