We cross paths, I'll buy you a steak dinner with drinks. Your battery was on it's last leg for sure. Please do keep us updated, I have seen places that will set an apim up per your vin. There was a thread on it on this forum. Good luck, and certainly cheaper than going to a Dealer.

 

@gizmo9902

• Where did you get your as built data from? The truck may have been converted to Sync 3 at some point. If you bought it used and it was converted from a 4" system, the data you are uploading will no longer be compatible which may explain some things.
• Your APIM is not dead because you can see it with ForScan and write data to it. I'm glad you didn't try to overwrite the firmware, that will make your problems worse. Please don't try that.
• Your ACM will operate independent of the APIM. The FCIM controls pass through to it. Because you have no radio, I'm leaning towards a bad ground, bad USB hub or bad ACM being the most likely root cause.
• Disconnect your USB Hub (at the USB hub and at the APIM) to see if it the APIM and ACM magically work again. The USB hub assembly could cause APIM and ACM failure. It has a micro USB input and separate power input for dedicated ambient lighting. I've seen them randomly die before and drag down the APIM. You'll need two trim panel removal tools, patience and some bandaids to get it out if you have a centre console.
• If you end up needing a replacement USB hub they changed sizes between 2016 & 2017 F150 model years. I have a spare sitting in my basement I could lend, Eh!
• If you buy used parts I would attempt to buy just the display first unless if you find a good deal. There's a few things to keep in mind though, Sync 2 and Sync 3 display panels are not cross compatible and salvage yards mix them up sometimes. If you shop for a Sync 3 system, aim for one from a Ford Focus or other car. Parts will cost less due to the vehicle model. Nearly all Sync 3 APIM assemblies are cross compatible except for the ones from SuperDuty which have a unique thinner design. I really don't think it is an APIM problem though because your ACM is out too.

 

I bought the truck new and it came with Sync 3. However, I did have to replace the USB Hub a couple of years ago because the one that came with the truck was not compatible with Apple CarPlay (early version, I guess). Thanks, I'll try what your suggesting before buying anything and report back.

 

Yeah, the original USB hub in 2016's didn't support enough throughput for CarPlay and had to be changed to a newer assembly. I've seen a few of those CarPlay-compatible USB hubs die on their own. On at least one occasion, it took down the APIM similar to your situation. I hope your solution is as simple as changing it out again.

ACMs like to self destruct too. The ACM could be affecting the APIM. It's also cheaper to troubleshoot and replace then the Sync 3 assembly. Some older ACMs require ForScan programming to bypass a VIN lock when replacing them and many ACM's require you to reprogram 727-01-01 *xxx xxxx xx-- to communicate with Sync 3 if you happen to buy a used one from a vehicle that never originally had Sync 3. We can worry about this later once you narrow down the issue.

If the USB hub isn't the problem, I'd look at the ACM next. Try disconnecting the ACM to see if the APIM will work. The ACM has a direct data line to the APIM for Siruis Radio functions.

 

I would suggest clearing the codes and seeing what ones come back. Codes can hang around for a while from conditions that are no longer present. "Dead" APIMs often times can still have ABD and info read from them. Just because they power the display up doesn't mean they are completely dead.

 

The OP mentioned he did that already. JM is right, it’s a great suggestion for anyone who is reading this thread with a similar issue. Isolate persistent DTCs by clearing away any cached ones first.

It could be a broken APIM. It’s also possible that the display panel is dead but the APIM is fine.

Whereas the ACM is out too, it sounds like it’s less of an APIM issue but it’s possible.

I’m curious to learn what the problem turns out to be.

 

I read it as he changed the battery, reset BMS and checked for codes, not that he had cleared them first after changing the battery.

 

You were correct, I did not actually clear the codes that time. I have now, but haven't driven since then, so they may, or may not come back.

I tried a few of the suggestions and first disconnected the USB Hub...no change. I also disconnected what I think is the ACM connection at the back of the APIM....no change.
When it first "died," the screen and radio stayed on when I shut the ignition off and opened the door. Then, when I started it back up, they both went dead. To me, that doesn't seem like a screen issue....not sure? I'm still not able to run a self test on the APIM. I can on the ACM, though....no errors.

 

After driving the truck for a while, the same four FCIM DTCs were back. It is interesting that both the APIM and ACM are not completely dead, but just looks like they are not being "told" to turn on. Similar to how the problem first appeared when it was like they were not "told" to shut off when the ignition was turned off and door opened. The ACM should function even if the APIM is dead, correct? I'm not sure how to test if APIM/ACM are receiving startup messages...any ideas?

 

2016 XLT FX4 with the 8” touchscreen and nav. APIM went bad 11/2020. Tried a few things and no luck. Updated the Sync and added the new USB hub to get Apple CarPlay. Everything worked fine as long as my phone was plugged in and was using the CarPlay. Hardly worked when the phone wasn’t plugged in. Neighbor has forscan so we changed a few things on the touchscreen. Swapped the startup animation from “Ford” to the “Raptor”. Added the climate control button to the touchscreen that is virtually useless but it has completely fixed my APIM problems. Touchscreen works fine whether the phone is plugged in with CarPlay or not. Not sure if I just bought myself some time but it’s worked great so far.