Upgrading SYNC to SYNC 3
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
but I guess that s not possible.
Now that my feet are back on Earth, my truck is probably missing sensors that help to close the loop for auto AC. No freebie in the car industry I guess. Maybe I LL find the 110V harness already there, that would already be something.
Thanks anyway.
Last edited by sylvan_coder; Jan 2, 2019 at 09:13 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 4
I just finished a 4" to 8" sync 3 upgrade on a 2015 Expedition EL XLT, in the process I got the benefit of single zone auto climate control (I used the bezel out of a limited). I did have
to perform a few tweaks in forscan to change it from dual to single zone, but all-in-all it was very simple. I used the following company "http://www.harnessbyhextall.com" for a custom
harness to handle the repin from sync1 to sync3. I would definitely take a look at car-parts.com and spend some time and digging through all ford models to find the touchscreen/apim that are
Sync3 with NAV, I have been successful in purchasing (6) NAV apims with screens for less than $150. This is not hard you just need to spend time and find them, one tip I have found
is that I only buy apim/screens that show and actual pic of the unit and most of the time if you buy the screen the apim comes with it. Learn what a sync2 apim looks like and what a
sync3 apim looks like this will let when looking through dozens of listings. The caveat to this technique is that if you are upgrading from 4" to 8" you will need to source the correct mounting
brackets, your best bet there is ebay and find a broken or not working unit for cheap. Also I hope you are good with Forscan as there is a few changes needed.
One other tip is to create a document of what cars/years sync 3 was introduced, also different model cars have different screen mounting types (recessed/flat) once you know exactly what
you need it helps with search car-parts.com.. I will see if I still have my doc with this info.
I have done (4) Sync2 to Sync3 upgrades for less then $400 each and have done (1) 4" to 8" upgrade which cost about $550.
There is no reason this needs to cost $1000+ you just have to put the time in to find the parts cheap.
to perform a few tweaks in forscan to change it from dual to single zone, but all-in-all it was very simple. I used the following company "http://www.harnessbyhextall.com" for a custom
harness to handle the repin from sync1 to sync3. I would definitely take a look at car-parts.com and spend some time and digging through all ford models to find the touchscreen/apim that are
Sync3 with NAV, I have been successful in purchasing (6) NAV apims with screens for less than $150. This is not hard you just need to spend time and find them, one tip I have found
is that I only buy apim/screens that show and actual pic of the unit and most of the time if you buy the screen the apim comes with it. Learn what a sync2 apim looks like and what a
sync3 apim looks like this will let when looking through dozens of listings. The caveat to this technique is that if you are upgrading from 4" to 8" you will need to source the correct mounting
brackets, your best bet there is ebay and find a broken or not working unit for cheap. Also I hope you are good with Forscan as there is a few changes needed.
One other tip is to create a document of what cars/years sync 3 was introduced, also different model cars have different screen mounting types (recessed/flat) once you know exactly what
you need it helps with search car-parts.com.. I will see if I still have my doc with this info.
I have done (4) Sync2 to Sync3 upgrades for less then $400 each and have done (1) 4" to 8" upgrade which cost about $550.
There is no reason this needs to cost $1000+ you just have to put the time in to find the parts cheap.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 4
I just finished a 4" to 8" sync 3 upgrade on a 2015 Expedition EL XLT, in the process I got the benefit of single zone auto climate control (I used the bezel out of a limited). I did have
to perform a few tweaks in forscan to change it from dual to single zone, but all-in-all it was very simple. I used the following company "http://www.harnessbyhextall.com" for a custom
harness to handle the repin from sync1 to sync3. I would definitely take a look at car-parts.com and spend some time and digging through all ford models to find the touchscreen/apim that are
Sync3 with NAV, I have been successful in purchasing (6) NAV apims with screens for less than $150. This is not hard you just need to spend time and find them, one tip I have found
is that I only buy apim/screens that show and actual pic of the unit and most of the time if you buy the screen the apim comes with it. Learn what a sync2 apim looks like and what a
sync3 apim looks like this will let when looking through dozens of listings. The caveat to this technique is that if you are upgrading from 4" to 8" you will need to source the correct mounting
brackets, your best bet there is ebay and find a broken or not working unit for cheap. Also I hope you are good with Forscan as there is a few changes needed.
One other tip is to create a document of what cars/years sync 3 was introduced, also different model cars have different screen mounting types (recessed/flat) once you know exactly what
you need it helps with search car-parts.com.. I will see if I still have my doc with this info.
I have done (4) Sync2 to Sync3 upgrades for less then $400 each and have done (1) 4" to 8" upgrade which cost about $550.
There is no reason this needs to cost $1000+ you just have to put the time in to find the parts cheap.
to perform a few tweaks in forscan to change it from dual to single zone, but all-in-all it was very simple. I used the following company "http://www.harnessbyhextall.com" for a custom
harness to handle the repin from sync1 to sync3. I would definitely take a look at car-parts.com and spend some time and digging through all ford models to find the touchscreen/apim that are
Sync3 with NAV, I have been successful in purchasing (6) NAV apims with screens for less than $150. This is not hard you just need to spend time and find them, one tip I have found
is that I only buy apim/screens that show and actual pic of the unit and most of the time if you buy the screen the apim comes with it. Learn what a sync2 apim looks like and what a
sync3 apim looks like this will let when looking through dozens of listings. The caveat to this technique is that if you are upgrading from 4" to 8" you will need to source the correct mounting
brackets, your best bet there is ebay and find a broken or not working unit for cheap. Also I hope you are good with Forscan as there is a few changes needed.
One other tip is to create a document of what cars/years sync 3 was introduced, also different model cars have different screen mounting types (recessed/flat) once you know exactly what
you need it helps with search car-parts.com.. I will see if I still have my doc with this info.
I have done (4) Sync2 to Sync3 upgrades for less then $400 each and have done (1) 4" to 8" upgrade which cost about $550.
There is no reason this needs to cost $1000+ you just have to put the time in to find the parts cheap.
Sync 3 8" RECESSED
16+ Taurus
17+ Explorer
16+ Edge
16+ F150
17+ Super Duty
16+ Flex
16+ MKX
16+ MKT
16+ MKS
8" FLAT/STANDARD sync 3
17+Fusion
16+ Mustang
16+ F150
17+ Super Duty
16+ C-MAX
16+ Expedition
16+ Focus
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 4
Harness for the 4" to 8" in my 2015 Expedition
2015 Expedition, final product. Sync 3 version 3.0 and new bezel
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
@TexasFording Can you please send me info on the Sync 2 to Sync 3 swap. I have a 15 w/ 8" and nav. I don't need nav as I never use it.
It's my first day
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,656
Likes: 1,739
From: Kamloops, BC
DanMc85 (who is a member of these forums) already published a fantastic guide for upgrading MyFordTouch to Sync 3. The principals outlined in his Sync 2 to Sync 3 conversion guide for the Ford Fusion pretty well translate directly to most other Ford models. The brackets are different and that's about all. That said, in his guide, he outlines the fact that you can simply take the brackets off your current Sync 2 APIM and screw them on to your new Sync 3 APIM because the mounting holes are the same on all of them. You'll save a lot of money, upwards of $1000, by purchasing a used Sync 3 system out of a little Ford car, purchasing new non-motocraft USB cables from amazon and making your own 12 powered usb hub harness.
4D Tech, TexasFording, Harnesses by Hextall, and others will all help you with parts, harnesses and friendly customer service I'm sure. I just want you to know there's already a lot of great public info floating around in other Ford forums (Mustang, Fusion, Focus...) regarding Ford owners who've performed nearly identical builds at home. You can buy a pre-made APIM harness from Hextall for example for $$$ or you can solder 2 wires together and achieve the same results for next to nothing. I can't tell you what to do, but I can certainly share the resources you're after so you can decide for yourself which route to take.
DanMC85's Fantastic Sync 2 to Sync 3 conversion guide:
http://www.2gfusions.net/showthread.php?tid=3881
Dan is the first person ever to perform a Sync 2 to Sync 3 swap and wrote how-to instructions across multiple Ford owner forums which have been copied, enhanced and duplicated over the years. The way I see it, he deserves all credit for any Sync 2 to Sync 3 swap ever performed after April 2016.
Last edited by Airborne_Ape; Jan 16, 2019 at 05:03 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 4
I don't understand the desire for PM's and secrecy on this subject. Anything I'd direct anyone to look at is worth sharing with everybody else. The most difficult part of the entire process is setting up and using ForScan. If you're not comfortable using ForScan, then yes, I'd recommend a small retailer or private seller who can custom program an APIM to match your options and TexasFording certainly seems to do the best job here.
DanMc85 (who is a member of these forums) already published a fantastic guide for upgrading MyFordTouch to Sync 3. The principals outlined in his Sync 2 to Sync 3 conversion guide for the Ford Fusion pretty well translate directly to most other Ford models. The brackets are different and that's about all. That said, in his guide, he outlines the fact that you can simply take the brackets off your current Sync 2 APIM and screw them on to your new Sync 3 APIM because the mounting holes are the same on all of them. You'll save a lot of money, upwards of $1000, buy purchasing a used Sync 3 system out of a little Ford car, purchasing new non-motocraft USB cables from amazon and making your own 12 powered usb hub harness.
4D Tech, TexasFording, Harnesses by Hextall, and others will all help you with parts, harnesses, and friendly customer service I'm sure, I just want you to know there's already a lot of great info floating around in other Ford forums (Mustang, Fusion, Focus...) regarding Ford owners who've performed nearly identical builds at home. You can buy a pre-made APIM harness from Hextall for example for $$$ or you can solder 2 wires together and achieve the same results for next to nothing. I can't tell you what to do, but I can certainly share the resources you're after so you can decide for yourself which route to take.
DanMC85's Fantastic Sync 2 to Sync 3 conversion guide:
http://www.2gfusions.net/showthread.php?tid=3881
It's also worth noting Dan is the first person ever to perform a Sync 2 to Sync 3 swap and wrote how-to instructions across multiple Ford owner forums which have been copied and duplicated a lot. The way I see it, he deserves all credit for any Sync 2 to Sync 3 swap ever performed after April 2016.
DanMc85 (who is a member of these forums) already published a fantastic guide for upgrading MyFordTouch to Sync 3. The principals outlined in his Sync 2 to Sync 3 conversion guide for the Ford Fusion pretty well translate directly to most other Ford models. The brackets are different and that's about all. That said, in his guide, he outlines the fact that you can simply take the brackets off your current Sync 2 APIM and screw them on to your new Sync 3 APIM because the mounting holes are the same on all of them. You'll save a lot of money, upwards of $1000, buy purchasing a used Sync 3 system out of a little Ford car, purchasing new non-motocraft USB cables from amazon and making your own 12 powered usb hub harness.
4D Tech, TexasFording, Harnesses by Hextall, and others will all help you with parts, harnesses, and friendly customer service I'm sure, I just want you to know there's already a lot of great info floating around in other Ford forums (Mustang, Fusion, Focus...) regarding Ford owners who've performed nearly identical builds at home. You can buy a pre-made APIM harness from Hextall for example for $$$ or you can solder 2 wires together and achieve the same results for next to nothing. I can't tell you what to do, but I can certainly share the resources you're after so you can decide for yourself which route to take.
DanMC85's Fantastic Sync 2 to Sync 3 conversion guide:
http://www.2gfusions.net/showthread.php?tid=3881
It's also worth noting Dan is the first person ever to perform a Sync 2 to Sync 3 swap and wrote how-to instructions across multiple Ford owner forums which have been copied and duplicated a lot. The way I see it, he deserves all credit for any Sync 2 to Sync 3 swap ever performed after April 2016.