Update to my earlier post regarding the OEM camera and module on the Kuga.

Found 2 x 2013 manufacture years (13 plate) cars with the IPM module listed for the camera on Etis after finding an old link on the Kuga forum. Not sure why the 2014 cars I tried were not showing the modules unless cameras were added after the asbuilt files had been logged. I tried quite a few maybe 5 or 6 cars and couldn't really see much change in the BCM part numbers. 

On the Focus, the IPM was ceased at the end of 2013. Any cars built after that date did not use an IPM and went direct to the APIM. It was a different camera part number as well from that date. 

 

 

10 hours ago, Steevo25 said:

On the Focus, the IPM was ceased at the end of 2013. Any cars built after that date did not use an IPM and went direct to the APIM. It was a different camera part number as well from that date. 

 

 

Thanks Stephen, the information you have supplied has been extremely helpful. it would appear similar with the Kuga as well regarding the IPM. The object of trying to fit an OEM looks to be an onerous one, certainly on earlier car. I did think about it on my 2015 model but think I will give it a miss as the wife thinks I have spent too much time installing what she calls, just another radio!!

One of our members has a 2018 ST line facelift model and he found all of the wiring in place at the rear of the car for the camera with exception to power which he took from another source. No removing of the APIM or running any wires from APIM to camera so was virtually plug and play for him with an OEM camera from a C-Max with the wiring loom. Not sure if anyone will be as lucky with a newer Focus but thought I would mention it. Wouldn't need to be an OEM camera either as any RCA one should work or so I would have thought. None of our other members have checked their cars apart from one with the latest Mk3 and wiring is not in place on that model.

 

The wiring for the camera is there on many Focus models including mine. I have the plug in the boot and that connects to a fakra connector at the back of the APIM. 

The problem is which camera to use as by upgrading to Sync 3, we have kind of mixed up the configuration and there is no Ford supported option for a MK3 car with Sync 3 as technically it doesn't exist in their eyes. Sync 2 was the furthest they went for a MK3 and even that was only in the US. 

So if you go for an original camera then it won't work properly as there is no IPM. Even if you put in an IPM, other things in the car won't be configured for it or may not even understand it. It may well work but you could lose some features which defeats the object of using OEM (unless it was already fitted).

So for Sync 3, we are moving on to the Focus MK3.5 as they are the only Focus models that had Sync 3 and also an OEM camera. 

But if you put a Mk3.5 camera on to a MK3, will it fit and even if it does, will the MK3 BCM understand it. You may have to change so many parameters on the BCM or even upgrade firmware to the point that other things in the car don't work anymore. 

It's a mine field. No doubt possible, but could be complicated where for under £40 you can get an aftermarket camera that is almost as good and does not come with all the complications. 

 

 

On 2/13/2021 at 4:59 PM, Steevo25 said:

There have been reported issues with the antenna not grounding properly to the car body causing antenna DTCs. The DTC is a bit misleading as it kind of says that the antenna has a short. What it is actually measuring is the resistance in the cable so any bad connection will change the resistance in the cable. 

All the solutions I have seen involve undoing the antenna and re-seating. A bit of a pain as you would have to pull the headlining down at the back. Also, a bad connection on the back of the ACM can cause the same thing.

What is the actual DTC?

so short circuit can generally be caused from improper connections causing resistance? or only when + meets -?

Could be a nick in the wire or something compressing on it (trim piece or something).  Possibly an iffy connection to ground also.

What is the actual DTC that is coming up?

On 2/14/2021 at 4:16 PM, Steevo25 said:

There should be a white Fakra connector that goes to the left hand Fakra on the back of the ACM (looking from the front). Then a black fakra connector that goes to the right hand port. The black Fakra is DAB. 

Just out of interest, do both black and white fakra go into the antenna that is designed for the sync?

It depends on the antenna you have fitted to your car. As far as I can see from the catalogue, there are 3 antenna types. 

Basic Antenna - Just AM/FM radio

DAB Antenna - AM/FM/DAB radio

SatNav Antenna - AM/FM/DAB and SatNav

For the basic, you will just have a white fakra connector. For the DAB you will have a white and black fakra. For the SatNav, you will have a white, black and blue fakra. 

Mine had SatNav so I had all 3 types. You can change them. An original Ford SatNav antenna is available on eBay for about £60. But it's not an easy job as the headlining has to come down at the back. The DAB antenna uses a splitter at the antenna. It only has 1 connector on the antenna that splits in to a white and black fakra so maybe the connector behind the APIM can be used for either. 

 

 

 

But just to add. If your ACM has both AM/FM and DAB, both antenna ports on the back of the ACM must be connected to an antenna otherwise it will throw an antenna fault DTC. 

Aren't all Sync 3 ACM's DAB capable? If not, what is the part number that dictates non-DAB versions?

I think all UK Sync 3 units are DAB. I think it is only Europe where you can have non-DAB units. 

But if you have upgraded from a pre-Sync 3 unit then they didn't all have DAB so it's perfectly possible that a DAB antenna was not fitted to the car from the factory. 

So I had a look above the headlining today. Mines an estate, so it's not that hard to drop the headlining enough to see through. I have the black fakra plug connected to my antenna. I can see the white connection, but it's over by side rather than next to the antenna.  There is also the empty blue connection that is closed to the antenna. Of all the antennas I've seen on ebay, none look to have a long enough wire to reach this white connection. Also,  I see on ebay a few antenna amplifiers, but it doesnt look like I have one on my car.

I have a sync 2 not a 3...........yet!!! 

I am guessing if it has the black fakra connection on the back of the ACM it is DAB ready...

The antenna doesn't provide the connection all the way to the APIM. You have to get a fakra extension cable. 

Unusual. From all I have seen, there isn't usually a separate white and black connector. On mine, it is 1 connector with a splitter that ends up as 2 connectors at the back of the APIM. 

It is worth using that blue connector if you go to Sync 3 as the factory GPS is far superior to the little chinese GPS that you stick behind the panel. 

The funny thing is, my DAB radio works really well. It drops out when I'm in the deepest darkest countryside, but not for long. 

I think the antenna itself is compatible with both analog and digital. That's why a splitter works. Rather than running cable, you can buy a fakra splitter that will plug in to your existing fakra connector behind the APIM and then plug in to both antenna connectors at the back of the APIM. 

Just search for fakra splitter/doubler on google. 

On my antenna, there is only 2 connections. A black plug that splits off to 2 cables (black and white behind the APIM). Then there is a blue connector for the navigation. 

If you look at the pictures on eBay of the factory GPS antennas, you can only see 2 wires. 

I bought the gps module that you recommended and I saw that the 2 wires that must be put on pins 16 and 17 correspond with the indicated colors. Then I would like to know where the other 2 wires of the module should be connected? Then I would like to know the dab (the black plug), id the fm (pink plug), how and where should they be connected to the sync 2?Thanks for your help 

but is the focccus program also good for Kuga? Do I always follow your instructions to change 8211 lines? thank you 

I just thought I would update this thread regarding ACMs that we had quite a discussion about on previous pages. 

All ACMs fitted to the Ford Focus MK3 and MK3.5 cannot have their configuration modified. The European and American ACMs for the Focus MK3 can have their configuration modified with tools like Forscan but they do not contain DAB (the ones that do have DAB cannot be modified).

So if you buy a 6 speaker ACM that came from a Focus, it cannot be converted to a 9 speaker version and vice versa. 

But what you can do is get an ACM from a Ford Kuga that has a part number beginning CV4T.

Unfortunately, this is not straightforward as the mounting holes for the Kuga are different to the Focus and the case is very slightly different. But it can be made to fit and once fitted is completely compatible. These Kuga ACMs are configurable. It is called 'Customer Options' and can be set with Forscan and other tools. 

The Sync 1 ACM does work with Sync 3 but unfortunately, the TMC between the ACM and the APIM is not compatible so you lose TMC. Something about the Sync 1 transmits mono information and Sync 3 transmits dual (stereo).

So if you are upgrading to Sync 3 in a Focus MK3.5 it's no problem as 99% of them are 6 speaker and a Sync 2 ACM works anyway with Sync 3. 

If you are upgrading a Focus MK3 then you either have to lose your centre speaker and put in a MK3.5 ACM, or put in an ACM from a Kuga to retain it all. 

Compared to the MK3.5 ACM which as you say only supports the 6 speaker setup, does the Kuga version of the ACM have better sound power/output, like the Sync 1 ACM which powered the upgraded 9 speaker setup?

From what I can gather, it's in the configuration. Technically, all the ACMs are the same (except the Sony premium sound ones which have a different circuit board).

Why Ford chose to lock the UK Focus variants, I have no idea. 

When you enable the centre speaker in the configuration, it then assumes it's a 9 speaker system and outputs a slightly increased power. This bit is an assumption, I cannot find any confirmation anywhere but that's what it shows on an oscilloscope. 

I bought a Kuga one and the mounting holes/screws are on the side rather than on the top. I thought I would just swap the circuit boards but the case is very difficult to play around with. In the end I had to drill rivets out and swap the brackets. The case for the Kuga also has a bit sticking out the back which you have to take off else it won't go all the way in. 

You can live with the 6 speaker one if you don't want a centre speaker. It just means the volume knob is very slightly higher to get the same volume. I am used to listening at 15 on the Sync 1 unit but on the 6 speaker version 18 sounds about the same. With the Kuga one I am back to 15. But if I disable the centre speaker it's 18. 

It could just be that because the centre speaker is not producing any sound it just sounds quieter to my ears.

If TMC is not required then the Sync 1 ACM is the easiest. If you want TMC but don't care about a centre speaker then the MK3.5 ACM is the easiest. If you want everything then the Kuga ACM is the way to go but requires a little bit more work. 

There's another thing to bear in mind also, in that some 2011/12 cars which originally had BVC and not Sync1, had an ACM with only one 24 pin connector (Main) not two (Acc), and these are totally incompatible because Sync 1/2/3 requires the two connectors for certain functions to work.

So I had no choice but to purchase a Sync 3 ACM at the time. I never changed the config in BCM to 6 speaker from 9 speaker and it still worked, but with the DTC. Changing it to 6 speaker cleared that DTC on the ACM.

Yes, you can just live with the DTC. Changing settings in the central config does absolutely nothing to alter anything in the sound. It's just that the ACM reads the central config when it starts up and if the settings are not what it expects, it throws that DTC. The only advantage of changing the central config is to get rid of the DTC. Nothing changes audio wise. Although, the central config does affect some related stuff like bluetooth, voice control etc. 

I am just very ocd and don't like seeing DTCs.