How To: Focus MK3 SYNC 3 upgrade for Bluetooth Voice Control (BVC) cars from 2011, 2012 and 2013

[devil71]

Hi I went from the bvc system to the sync 3 system by modifying all the original system, on forscan does not see the apim and the fcdim not so someone can help me understand why it does not turn on?

[JPW]

Check all the wires for the HS and MS can bus, these are normally the reason...

[devil71]

16 hours ago, JPW said:

Controlla tutti i fili per il bus HS e MS, normalmente questi sono i motivi...

Hi @Jpw i checked all the wires, and i found two inverted pin 19 with pin 20 i swapped the wires as per your wire connections board, i tried to turn on again, nothing does not want to turn on i scanned with forscan, ucds, and ids , and none of the three programs can detect both apim and fcdim, I double-checked all the wiring, and everything is ok, both as 12 V and as gnd. Could it be that the obd socket is making a fuss? ... .. I saw a pdf of the apim a54 pin connector and I see that in connectors 19 and 20 there are no wiring mm can are empty spaces while your excel reports can connections .... I don't know what to do anymore, I'm really sorry

[JPW]

You definitely need MM-can wires in the APIM.

I believe the MM-can actually handles the turn on. When you start the card, a signal is sent over the MM-can bus to wake the unit. 

[devil71]

7 hours ago, JPW said:

Hai sicuramente bisogno di cavi MM-can nell'APIM.

Credo che l'MM-can gestisca effettivamente l'accensione. Quando si avvia la scheda, viene inviato un segnale sul bus MM-can per riattivare l'unità. 

To have mm can I hung from the bvc 14 and 15 connector and connected to the pins 19 and 20 of the connector, is it right or do I have to connect them to other apim pins?

[JPW]

That is correct, BVC 14 and 15 to APIM 19 and 20

[devil71]

On 5/7/2021 at 00:27, JPW said:

Esatto, da BVC 14 e 15 a APIM 19 e 20

Hi jpw I checked everything and I keep on not concluding with this apim I'm asking why do I don't have hs-cam if there were no other forms would not work? Are there any fuses that protect the line? Last night I linked the aim to a 2018 cmax and fortunately turned on I checked everything. Wiring and it's okay why can't I get the connection fast?

[devil71]

On 5/3/2020 at 14:14, Ghano38 said:

Ciao a tutti, finalmente ho risolto tutti i problemi che avevo, ho persino installato la fotocamera posteriore, ho aggiornato il mio Sync 3 a 3.4v con mappe di navigazione 8F attivate, blocco automatico della radio HD e molte altre opzioni, quindi non esitare a fare qualsiasi domanda per favore.

Hi @ghano38

I have the same problem as you I have connected everything but it does not turn on, I have looked for errors on the wiring that I have made and everything is ok, how can you solve it?

[Jaco2201]

Hi @JPW,

It is now about a year how I have changed my BVC stereo in MK3 (2011) focus to the Sync3 system, and I have to tell you that it was an exciting and rewarding journey! 

However, I have two questions for you. The first one is regarding HS/MS-CAN connection to the APIM. In the original tutorial, those wires were connected to a different port, somewhere on the passenger side to the quite big connector. Do you have a scheme of that connector and to which pins we had to connect those 4 wires? What was the reason for changing the location to the OBD connector and should I change it now as well?
The second question is related to one error code (U0155-Lost Communcation With IPC Control Module) that I'm getting from day one and I didn't manage to find the solution on how to fix it. That error was present on my original, old IPC and on the new one. The new one is from the MK3.5 (bigger, colored TFT display). Even though everything seems to work (I'm getting the navigation info on that cluster display), I'm not sure what's wrong and what should I check to remove that error or is it normal to have it as maybe something else is missing in the car?

 

But in general, as I sad, everything works perfectly and here is a picture of the final setup. This is a little bit old-ish photo from the day everything was fitted and reprogrammed. Since then, I have fixed the emergency call feature, changed radio control buttons on the wheel from arrow one to the volume/stations/voice, and today I upgraded ACM with the DAB support one (It seems that I had the correct antenna 🎉). Next stop: fitting the reverse camera! 

Thank you for helping us out! 🙂

[JPW]

As the OBD2 port has all the CAN wires present in the same connector, I just thought it was easier to tap in to instead of awkwards HVAC and the other large connector in the footwell. In reality, you can tap in to anywhere the CAN bus wires exist.

[Jaco2201]

Make sense, and I agree that connecting this to the large connector was most difficult part of the entire process... 

Regarding the error code U0155-Lost Communcation With IPC Control Module, do you have any info what can I check?

[JPW]

If you clear it does it return? I had this and just ignored it as it didn't stop anything working, more probably to do with some signal the old BVC/Sync 1 sent to the IPC which is no longer present.

[devil71]

Hi Jpw I wanted to say thank you for your guide and help, at the end the sync problem that didn't want to light up was the main 54 pin connector to try with the tester episode and didn't touch the connectors, set a week to understand that I checked all the cablages for one. I have two problems that I cannot understand where I have to act: do I do not work the steering keyboard, and it does not turn on and turns off; do not turn the volume up through the handpole from where I can act?

[Jaco2201]

On 7/9/2021 at 6:31 PM, JPW said:

If you clear it does it return? I had this and just ignored it as it didn't stop anything working, more probably to do with some signal the old BVC/Sync 1 sent to the IPC which is no longer present.

Yes, every time...

But I found the reason... the APIM that I bought was a US version that someone somehow managed to change to the EU. APIM was from the Ford Explorer 32GB and once I tried to update EU maps and Sync from 3.1 to 3.4, I got the memory error... long story short, I managed to update maps but I decided to get rid of it so I ordered a new APIM, EU version from Ford Focus.

After installing that one, I've left the AsBuild config from the donor car and I made some minor changes to it (enable reverse camera, add temperature info, etc.). After cleaning DTC codes, the error disappeared.  Everything is ok now, no errors from APIM 🙂

[JPW]

That's brilliant, well done.

[devil71]

Hello, everyone after installation the sync, I can't plan it to make the volume and the whole frontal part running and also the steering wheel keys, I have the as-built from where the sync was mounted, and I have to place it on the Confim that forscan found me? I ask for the as-built-saving of the other focus if the load also changes my cylinder capacity and other things in the machine? ....

[JPW]

Make sure you've set the options in Focccus as per the tutorial and than pins 4 and 7 are wired correctly to the front fascia panel.

[Rowan112]

Thanks for this tutorial @JPW Hello I have tried upgrading my friend's (2013) BVC to Sync3, so far it is working but there is a couple of problems.

The audio from a phone call is not being transmitted on the sync3 unit. music over bluetooth is working, i have tried with multiple phones. No idea why it's not working.
I have checked continuity and it's fine

I cannot seem to find the APIM module on forscan, I have even changed settings in the BCM to say it's a sync2/3.
I am 100% with no doubt that the pin 53 is connected to obd2 pin 6 and pin 54 is connected to OBD2 Pin 14
I am also 100% sure for the pin 16 to OBD2 pin 3 and pin 17 to OBD2 pin 11.

I have checked continuity, it is deffo connected.
 
I am using this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07F1887MB?psc=1
and this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073Y519FG?psc=1
to tap into the OBD2 ports.

I even put a male in the obd2 port that forscan uses and to the pin to the apim and they're all getting continuity.

 

other than those 2 issues, it's running run so far. I just cannot program it. Nothing is popping up other than navigation from time to time but it fixes itself, but i think that's due to it needs to be updated as it's currently on v2.3

[Rowan112]

These are what i changed in his BCM

[Ifor]

Hey, guys. Nice job with this tutorial looks really well made. Can tell a lot of effort went in to it, I can't wait to get started. Can I just confirm will it now have android auto going from BVC or Sync 1 to Sync 3?

Thank you in advanced. 

[Rowan112]

6 hours ago, Ifor said:

Hey, guys. Nice job with this tutorial looks really well made. Can tell a lot of effort went in to it, I can't wait to get started. Can I just confirm will it now have android auto going from BVC or Sync 1 to Sync 3?

Thank you in advanced. 

android auto will work on sync3 wether you go from bvc or sync1

[MGC0407]

Hi I am in Australia and i have a 2011 Ford focus with a Factory sony head unit and 4" screen with BVC. I have fitted a 2013 5" screen, Head unit and Sony facia with Sat nav. It all works fine except when i put a SD card in it it says press start on the screen to download the SD card but i dont think the screen is touch screen and the start icon is blanked out. I have tried all the radio buttons but cannot seem to get the SD card to download the maps. it isnt the original SD card from the Sat nav set up i got. Can someone help me it is driving me nuts. I am sure it is something simple and it doesnt req forscan to program it but i might be wrong?

[Alan Silva]

congratulations on your tutorial. a beautiful job. I would like you to help me in my case. my car is a ford ka (figo) 2017 and i bought sync 3 for it, but my problem is that my car is the super basic version (IF in my country, i'm brazilian). then it came with a simple sound, bluetooth module. I was able to understand most of the connections from your tables, but the problem is that the acm version of this sync 3 is different, the connector is not the same as yours. it comes with two inputs for connectors, one for the Speakers and one that probably connects the wires from the harnes apim 54 to i aca, but i couldn't identify the order. you could help me?

[JPW]

Hi Alan

Are you able to post an image of your module so I can assist?

Thanks

 

 

[shiwarrior]

Covid has made me not buy my Focus yet due to the price increase, but if i bought an early mk3, this is defiantly something i would do !

 

Great post, and thank you so much for writing it all down all the bits we need etc, great for the ford focus owners! 🙂

 

i saw this video only yesterday (although its the Ford Focus SE "USA")

 

its good to see it in a video, looks so simple (its probably roughly the same) so gives you a good idea)