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How To: Focus MK3 pre-facelift SYNC 1 to SYNC 3 upgrade for late 2012, 2013 and 2014 models


JPW
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 😎 Focus MK3 pre-facelift SYNC 1 to SYNC 3 😎

Guide last updated on 16th March 2021

Let's get the boring stuff out of the way... Please be aware this how to is provided as advice and guidance only. Should you wish to proceed you do so at your own risk and I am not to be held responsible for any issues that arise. As this requires changes to the factory wiring of your car it should only be carried out if you are confident in doing so. That said, if you face any issues or have any questions I will do my best to assist, as I'm sure other members will.

Please make sure you read the whole post before commencing so you fully understand what you need to do.

Introduction

Following on from my previous topic detailing how to upgrade from the bluetooth voice control (BVC) to SYNC3, I now introduce my SYNC 1 to SYNC 3 guide.

Some late 2012, 2013 and early 2014 Focus (pre-facelift) MK3 cars in the UK (and possibly EU) were built with the SYNC 1 audio system. Other Ford models of a similar year, CMAX, Kuga etc can also be upgraded from to SYNC 3, but the parts list is slightly different.

You an easily determine whether your car has BVC or SYNC 1 by the steering wheel controls. BVC has a separate stalk for the volume and audio controls, whereas SYNC1 uses the right hand d-pad on the wheel itself (with the voice control button):

image.thumb.png.dd2708a0ee137f281fe3ab547d50ffa6.png

A lot of the how to is shared but there is a lot less work involved as SYNC 1 already has some of the required wiring/harnesses etc.

Now you've determined your car is equipped with SYNC 1 and you want to upgrade to SYNC 3, continue below! If you have BVC rather than SYNC 1, go here.

Parts required

The SYNC 3 system is made up of a number of different but linked parts. You will need to purchase all of these in order to have a working system. I have included the part numbers I used, but there are a number of variances from different vehicles. You can purchase the touch screen, APIM, ACM, USB Hub and Bezel from any 2016 - 2018 (not 2019+) Ford SYNC 3 equipped vehicle. Only the bracket and front fascia is specific to the Focus MK3 and is different than CMAX, Kuga etc. There are also some tools/bits required.

8" Touch Screen: GM5T-18B955-SB This is the main touch screen required for SYNC 3.

 TouchScreen.jpg.c457e380238690e06859b8ba46ffc913.jpg


APIM: JM5T-14G370-GNC The APIM is attached to the back of the touch screen and is the brains of SYNC 3. Has navigation support.

APIM.jpg.97f2254a551fa9aeee4d0209178d5d1a.jpg

 
ACM (Radio): F1BT-18C815-LP This handles the CD, DAB and FM input, as well as the output to your Speakers.

 ACM.jpg.5773413a3db7efc861e30d05f75cccc0.jpg


USB Hub: Finis 2026703 Required for USB connectivity including Android Auto / Apple Carplay.

usb_hub.jpg.46b805e197e55b8b947d7040f06a4efd.jpg
 
USB Bezel: Finis 5326708 This is a trim piece in which the new USB hub fits in to. Replaces existing USB/line-in inside centre armrest.

Bezel.jpg.302ef451dfb6c92992451f97d298cb85.jpg

Front Fascia: F1ET-18K811-HC This is the front fascia with the radio control buttons and hazard switch.

Fascia.jpg.f30f0de6a80f400722131edfbd1e928d.jpg


Bracket: Finis 1895997 Required in order to seat the new 8 touchscreen and radio in the existing opening.

Bracket.jpg.41c5ef4d34fb7de3692d438e5e97b05b.jpg

 

Bottom trim piece: FIEB-A046B74-ACW This is a small cover for the bottom of the front fascia panel.

Trim.jpg.2a8d384033790a3802e15fc5c1a2c522.jpg


2.5m/3m Mini USB to Mini USB Cable: eBay or wherever Required for connectivity between the media hub and the APIM.

USB_cable.jpg.09fa45c9fea8b5ed31b7f0062cddd051.jpg
GPS Antenna (Fakra connector): amazon (click here) GPS for the sat nav function of APIM (if you don't currently have sat nav)

GPS.jpg.0b41812dc01d6870c1f35f031a86b9cb.jpg 


Fakra adaptor: Amazon (click here) (if you have a reverse camera).

RCA.jpg.1f5a4c3f175a63ad6bd01e109ba96ba8.jpg


ELM327 ODB2 Diagnostic Connector: amazon (click here) Required to update your car settings after installation.

ELM327.jpg.ed1c9b69043a128ab094e73b54623d5d.jpg
 



Wago connector blocks: Screwfix (click here) Required for joining some wires together.

97689_P&$prodImageMedium$

 

22 AWG wire: amazon (click here) Required for adding a few new cables to the 54-pin APIM connector

image.png.69434f39f8c0e5647a6d14a2169cc0ef.png

 

10 x spare Pins: Mouser (click here) Required for adding a couple of extra pins to the 54-pin APIM connector. Order a qty of 10!

image.png.46facfdcbb6072cd9be5eca36d49c322.png

 

 

Step 1 - Remove the existing system

Here is the factory fitted system before I began:

IMG_20191127_100238.thumb.jpg.644a34166678de3b6d868516d74ee529.jpg    IMG_20191127_100200.thumb.jpg.b1e27b53e0cb2075e4d97a2580792039.jpg

Lets start by removing the existing components. This is the screen, ACM and SYNC 1 module.

Start by removing the small plastic grill underneath the existing front fascia (its just above the heater controls). This reveals two screws which you need to remove. All screws are torx fittings.

The front fascia can now be removed. If you have a SD card (for maps) plugged in above on your existing screen, remove first. Gently pull the front fascia away from the dash at the bottom where you removed the screws. It will come away fairly easy and then just ease it out at the top/sides. Note: There is a wire connected to the rear of the front fascia, take a look behind it (might be a squeeze) and unclip it before removing the fascia completely. You are left with this:

IMG_20191127_100328.thumb.jpg.8507e7c03e2e50eed6d63f635428ac73.jpg

Next, lets remove the ACM (radio). Remove the two screws to the bottom left/right of the screen and pull the silver radio out. On the rear, there is either one or two (depending on year) large connectors and one or two antenna black/white connectors. Unclip these. These connections are known as Fakra and to release them you have to press down hard on the little plastic tab on the connector itself, whilst pulling away from the ACM. With everything removed you can now remove the ACM:

IMG_20191127_100502.thumb.jpg.985aa36ad9809f31ffb04f9f4d74b504.jpg

Next, remove the screen. There are four screws that hold the screen in it's bracket so go ahead and remove these. Gently pull the screen forward and on the rear you'll see some connections:

IMG_20191119_173805.thumb.jpg.73d4a2a3493671295eb1ee3ea4caf751.jpg

The blue connector is for the GPS (if you have sat nav). The black cable is the FM/DAB antenna and the pink cable is a loop down to the ACM which is no longer used and can be taped up. The beige or green connector is the reverse camera (if you have it). There is also a black 12-pin (FCDIM) connector which can be removed by releasing the little clip and pulling out. The area should now be clear:

IMG_20191127_101048.thumb.jpg.52c8cf195366210e42b24039d0a2c64f.jpg

Next, remove the heater control panel. There are two screws visible, and one that is hidden behind the trim just above the gear surround. You need to remove the gear surround trim. Gently prise it up with your finger nails or a plastic tool to avoid scratches. Be careful, the clips are fragile.

This reveals a small hex nut (bottom right of picture) you need to remove. Go ahead and do so:

IMG_20191127_103223.thumb.jpg.4ec2c581a6308735ed5eb2ccc3218f9f.jpg

Next, you can remove the plastic trim to the right of the gear surround to reveal the third screw you need to remove:

IMG_20191127_103954.thumb.jpg.9d6b548adbe2d9c5780cc9263b3734b4.jpg

You can now pull the heater controls forward a little. On the rear there are four connectors that need removing. Unclip and remove.

Next, you need to remove the SYNC 1 module which is located behind the heater controls you just removed. There are four screws holding it in place.

image.png.d53a26aac9be3c14b095f1899bd8a709.png

Remove the large connector and the USB connector(s) from the SYNC 1 module. With both these unplugged you can now fully remove the SYNC 1 module.

That's everything removed! Grab a cuppa and a snack as it will take a while for the next part.

 

Step 2 - Modify existing wiring

You now need to modify the existing wiring. The first task is to reroute the 54-pin APIM connector (which was removed from the SYNC 1 module) up to where the old ACM (radio) used to be. There is enough length to do this comfortably but there may be a couple of cable ties/clips so be sure to use some long nosed pliers to get these out of the way.

Now, let's start with the remap of the wiring. I have created a handy table of everything you need to connect. See below:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m2YAAQbskHpL3UQOX0D646ZBgnAPt_yTWPzK73HFxRw/edit?usp=sharing

You only need to change any wires/pins listed, everything else stays as it is now.

To help, this photo identifies all the cables:

layout.thumb.jpg.987dda51555c2f192c38e19882d0758a.jpg

The first step is to work on the 54-pin APIM connector which you removed from the original SYNC 1 module. Unlatch the 2 clips on the connector and slide off the cover to gain access.

In the wiring table, start moving the pins around as described. i.e. move pin 5 to pin 12. You can insert a small flat screwdriver bit in to the hole above the pin and you should be able to pull it out. Take care with pins 23 to 26 as they swap around, so be sure to kept track of the original locations before you move anything.

Label and then cut the wires going in to pin 46 and 47 around 10 cm back from the connector itself (you might need to remove some of the cloth insulation tape wrapped around the bunch), leaving the actual pin in the connector. Strip 1cm off the wire coming from these pins so you've got the copper showing, and insert each one in to it's own Wago connector (double the copper wire over on itself if it's too thin to be a snug fit). If you've not used Wago connectors before, you simply pull the orange tab up, insert the stripped wire all the way and then push the tab closed. You basically use a single Wago connector to join two wires together, without the need for crimping/soldering them.

Next, you need to label and cut pins 4, 5, 7 and 10 on the old screen (FCDIM) connector. Strip about 1cm off the end as per above and insert each wire in to it's own Wago connector.

Join APIM 46 to the Wago connector used for FCDIM 7, and then join APIM 47 to the Wago connector used for FCDIM 10.

We now need to add 5 additional pins for the APIM connector (which were not present on SYNC 1). Taking the silver pins you purchased from mouser, create five pre-wired pins, 2 of which can be around 15cm in length and three of which need to be a few metres in length. Strip 1cm of copper, insert it in to the pin and then using some pliers to squeeze/squash it and stop it coming out of the pin:

image.thumb.png.a18171889fc28c9530de24a306e75da3.png
image courtesy of @Luke_Anderson

Once you have made 5 of the above, push the two short wires in to vacant slots 14 and 15 and the three long wires in to vacant slots 8, 16 and 17 of the APIM connector.

If you have a reverse camera, join the wire you pushed in to APIM pin 14 to the reverse camera fakra signal (+) wire and APIM pin 15 to the reverse camera (-) wire.

Run the wires you pushed in to APIM pins 16 and 17 out the side of the dash and behind the plastic trim under the drivers side panel (below the steering wheel) all the way across to the OBD2 port, which is located is behind the little pull down storage compartment near the drivers knee (nearest the door) Youtube video - click here. You'll need to carefully strip back some of the copper wire on pins 3 and 11 and splice the wire from APIM pin 16 to the wire from OBD2 pin 3 and the wire from APIM pin 17 to the wire from OBD2 pin 11. These are required for the MS-CAN circuit and without it the system will not work.

Run the wire you pushed in to APIM pin 8, along with another 2 metre wire that you need to splice in to the APIM wire 38, and the mini usb cable down through the dash, under the centre console trim for connecting to the new USB hub later.

The APIM wiring is now complete!

Next, you need to modify the existing Front fascia connector. This is the 8-pin connector that plugs in to the front fascia with the radio controls and hazard switch etc. Remove the red protective cap from the end of the harness:

FCDIMPinout.thumb.jpg.ac45ec232ab95920614a2812d0dc473b.jpg

Strip back the grey cloth tape by around 10 cm on the wiring harness so you can get access to the wires. You need to cut and strip the wire that currently goes in to pin 7 and join this to the Wago connector you used from FCDIM pin 4 that you prepared in the last step.

You then need to cut the wire in pin 2 and pop the remaining wire and pin out of the connector itself. From the front of the connector you'll see the silver pin. Insert a small flat screwdriver or paperclip and lift he pin up and pull it out the front. You need to re-insert this in to the empty pin 4 on the connector. Once done, strip the wire you just pushed in to pin 4 and join this to the Wago connector you used from FCDIM pin 5 you prepared in the last step.

Side note...

You will see that on the new front fascia you'll no longer have an unlock/lock button like the original faceplate. This is because the facelift MK3 models have the lock/unlock button incorporated in the drivers door card so it was never present on the new front fascia.

So, if you want to get a working lock/unlock button back (optional), you can purchase a simple momentary button with a built-in LED such as this from Amazon.

I mounted it just under the gear stick so the driver or the passenger can easily operate it:

image.thumb.png.0dcf6a5af03d7a6573a4e67d07379082.png

image.thumb.png.e57e5b2c1261443076125885bddc3606.png

You need to wire the momentary button as follows:

  • 12V join this to the wire that used to go in to pin 2 of your FCIM connector (white/yellow)
  • 0V join this to any ground wire
  • C join this to the 0V (ground) above
  • NO join this to the wire that used to go in to pin 6 of your FCIM connector (brown)
  • NC not used

The LED brightness changes when locked, and dims when unlocked so you can tell the current lock state.

 

Next, let's get the new USB Hub installed. In the centre armrest, we need to remove the existing USB and Line-In hub. Using a small flat screwdriver or plastic pry tool lever under the panel and it will lift up. The cables are tight, so you'll need to twist it around a little so you can get your fingers in to unclip the existing two connectors I found the USB port to be a real pain to unclip, so ended up snipping it. We cannot re-use these connectors therefore it doesn't matter if you damage them when trying to remove:

OldUSBHub.thumb.jpg.fe43c80cb49b03e26c25232abffd50fe.jpg

With the old USB hub removed we now need to connect the wires you prepared earlier to the new hub. As mentioned above, I was able to run these cables along the underside edge of the centre console where the gear stick and armrest is. I didn't need to remove any of it. The tricky part was feeding the cable up to the hole where the new USB hub will go, but it's perfectly doable.

Take two of remaining silver pins and strip back 1cm of the two wires you ran from APIM pin 8 and pin 38. Push the APIM pin 8 in to pin 1 of the USB hub, and the APIM pin 38 in to pin pin 4 of the USB hub. I used some duct / gaffer tape to make sure these don't move once pushed in.

USBHubPinout.thumb.jpg.9ee706631ac4a0eb3dae9d693f7cdee2.jpg

 

Once the wires are in place, install the USB bezel in to the hole, and then secure the new USB hub in to the bezel:

IMG_20191205_222607.thumb.jpg.4a08db4530433f8f99197da5bd0dde0c.jpg

If you're still with me, well done!

All the wiring mods are complete and we're ready to plug everything in! It surely must be time for another brew...

If you purchased the Screen / APIM / ACM / Bracket separately now is the time to connect these together so they ready to slot in to the dash:

APIMBack.thumb.jpg.ed3643c77c14eef97220a9942dc3a0da.jpg

Sitting in the passenger seat, slide the unit in to the dash side on, so you can see the back of it from your seat. Plug the blue GPS antenna in to the top left of the APIM. Plug the USB cable in to the black USB socket. Plug the 54-pin APIM connector in to the large black socket.

On the ACM, plug in the black fakra connector (from the old FCDIM) and the white fakra connector. Connect the two large ACM connectors.

Carefully turn the unit so the screen is facing you and slide it in to the dash. There are some plastic guides/tabs where it slots in so be sure its in these. When doing so make sure the 8-pin Front Fascia connector doesn't get lost behind he unit as you need to connect that when you re-place this fascia:

IMG_20191207_140048.thumb.jpg.f022c4386ed88b48ac0ebcdeb4cdfe4b.jpg

The big moment...

Heighten your senses and turn on your ignition. The unit should now turn on and boot up. Look and smell for anything untoward. Provided the wiring mapping tables have been followed and the crimp connectors done properly you shouldn't have any issues.

Don't worry about any errors/pop-ups/warnings at this stage as this is to be expected. Using the touchscreen, choose Audio and Sources, and tune to a station. Check you have sound etc.

Updating the settings

We now need to 'program' the car in order for it to work correctly, as it still thinks you have the old bluetooth module and small screen installed. You'll need a laptop on Windows. In order to update the car settings we need to find a suitable 'donor' car. This means take a look on Autotrader or some other used car site and look for a Focus MK3 (2016-2018 year) with a similar same spec as your own car (like stop/start. manual transmission etc). Make a note of the registration/licence plate number and head over to the Ford Etis website at http://www.etis.ford.com/vehicleRegSelector.do

Enter the registration number and click submit. On the right hand side, it will now show you the long VIN number (usually starts with WF). Make a note of this.

Next, head over to the Motorcraft AS-Built website at https://www.motorcraftservice.com/AsBuilt. Enter the VIN and click Submit. It may take a few minutes to load so be patient. It will come back with a page with a blue Download File icon. Click this and save to your laptop.

We are now ready to plug the laptop in to the car and upload the new settings. Download and install/unzip the following applications:

Turn the ignition on (accessory mode) but not the engine. Connect the ELM37 cable to the Focus Diagnostic port, making sure the switch on the ELM327 device is set to the HS-CAN (High) option This is located behind a small door on the drivers side dash, under the steering wheel. Youtube video - click here.

Plug the USB in to your laptop and it should self-install the driver. Open up FORScan and click the Connect icon. At this point it should say Connected to car, and load some information in. It will ask you to save a profile, so give it any name you like.

On the left hand side, click the Computer chip icon. Click the option called APIM (AS-Built format) and then click the Run service Procedure icon at the bottom. Accept the warnings and proceed.

Next, before you do anything further, click the Save all button to save a copy of your existing APIM config. Save this to your laptop named "Backup - original" or similar.

Next, click the Load file button and select the *.ab file you downloaded from the Motorcraft website above. Click Write All and your SYNC 3 unit will automatically reboot.

You will note that the instrument cluster changes colour to a darker blue gradient. This is normal and expected and is just part of the settings change. This is how it looks on newer Focus MK3's. The functionality remains unchanged. Also note, the right-side steering wheel directional buttons are no longer functional as these are now moved to the left-side directional buttons (the ones that used to control your old radio). Again, this is how it works in the newer Focus cars.

Close FORScan and open the FoCCCus application. Click connect and load the Central config tab. Click Read from BCM. Do not panic when your instrument cluster makes some warning tones and alerts - this is normal. Yes, it appears odd, but it is normal procedure when programming. As above, before you change anything, create a backup file of your Central config first.

In the Central Configuration you should now see a load of options, filled in with your car's current configuration. Change ONLY the existing settings:

  • 123 – Audio Aux Input = 01 (without)
  • 125 – DAB Radio System = 01 (without)
  • 154 – Module USB = 01 (without)
  • 157 – bluetooth Handsfree = 01 (without)
  • 172 – Front Display = 09 (DM8 with nav)
  • 214 – ICP = 09 (unknown)

Click Write to BCM, wait for it to complete, then Write to IPC.

At this point the programming is done. You can remove the ELM327 cable. Check everything is working including Volume Control on your steering wheel etc. Check you can make/receive calls through the SYNC 3 unit, load the navigation app, pair your phone etc.

All that remains is to get your front fascia fitted back in to make it all look brilliant. One snag, the fascia needs a little trimming in order to fit nicely. If you try and fit it, you'll see at the bottom what is stopping it from going in flush. I have posted an image below (credit to @Phil21185). I just used a junior hacksaw but you could use a dremel/multi-tool etc.

FasciaCut.thumb.jpg.7a26f6f5fa248be183897bdce0f2a8a5.jpg

 

FasciaCut2.thumb.jpg.7aaf3365c3d4b85d69df6aa3645016cb.jpg

With the panel trimmed you should now be able to fit the fascia back in place. Remember to re-connect the 8 pin connector to the back of this else your buttons / hazard switch won't work. Finally, push the bottom trim piece up and in to the gap above the heater control to tidy everything up.

The Results

IMG_20191207_135838.thumb.jpg.c731a2c1b50aac5614de99d619ea50b5.jpg

IMG_20191207_135817.thumb.jpg.e99f6e1431f07b8267885279498b7523.jpg

IMG_20191207_135907.thumb.jpg.213ed043d19f6b8f174ac4d4a2e7163b.jpg

Night.thumb.jpg.3d6500e6ea505108ba34219e036c46ae.jpg

Wow, that was a super long post. I know it may look daunting, but it's not difficult at all and is very much worth the effort. It looks like a lot more work than it is just because I wanted to go in to every detail to make it easy for you. I have double checked the instructions and apologise if I have missed anything!

Good luck!

 

 

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This post reserved for any amendments etc.

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👏👏👏 Good work there pal! A really well written and comprehensive guide, if you can’t do it after following this then there really is no hope 😂

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Excellent post and one I may have to use in the future...

One question I have is, can this be done if the car has standard manual heater controls and not climate control?

Only asking as every post I've seen where this has been done, they've all had the climate control haha.

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Yes, absolutely. There is no requirement to have the climate control system, it will be just fine with the manual heater controls.

We have a number of members on here whom have done it so I can be sure it will work.

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Excellent, I thought that was the case but wanted to be sure! Thank you!

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11 minutes ago, Luke_Anderson said:

👏👏👏 Good work there pal! A really well written and comprehensive guide, if you can’t do it after following this then there really is no hope 😂

Haha! I hope so. Life is all about sharing knowledge, especially when you're not allowed outside due to lockdown 😂

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I'm good to continue using the female jumpers soldered to a 22AWG for the repinning stage no? No need for the mouser pin heads?

Had me ready to do this mod on the weekend and now this has got me worried 😂 Seems to be a lot more soldering!

Right now my plan is repin where possible, and cut and solder a female jumper wire head to the 22AWG wire where a new pin is needed? My thoughts are everything should be fine right?

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Yes, absolutely, the original method I described is totally fine, I just decided to change a few things for anyone who's not already made a start or is planning to upgrade.

If you have any issues drop me a message on our existing thread and I'll be sure to help 🙂

 

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Pins 14 and 15 for the Reverse Camera, wdym by Fakra Adaptor +. I have 2 black fakras (assuming they're positive as theyre the only 2 same colour). 1 from the FCDIM and 1 from the ACM?

 

I want to retrofit a camera in a couple months (I have the grey connector in the boot) but just wondering if I can do any prep work now to save time.

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A low down on all the Fakra connections for BVC/SYNC 1...

The Blue Fakra (GPS antenna) which was connected to the FCDIM should be connected to the Blue Fakra input on the SYNC 3 APIM.

The Black Fakra which was connected to the original ACM needs to be disconnected and taped up - it is not used for SYNC. You also need to tape up the other end of this short cable, which is the Pink Fakra (it fed the signal between the FCDIM and the ACM)

The Black Fakra (FM/DAB antenna) which was connected to the FCDIM now needs to be connected to the Black Fakra input on the new ACM.

The White Fakra (amplified FM antenna) needs to be connected to the White Fakra input on the new ACM.

The Green/Beige Fakra (reverse camera) needs to be converted to either an RCA or just a two wire (+ and -) and this is fed to APIM 14 and 15.

So in answer to your question, I would just leave either wires 14 and 15 unterminated or if you have green/beige camera present you can use the RCA adaptor and plug in to the SYNC harness.

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4 hours ago, JPW said:

A low down on all the Fakra connections for BVC/SYNC 1...

The Blue Fakra (GPS antenna) which was connected to the FCDIM should be connected to the Blue Fakra input on the SYNC 3 APIM.

The Black Fakra which was connected to the original ACM needs to be disconnected and taped up - it is not used for SYNC. You also need to tape up the other end of this short cable, which is the Pink Fakra (it fed the signal between the FCDIM and the ACM)

The Black Fakra (FM/DAB antenna) which was connected to the FCDIM now needs to be connected to the Black Fakra input on the new ACM.

The White Fakra (amplified FM antenna) needs to be connected to the White Fakra input on the new ACM.

The Green/Beige Fakra (reverse camera) needs to be converted to either an RCA or just a two wire (+ and -) and this is fed to APIM 14 and 15.

So in answer to your question, I would just leave either wires 14 and 15 unterminated or if you have green/beige camera present you can use the RCA adaptor and plug in to the SYNC harness.

No green/biege fakra 😞 Ahh sounds good, I figured I could just put the wires into 14 and 15 and leave them loose and taped up on the other end, then once I have the boothandle camera I wont need to open up the APIM connector housing. Should just be able to solder 14 and 15 to +/- on the camera cables no?

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Yep, join straight to 14 and 15.

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No idea how you've all spliced the OBD2 cables! 😞 Really f'ed those up today and ended up snipping them in half. Wires were brittle so can't repair, will prob have to get more wire and some OBD2 pins and wait even longer to complete everything 😢 I knew it would be hard... but not this difficult shiiii

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Doh! When splicing I usually use a small knife to just remove a slither of the outer layer and the use my nails to pull some away, that leaves the copper untouched.

If the pins are still in the plug you can just rejoin...

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1 hour ago, JPW said:

Doh! When splicing I usually use a small knife to just remove a slither of the outer layer and the use my nails to pull some away, that leaves the copper untouched.

If the pins are still in the plug you can just rejoin...

Tried... cut half my finger off because the insulation was so thick the blade (a new one) was getting stuck. There's not enough wire to strip on the pin side of the cuts in order to form a good connection. Gonna depin and attempt to fix or replace pins entirely and try and extend the wires from a bit further up the bit thats been cut. The copper crumbles away when trying to connect them, very dry (assuming given the age). 

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Fitted everything today, must have snapped some solder connections when forcing everything back together because the USB hub is not working at all. Then again my OBD2 is still f'ed up, so maybe just doesn't recognise the port? What do you think is more likely? @JPW

Does it make sense that the USB hub wont work if I haven't Forscan'd it? I did the programming before any wiring when I was fitting sensors last weekend, so fortunate enought that I now have fully functional maps and SYNC3 but cant update to SYNC3.4 and can't plug into my OBD2 (until I fix it 😢

If the hub should work anyways then I will rip it open again tomorrow and confirm joints 😢 Been a huge pain all of this since yesterday when I basically amputated my finger trying to remove the casing on the OBD2 wires.

 

 

SYNC3.jpeg

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The USB hub is unrelated to the OBD2 port/wiring. Does it have the faint blue LED lit around the USB socket? Is the USB cable fully connected?

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3 hours ago, JPW said:

The USB hub is unrelated to the OBD2 port/wiring. Does it have the faint blue LED lit around the USB socket? Is the USB cable fully connected?

No blue LED. I think my connectors are not in on the APIM side vecause the female jumper leads without black casing are very loose. They arent the same head as the OEM ones - maybe the Mouser ones you linked are better for future reference. The female jumpers are decent for the USB hub side and i'm sure theyre connected, either a solder joint has split when forcing the unit back into the car or the leads fell out of the APIM when putting the latch connector back on. Or both 😞

 

Thank you so much for your help so far btw, been a rough 36hrs working with like 3 fingers and blood everywhere.

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@JPW
sorry to pester you again! 😂 final thing now, wheres nearest ground wire to ur lock button? Will be fitting my button near handbrake (Z-shape brake) and wanting to map out my setup in my mind. Any specific colour that the manufacturer makes these?

Also, what was easiest means of drilling the trim, remove and drill or just from the outside in? 🤔

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On my car I tapped in to the 12v cigarette socket ground (0v) which is in the centre console. Not sure if you have one close...

Alternatively if you have the centre console removed there are a few ground points you could connect to.

I just drilled a hole straight through (in the car), as the plastic is decent enough to take it, just go slowly so you only just go through.

Before you start make sure there is enough depth for your button.

 

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Hi anyone reading, I have fully completed the upgrade as well as adding rear sensors and on-screen visualisation. I had a 5dr Zetec Focus MK3 '14.

The pin-guide spreadsheet posted is perfect and correct. It will save you lots of time researching and understanding wiring diagrams. Use it or don't do the mod.

A quick note - FCIM is the front panel connector with the red cap (Front Controls Interface Module) whereas the FCDIM is the small latch connector that used to go into your old display - hence the D for display. I know this is something most will pick up on but i'm making it explicitly clear for anyone in future 😄

You will have to cut away some ballache tape from the APIM connectors harness to be able to force it into the top section of the unit where it will be getting plugged in. It's quite annoying and lots of sticky tape has to be cut to free it as well as some ziptie b.s connectors holding them to the inside of the plastic.

Issues I personally encountered:

1) The GPS Fakra antenna I got was a cheap Chinese one (I wanted to do both upgrades for under £500) - it takes a few seconds after boot to work sometimes, and occasionally it boots to an "Error with nav" message for a second or 2.

2) The female jumper lead pins I was reusing (cutting the heads off and soldering to relevant wires) were not the same shape as those used in the original Sync 1 APIM connector. They were very loose. You may want to get the Mouser ones suggested here. Or look for something identical to the existing ones.

2.1) The latch casing can be removed from the 54-pin APIM connector by lifting the 2 flaps on either side and sliding it off. It should be easy. This connector casing is somewhat common on Ford cars. However, due to my loose pins in the connector I could not slide the latch casing back on without it bending wires so much that pins don't plug in to the SYNC3 APIM. In the end I left the casing off and just resorted to plugging in the connector directly to the APIM. I held onto the connector casing with the latch just in case.

3) If soldering and not using wagos or T-taps then buy wire strippers! They will save you lots of time and problems!

4) Get prying tools! You may struggle to get the cup holder out and reach your 12v or struggle to remove other parts such as the handbrake trim near the gearstick.

5) The fuse may have gone on your 12V port. It is fuse #61 and 20 amps. My ground wire from this port was the "sideways" one "underneath" the "vertical" one. Sorry for the poor description. From a first person view it is the second one you will see or touch as it is "underneath". Best to test it using any metal nearby and a multimeter or circuit tester.

6) Buy enough wire

7) Take pictures throughout and label wires to avoid getting confused or lost.

8.0) When programming I used an odd order because I got too excited... I did it before any of the actual wiring work (I had fitted my sensors a week prior).

How I programmed it and issues I had:

A) Follow the steps outlined by OP for using FoCCCus. This is easy to follow and do.
B) Confirm that your buttons and fascia buttons etc. work - also change any settings here such as sensors or autolights if you've done other mods at the same time.
C) There is a bunch of people online figuring out how to modify As-Built data and codes for the APIM using Forscan. You'll need a Forscan month free trial to use the programming feature. Yes you can use OPs method to get *.ab files and load them - I did this to note any differences from my original programming. But for me this didn't work for sensor visualisation. I suggest posting a thread or searching this forum for help with that. Specifically I was helped on the MK3+3.5 retrofit sensors thread.

For some reason (I assume because of programming before installing the system) I had lost my central configuration and had to use Forscan to restore it 😞 This meant I couldn't use FoCCCus to do anything in the end and did all the AsBuilt stuff using Forscan. Luckily things were fine once restored but just be aware that could happen.

You can use CyanLabs Syn3Updater to get Sync 3.4 (latest update as of writing). The UI feels cleaner and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay loads much faster. I strongly recommend.


Consider the lock button compulsory and not optional - it's a pain not being able to unlock the car on the fly with the key in. Attached are pictures of my finished project 🙂

LockButton.jpeg

Sync3.4AndroidAuto.jpeg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Great write up, thanks for sharing.

Quick question. Can i use a tripple wago connector to splice the 2 wires into the obd2 wires?

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Yes, course if you want to cut them.

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On 5/5/2021 at 7:49 AM, JPW said:

Yes, course if you want to cut them.

Great thank you. Think it will be easier

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