Ford APIM Sync 3 Broken or not? 

Thank you for the video. You did a great job working through and thinking about the problem at hand. I have a 2018 XLT as well, same exact problem. Before watching your video, I was about to start taking the dash apart to replace the APIM. After watching your video and going through the diagnostic steps, I determined my APIM was fine. But the NAV component of the system did seem to be the underlying issue. So I did some more digging, this time on the Ford site, logged into my trucks account (where you can see the SYNC 3 version and download updates). I noticed my map database was out of date (there is a cost to perform this update, $109 for a year). Previous map database was NA 1 18. New map database is NA 2 22. Even though it bugged me to no end this could possible be a fix, I paid for the map database update. Sure enough, after completing the map database update and driving the truck for a week now, all sluggish issue with the radio are gone. My Sync 3 system is acting just like it did when I bought it new 5 years ago, works great! I am going to give Ford a call to see what they have to say about this. Completely unsatisfactory the customer is expected to purchase this map database update in order for the Sync system to operate normally now.

Ford tech here. It indeed is the APIM module

If memory serves me right I believe that sensor at the front of your windshield is what's called the sun load sensor and it detects light to adjust brightnesses or your daytime running lamps

Have a 2020 fusion. Mine went out. Luckily I still have warranty on it. They have to replace the whole unit. Mine would free every time I started vehicle. Even factory reset would freeze.

I have a radio service route and I work at Ford and Lincoln dealers exclusively. I do the module replacement with programming complete for $699. Because I'm not greedy and because I feel so sad for the customers of Ford vehicles when Ford put junk on the market and knows full well that with Apple products it doesn't work correctly.. so initially I would have done the hard reset and a software upgrade if you still have no navigation try 10 minute hard reset. If not you need a sink module,. The dealers cost is 4:25 to 475 and the labor to install and program should only be 1.5 hours. In my experience the more pressure you put on Ford you might get half of the bill paid or more. Again they put fraudulent crap out there that's not compatible with Apple products and often causes software crashes. It's a known problem in Gen 2 and gen 3 and now Gen 4 sync systems. This is why you don't buy Every Man's truck. There is a chance that if when you start the vehicle you get a navigation not available prompt see your dealer, you could have a defective GPS antenna and that's definitely a $65 option that you want to look into but it's not very common in an F-150. But it's still better than buying a new apim. All navigation functions start and finish inside the apim module.

I have a 2018 Fiesta and a year ago or so it started acting up - when I switch the car of the time gets messed up but returns to normal when I turn it on the next time, takes a minute or so to turn on the radio, CarPlay not working, changing radio stations is unreliable... I can't update it via wifi nor usb nor do a master reset. I did some research and it looks to me that the system got full of cache and other info and started slowing down but I can't delete the cache with a master reset. I'll try this and report back. I just want my CarPlay back!

I’m going to try this tonight… because mine is fubar now

updATE YOUR navigation with a sd card a if that doint work gat a nav antenna control for your truck and. that will fix it order from e bay

Mine does the same and i don't have navigation. I found Ford TSB 22-2254. I have back camera stuck on. Sometimes no radio. Channels jump. A ton of crap

Maaaaan. You got it

I have to heat mine up by running the heater full blast and hot the volume and seek at the same time to get mine to come on

Hey bud, I was informed today by someone who sells these apim’s used. That it’s more than likely the gps antenna that creates some kind of back feed and overwhelms the apim… so he said if you replace the gps antenna it typically solves the issue. I’m about to try it as mine has done this 💩 for a couple years now and I’m sick of it!!

Current update: APIM still works just fine, all functions, minus anything GPS. Once GPS finally crapped out and says “navigation fault” everything else has been flawless, so, I personally do not believe buying a new APIM for $1k is worth just having nav without the use of my phone. I can connect my phone, use google maps, and still push buttons to navigate on the touch screen💁🏽‍♂️

Hey, thank you for this video. I attempted to access my diagnostic screen, but it won't come up at all. My screen works, allows me to hit everything. My truck is stuck on audio off mode. The GPS isn't working, and when I hit the volume button on the steering wheel it shows volume 0. When I spin the volume knob, nothing happens. My phone will connect via bluetooth, and carplay, shows stuff playing, but no audio whatsoever. Would this be an indication of faulty APIM?

Mine doesn’t turn on at all. I already changed the fuse I don’t know what to do

Great if the screen works, but can you do if the screen is dead?

Mines crapped out too. No resets working. SMH.

@Kinetic Energy1..just found this out few weeks ago…there are separate updates for sync and navigation 😮!! WTF, right, lol So, might want to head on over to your ford acct. to ck if your navigation system has an update. Hope this cures your Ford Fubar Follies. Anyone interested in trying to start up a class action lawsuit over this? Takers?

What if my navigation and GPS don't work, but I can function through settings and also won't auto update or USB?

My screen doesn't turn on at all, i've tried everything i can without taking the dash apart. Do you think the problem could be resolved by reprogramming the apim i already have?

the sd card cost $16.00

My POS wont even get to the point of allowing me to do even this step.

Did you lose power to the usb inputs as well?

Will that work for the black screen issue?

When you did the two right slip button reset was the truck on? Was it in accessory, and did you turn truck completely on right after the reset? Basically can you provide more direction as to how you did the reset please

Same. 2018 stx just paid it off

I believe the real issue is the micro solder joints on the large integrated circuits in APIM printed circuit board that fracture over time from temperature variation stress in the dash. This takes time to fatigue enough from expansion and contraction due to temperature extremes to finally create an intermittent fractured solder joint connection. There are hundreds of these micro solder ball connections under several large integrated circuits microcontrollers and memory chips. Ford knows it and can do nothing about it without a major redesign. Their first mistake was putting so many critical functions under centralized APIM control. An under-fill adhesive below the large chips can help take stress off of solder joints. That is something that could be done but manufacturing does not like the glue dispensing process. It will come and go depending on temperature and progressively gets worse over time. Eventually it acts up most of the time. Software slows down because it is waiting for a response from a peripheral that doesn't come because of a bad connection. There has been a few software band-aids to give up and continue to next tasks but that cannot always be done depending on the hung-up function. Smart phones have similar micro-solder ball integrated circuit connections, but they do not experience the temperature stress a unit permanently installed in a car dash does, and not many smartphones are expected to last as long as a vehicle. Most smartphones are replaced every two to four years.

Buy a Ram problem solved.