Update - Out of the blue the screen came on but no touch response and the map is constantly loading. Also, if I put it in reverse, the camera stays on in all the other gears. A soft reboot gets me to the Ford logo splash and then back to the beginning of this reply. I am somewhat relieved that at least I’m looking at something. I read in another “black screen of death” article is to just wait a few days and it clears itself.
Did you reload the entire OEM asbuilt at once using FORScan? If not, do so.
The APIM seems to be in an installation loop or something. Have you tried to reset it with FORScan?
The maps loading and not completing could be an incomplete map update.
If you are able to, perform a master reset on the APIM. It might take more than once.
The TCU is a separate issue.
MC-10181931-0001.pdf (161.4 KB)
To be clear, to reload the “entire OEM” I have to go through each module one at a time and keep loading the OEM I downloaded from Motorcraft, correct? I just talked with a different Ford dealer and they said it could take 2 to 5+ hours of reprogramming (at $160/hr) to fix it. Is this because they are crawling through it one module at a time?
No, just the APIM data. 1 module, less than 5 minutes. You can do it yourself.
Do you have FORScan and an OBD adapter?
Yes. I have done the OEM ab file twice to the APIM. I also did the Service master reset to the APIM.
The screen comes on but the touch screen doesn’t work.
I am prepared to go through every module and load the OEM ab. Starting from scratch might be the quickest path forward.
You only need to do the APIM. The other modules are not at play here.
Okay, Thanks. I’ve reloaded and written the APIM several times now from the OEM ab and still get (after a soft reset) - the Ford oval splash, then the home screen with time, outside temp, inside temp settings, and song title, all frozen at the moment it fires up, as well as no touch response anywhere on the screen. Obviously asks to add a phone as well as the forever loading nav window. I have also done the APIM master reset in the service procedure. Thanks again.
Have you tried removing power from the APIM for 5 minutes and reconnecting?
I disconnected the battery for a few minutes but probably not for five. I will try that.
The only other thing I can think of would be to downgrade the unit to 3.3.19052. This can be done via autoinstall (not reformat).
Okay. Give me a day or two to read and understand all the instructions for the Sync Updater. I need to buy a fresh thumb drive too. Thanks again.
In the video on the sync Updater page the guy says not to use this method on a 2020 or newer car since it will brick the system. Since I have a 2020 Fusion please confirm that’s not the case. Thanks.
He is talking about the reformat tool, not to use it on 2020+ models. You can use autoinstall instead. Just what I stated above…
Okay, Thanks. He isn’t really clear in the video but it is in the reformat write up (which I should have read - my apologies).
Just one more question before I try this tonight… Should I skip updating my NAV for this go around or can I include it?
If you reformat you will need to include the NAV maps. The reformat will wipe all installed maps as they are now.
You’ve told me not to use reformat and use autoinstall. I can live without updated maps. I am hoping that this autoinstall 3.3.19052 procedure will at the least get me back to the touch screen working.
So I tried autoinstall-ing 3.3.19052 and it does nothing when I plug the USB drive into the car. I believed I followed the instructions as Updater said the download was done on my laptop and then plugged the USB into the car with the ignition/engine on. Nothing came up on the screen and I waited for quite a while. Hopefully I haven’t bricked it and Ford will fix it in as few hours as possible.
It certainly seems there is an issue with the APIM that may have been caused by an incomplete installation or something. At this point either purchasing another for replacement (about $400.00 with screen) or taking it to Ford are the only options left. The dealer will not spend more time on the unit than is prescribed in the labor charts, and will likely just order a replacement. The usual cost for that is about $800 -$1200 depending on the labor time to replace the unit and program it. If you want to replace it yourself, I can recommend compatible replacements if you like.