Hi guys first time using this site and need some help. I got a 2014 Ford Explorer XLT and got a sync 3 screen and apim without nav from a junkyard for $75 from a 2018 Ford Explorer XLT. I have all necessary components except GPS antenna. I switched only the sync device to test it out and its working. But the sync 3 is going crazy and randomly pressing the bottom buttons on the screen. It doesnt stop and is it supposed to do that? Can it be fixed or did I get a bad screen?
You’ve got a bad config in the APIM.
You need to have a custom config for the conversion, your car isn’t natively Sync3 compatible.
Every second it presses audio, phone, apps, and settings every second in order. I have forscan and would I have to turn off configurations that I dont have. For example I think I saw an option to turn on heated steering wheel on the screen which I should turn off in forscan?
A 2018 Explorer is a CGEA 1.3 vehicle. The 11-15 Explorers are CGEA 1.2 so there are several AB changes you need to make to get this to work right. Find the AB from a 2017 Ford Flex and use the AB out of that. They were CEGA 1.2 and came with Sync 3 after 2017. Those AB settings will get you pretty much where you want to be since the options and wiring were identical to an Explorer for the most part.
There also is a strong change the screen is bad. Make sure you doing master resets on it also.