# Help choosing an APIM **URL:** \ **Category:** Discussion\ **Tags:** APIM\ **Created:** [10 September 2025 21:00 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275 "2025-09-10T21:00:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KO7fox](https://community.cyanlabs.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@KO7fox](https://community.cyanlabs.net/u/KO7fox)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2025 21:00 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275/1 "2025-09-10T21:00:48Z")
I’m looking to buy an apim and screen to upgrade my 2015 f150 and i’m not finding any info about this specific apim MC3T-14G370-ABE Will this work or is this not a good unit to start with? ---
**Author:** ![warlock12118](https://community.cyanlabs.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@warlock12118](https://community.cyanlabs.net/u/warlock12118)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2025 21:59 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275/2 "2025-09-10T21:59:58Z")
Actually APIMs are pretty much agnostic, it all comes down to the custom config you’ll have to do to get the unit working correctly in a 2015. The fact that the donor is an F150 doesn’t mean getting it to work will be any easier than say using a JS7T/KS7T/LS7T from a Fusion or a J2GT/K2GT/L2GT from an Edge. If you’re buying one with a screen attached there is a difference in flush vs recessed screen, but that is the screen mounting, not the APIM. ---
**Author:** ![KO7fox](https://community.cyanlabs.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@KO7fox](https://community.cyanlabs.net/u/KO7fox)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2025 22:19 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275/3 "2025-09-10T22:19:49Z")
I had heard that some of the sync 3 apim ran smoother and I had just assumed that it was because they were newer, so the one I am looking at being from a 2022 f250 in my mind would have made it the ”faster/better” version Also I guess I need to look into the screen thing, I didn’t realize there was that much of a difference. is one better that the other? or is it just fitment? ---
**Author:** ![warlock12118](https://community.cyanlabs.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@warlock12118](https://community.cyanlabs.net/u/warlock12118)\ **Post date:** [11 September 2025 00:44 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275/4 "2025-09-11T00:44:48Z")
Recessed vs flush/flat is fitment, eg one from a Taurus is a recessed, one from an Escape/Fusion/F150 are flat. If you currently have MFT with the 8” screen you’ll carry your brackets over to the Sync3 screen, if you’re doing a 4” to 8” conversion you need to make sure you get F150 brackets. G/H series APIMs can be problematic, for the most part the difference between the J/K & some L series is the firmware/calibration. There are some models of the L series that have a the same version of the eMMC chip in them as the M/N series APIMs, you’ll see them referred to on here as “MY2020”. The firmware in the L series is the ”same” 1U5T-14G374-Ex regardless of the version of the eMMC, the iteration just incremented by build date, so your unit can have say -EH and be flashed up to -EM. There’s also no runtime clock that tells you how many hours the APIM/screen were on, so mileage doesn’t really translate, you could have an APIM/screen from a donor that only had say 40k miles on it but there’s no way to tell if a lot of time the car sat idling. > [@APIM Firmware Production Releases](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/apim-firmware-production-releases/4686): > > Sync 3 APIM Firmware Production Releases (NA) NOTE: This listing is representative of the production release files for North America. Use the Calibration File Region listing below to determine the proper -14G375- calibration file for your region. POST-MY18.5: 3.4 APIM NAV & NON-NAV Unit Firmware (Production Release, 2021+ L Series) Secondary Boot Loader: GB5T-14G376-AA Strategy (F188): 1U5T-14G374-EM (7/13/2022) Calibration (F124): 1U5T-14G375-DA (NAV) / 1U5T-14G375-CA (NON-NAV) ECU Configu… In general when you do an non-Sync3 vehicle mod to Sync3 you’re better staying with a J/K series and you can have issues with the firmware in newer APIMs even if your vehicle came with Sync3 from the factory (eg with my 2018 Fusion which was on 3.4.x I dropped the same config into J & K series APIMs without any issue, went to an L and my heated cooled seat buttons stopped working, both on the screen and the physical ones. Remove them from the screen the physical ones worked, final resolution was to update the firmware in the FCIM aka HVAC control panel after that they worked). ---
**Author:** ![bill32399](https://community.cyanlabs.net/user_avatar/community.cyanlabs.net/bill32399/32/2724_2.png) [@bill32399](https://community.cyanlabs.net/u/bill32399)\ **Post date:** [11 September 2025 01:04 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275/5 "2025-09-11T01:04:26Z")
> [@KO7fox](#): > > MC3T-14G370-ABE 2020+ APIM so I would not use this as you cannot format it to upgrade maps in the US. ---
**Author:** ![KO7fox](https://community.cyanlabs.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@KO7fox](https://community.cyanlabs.net/u/KO7fox)\ **Post date:** [11 September 2025 01:44 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275/6 "2025-09-11T01:44:48Z")
That is the info I was looking for, I really appreciate it! ---
**Author:** ![KO7fox](https://community.cyanlabs.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@KO7fox](https://community.cyanlabs.net/u/KO7fox)\ **Post date:** [11 September 2025 01:45 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275/7 "2025-09-11T01:45:33Z")
Thanks that’s good to know I appreciate the input ---
**Author:** ![F150Chief](https://community.cyanlabs.net/user_avatar/community.cyanlabs.net/f150chief/32/14712_2.png) [@F150Chief](https://community.cyanlabs.net/u/F150Chief)\ **Post date:** [11 September 2025 17:27 UTC](https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/help-choosing-an-apim/23275/8 "2025-09-11T17:27:07Z")
> [@KO7fox](#): > > MC3T-14G370-ABE It does not have NAV… > [@KO7fox](#): > > I had heard that some of the sync 3 apim ran smoother and I had just assumed that it was because they were newer, so the one I am looking at being from a 2022 f250 in my mind would have made it the > ”faster/better” version Not necessarily true. Placing a MY20+ APIM in an older CGEA 1.3 vehicle is very straightforward, as they would be completely compatible, where placing the same unit into a CGEA 1.2 or C1CMA vehicle may be problematic as the firmware or software may not support some ‘legacy’ functions. The adage of all APIMS are the same is mostly true, but there are some caveats or restrictions which depend on the model year and application, primarily the vehicle and systems.