Sync3 Udate Fails Due to Error in .xml File

Ford SYNC 3 Support
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23

OkyDoaks - I’ve got the part number now. It’s GB5T-14G371-CFC

On the off chance that there’s other information about the APIM that may be of interest, I’m including a screenshot where I found that number:

Forscan
Forscan1920×1080 214 KB

And, I noted there is a “self test” feature in Forscan for the APIM and I ran that in case it might give more clues, but it failed. Here’s that screenshot:

selftest
selftest1920×1080 162 KB

Thanks a lot, gentlemen. I’m sure you have more important things to do but possibly, there’s a problem in the update that this might help you fix, and if so, I’m happy to help. Still, I suspect the problem is at my end.

  • Jack
24

Thanks for the information.

So that’s the APIM model, and as per our SYNC 3 APIM Hardware Database - CyanLabs is not MY20, so you should be fine. It’s a G series APIM so it’s quite old, which makes sense since your vehicle is from 2014.

25

Sync 3 did not come out till 2016 so it would probably be a retrofit.

26

Yes, it was an upgrade from the OEM Sync2. So, I can just assume it doesn’t need the MY20+ check? (And I’m not expecting a guarantee here, just an opinion).

  • Jack
1 Like
27

:point_down:

28

Thanks, I’ll give it a whirl. If it bricks, I can always reinstall Sync2.

Update: All files downloaded successfully and I uploaded the log file.

  • Jack
29

To confirm, you updated your car without issue?

30

Hi Scott - Suddenly, I can’t login and I’m using a valid username and password (saved in two different password storage apps) And, Cyanlabs is not sending me a password reset email either.

Oh well - the download to the USB was what was successful. Then, the first part of the update to the APIM completed successfully and I was prompted to cycle the ignition switch. Now, though, the APIM screen is black and nothing seems to be happening. I suspect I’ve got a doorstop now. Any thoughts? I’ve let it run for a good half hour waiting for an indication that the update is proceeding and nothing happens. Screen is still black.

Thanks again,

Edit: I just “recreated” my account and am logged in again. Gotta love computers! (I have a Master’s Degree in computer science too, so I know how flaky they can be at times).

  • Jack
31

Great, a actual confirmed case of this fixing the problem :slight_smile: i tested it with a test account but it’s good to know the in theory process works haha

SSO can be tricky some times.

Glad you are back up!

1 Like
32

So if you ran a reformat on the unit (expected if you were on 3.4 and wanted to udpate maps as well), the first part would just downgrade to 3.3.xxxxx, that would be the first reboot… (and no key cycle should be required)… Did you see 3.3.xxxx boot? (older UI).

Then, a reformat package would be installed, which would require a 2nd reboot into the reformat phase…

So, at which reboot did the black screen appear?.

Also, is the unit operational at any level? (audio, bluetooth pairing, powered USB ports…)

33

Well, I MAY have done something wrong. Here’s what I did:

  1. Plugged the USB into the truck and then turned the ignition key ON. The USB indicated it was being read from (fairly long period) and then the screen showed that it was “Updating system software…”
  2. About 5-6 min later, I saw: “…first part of the software update has been successfully…” and I cycled the vehicle ignition to OFF, then back ON. The screen went black as I did this.
  3. With the ignition back ON the USB shows it is being read from for a fairly short period, about 10 secs. then, nothing else happens.

Now. the APIM screen stays black. There is NO reboot, when I open the truck’s door or when I turn the ignition ON. It never rebooted at all from the first phase. In your installation instructions, it never enters Step 3.

The USB ports are still lit up and USB 1 interrogates the update USB drive briefly, but the music USB I have does not seem to be read and I get no sound from the audio system.

Sitting in the truck with the ignition ON, my cellphone says it cannot connect to SYNC.

I hope this makes sense?

  • Jack
34

This sounds like symptoms of a MY20

35

It does, maybe a MY20 screen since it’s a retrofit…

Since you have forscan, read the APIM’s asbuilt values (configuration) and share the screen… It looks like this:

image
image808×611 132 KB

Try performing an APIM reboot from Forscan.

Finally, leave it without power for a while… (remove fuse or unplug battery)

36

OK, I’ve printed the AsBuilt values, they are the same as they were back in Dec 2023. There are two DTCs which may or may not be significant, so I printed those too. There is one more, but it relates to the GPS antenna and says something about “an open circuit” - which probably relates to the system not correctly plotting my position while moving. I didn’t include it because I’ve seen it before.

as Built
as Built2686×1567 274 KB

DTC1
DTC12672×1536 232 KB

DTC2
DTC22633×1509 206 KB

I tried rebooting the APIM from Forscan, but nothing happened. Possibly, I’m not doing that right. I’ll try pulling the fuse tomorrow.

  • Jack
37

What do you mean by this?.

There’s one that’s odd: DE02/7D0-03-01: xxxx-**xx-xxxx
That 57 is way out of what’s documented here → https://cyanlabs.net/asbuilt-db/sync3-apim/?search=Visual%2520Design%2520Variants%2520(VDV)%2520Sync%2520Versions%25203.0%2520thru%25203.4#database

So I would try setting DE01/7D0-02-01: xxxx-00xx-xxxx and DE02/7D0-03-01: xxxx-00xx-xxxx, writing them and forcing an APIM reboot from Forscan. If that gives you nothing, try with 01 instead of 00.

Again, what you are describing seems to be related to MY20 hardware, but we know the APIM is not MY20. Maybe the screen, it’s possible. If the screen is MY20 you can get it to work by temporarily installing a not-MY20 screen to finish the process… But before doing this, we need actual confirmation which reboot triggered the black screen…

Why?, simple:

  • If it was the first reboot (downgrade from 3.4 to 3.3), MY20 has nothing to do with that
  • If it was the second reboot (while on 3.3, the reformat package was installed and then the unit rebooted) then it may be MY20 related.
38

True i didn’t think of that

39

SaNdMaN, thank you for your thoughts. I got the Sync3 APIM upgrade kit back in 2023 and went through a few false starts with Forscan trying to fix my heated/cooling seat functionality (which wasn’t broken) and my backup camera display. The bottom line is, due to my ignorance, I screwed up several of the register hex values in the APIM before I stumbled on to your site and learned, more or less, what each value did. I finally printed out the hex values that seemed to be working properly back in December and those are the same values you see here.

I was just saying that the 3.423188 upgrade had not changed any of them, but then, thinking about it, I suspect this upgrade would not alter those registers.

Looking at your documentation for the 7D0-03-01 register, the values you show appear to relate to the colors used in the screen, and mine seemed normal - various shades of blue. Still, I’m happy to change both registers you cite and will give that a try.

Edit: Looking at my records, I am quite sure I never changed the valued n 7D0-03-01 to 57. I think the APIM came with those values installed when I got it.

Now, I’m having trouble understanding what you mean by “first reboot”. The black screen happened AFTER I was told the “…first part of the software update has been successfully completed.” And, this was when the instructions told me to cycle the ignition switch OFF, then ON (for the first time) to continue with the update. At that point, the screen went black and stayed that way. Now, I don’t know if this is the first reboot or if when the update first started, THAT was the first reboot. All I DO know, is that the first part of the update was completed, and that’s as far as it got. When the update process FIRST starts, is that the “first reboot”?

All I know is, I followed “Downgrade Mode Instructions” that I printed from your website. And, that I completed Step 2 of those instructions.

Am I clarifying anything here?

  • Jack
40

OK I wrote the “00” value to register 7D0-03-01 and then rebooted the APIM from Forscan (twice) - each time the process told me to cycle the ignition switch and it appeared to work successfully. But, nothing happened in the APIM screen - it is still black.

Next, I pulled the SYNC fuse out of the fuse panel in the truck. That one was a hard one to get to! I was pretty contorted to get it. The USB ports are no longer lit up, so I’m sure I’ve got the right one. I’ll leave the fuse out for 24 hours to bleed off any “keep alive” voltage and then do a hard reboot by putting it back in.

Looking at your messages above, I feel the first step of the Downgrade Mode Update is what installs the 3.3 package and that’s the one I completed. I strongly suspect my unit is victim of the MY20+ problem and think I have a doorstop. It’s my fault - there’s no blame on your part. But, any and all thoughts that might help are welcome.

  • Jack
41

So, from this guide → Downgrade Mode Instructions - CyanLabs … did you reach steps 3 and/or 4 ?. Apologies for re-asking this, but I want to be sure.

One thing you could try is getting a not-my20 screen so that you could complete the process… You could even buy one making sure you can return it once it’s done… Unless you want to keep it of course… But if the screen is MY20 (sadly, there’s no real way to know about that other that unmounting the unit, and still we may not be able to determine if it’s MY20 or not), the unit is “easily” recoverable.

42

Thanks, I FINISHED Step 2 and it NEVER did anything in Step 3. The screen was black before Step 3 started. So, in my opinion, it did NOT reach Step 3, since it never entered it.

However, I really think the APIM itself is bricked. I cannot get it to read the update USB more than about 5-10 secs. It does not respond to my music USB at all. It is not giving me any radio output. And, my cell phone is unable to connect to SYNC. This all points to the APIM in my, admittedly uneducated, opinion, not just the screen. Shouldn’t I be able to connect using blutooth to the APIM if it was working, regardless of the screen status? Wouldn’t Audio come through despite the screen being off?

And, when you say, “The unit is easily recoverable.” What do you mean? Are you talking about a screen or the APIM? I’ve decided to get a new APIM and I will mount this screen on it. Are you saying that will not work? Do you really think, after what I described here, that the screen itself is at fault?

I don’t really want to go back to Sync2, because Sync3 gives me so much more with Android Auto.

This unit was sent to me with 3.423088 installed. Could it be possible that this firmware makes the update “see it” as a post MY20 unit?

  • Jack