Sync 4 Upgrade kit coming soon to a Bronco Sport near you from Infotainment!

[rugedraw]

Good news guys and gals! As a long-time, multiple Ford owner and current owner of a 2021 F150 on Sync 4, one of the most cumbersome things with our ownership experience with the BS has been the outdated Sync 3 system. I will be beta-testing (for a lack of better words, since they know it works) the Sync 4 upgrade that Infotainment will be releasing for these vehicles and am beyond excited to be the owner of what will soon be one of the first 21-24 Bronco Sports running (almost) fully functional Sync 4!

I will be sure to make a write-up of the process when the parts arrive. The kit will consist of a different APIM and harness that plugs into the existing harness for a true plug-&-play system. For those that do not know what the APIM is: It is the Accessory Protocol Interface Module which controls the touchscreen on our vehicles. This is what I do know and what I can share for now:

Two main kits will be made available (pricing not available yet). One kit will consist of a plug-&-play, minimally invasive version that retains the factory 8" screen. You have the option of getting it with or without factory navigation. Note that the factory maps will work, but traffic data, weather and those types of things will NOT work. However, you will gain wireless CarPlay/Android Auto capability. The 8" upgrade does not support the UnReal theme found on the 2025 BS where you can control the a/c from the touchscreen; climate controls will remain as is with the physical knobs/buttons on the HVAC controls.

The other kit will include a large 12" touchscreen display along with the hardware needed to mount it in the existing location where the 8" screen is. I do not have pictures of the set up yet, but this is what it looks like on their Maverick Sync 4 upgrade kit:

The 12" upgrade kit will allow you to enable the UnReal theme for the HVAC contols on the touchscreen if desired.

The APIM needed for the conversion will be shipping with the latest available APIM software available at the time it is ordered, but cannot be updated to a newer Sync 4 version in the future. Fordpass and native connecitivity will remain 100% functional. However, if you delete the vehicle from Fordpass, you would have to reinstall the Sync 3 APIM in order to re-add it to your Fordpass. This and the factory nav losing its ability to show traffic are the only cons.

I am in no way directly affiliated with Infotainment. Needless to say, I am very happy to be the guinea pig for this. Depending on when the parts get sent to me, I will install the kit this or the following weekend.

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[elvisimprsntr]

I thought the vents were on either side of the '21-'24 8 inch screen.

Having trouble visualizing how a 12 inch screen would fit in the same center console.

 

[rugedraw]

I thought the vents were on either side of the '21-'24 8 inch screen.

Having trouble visualizing how a 12 inch screen would fit in the same center console.

Agreed.....not sure how they plan on pulling that off.

Edit: I am going to ask about that. It may be a misunderstanding on my part.

 

[wireman]

Maybe a vertical (portrait) screen?

 

[rugedraw]

I can confirm there will be a 12" screen option, but I do not know how they plan to fit it.

 

[hellb0y]

I can confirm there will be a 12" screen option, but I do not know how they plan to fit it.

The shape is exactly the same, relocate the start button and it fits perfect there - a conversion kit can easily make this happen

 

[rocks]

The shape is exactly the same, relocate the start button and it fits perfect there - a conversion kit can easily make this happen

Way too much to do. Better if the small screen works with the change to Sync4.

 

[rugedraw]

Way too much to do. Better if the small screen works with the change to Sync4.

I was told it will be the same screen from the Maverick kit. More than the work entailed, the price difference will be significant between the two kits. I would say the 12" kit will cost 4 times what the 8" kit costs.

 

[hefler]

I would say the 12" kit will cost 4 times what the 8" kit costs.

I like 8" hahahahahaha

 

[rugedraw]

Just went through the service procedure to get to the APIM. Looks like I got my work cut out for me. Dash and center console both have to be partially taken apart to get to it on these vehicles.

Found that another vendor already has a Sync 4 kit for these vehicles. This is what their 12" kit looks like. I assume these guys are going to do the same. Getting rid of the physical radio buttoms seems the be the only logical way to do it.

 

[jkernitzki]

Just went through the service procedure to get to the APIM. Looks like I got my work cut out for me. Dash and center console both have to be partially taken apart to get to it on these vehicles.

Found that another vendor already has a Sync 4 kit for these vehicles. This is what their 12" kit looks like. I assume these guys are going to do the same. Getting rid of the physical radio buttoms seems the be the only logical way to do it.

Given there’s climate controls on the bottom of the screen, that does appear to be the case.

 

[rugedraw]

Given there’s climate controls on the bottom of the screen, that does appear to be the case.

Well, for 21-24 owners, the HVAC sits lower still, so those buttons would still be there. The a/c buttons/temps on the touchscreen is part of the Unreal theme that can only be enabled with the 12" APIM. So it would only be the media control buttons that dissappear and get intergrated into the touchscreen. I am not sure how I feel about that.

It would be cool if Unreal could be enabled with the 8" system since our HVACs do not show the temp on them. We'd have to adjust the temperature to see what it is set to instead of just being able to look at the screen.

 

[Glamdring70]

There's a way to add the HVAC to the 8" Sync 3 screen. A couple members have done it.

If the upgrade cannot accept updates, does that also mean the navigation maps are locked? Or would updatable maps become a thing? Because Ford reneged on the 5-year-map deal we made when I bought the car and they want $149 for a single update. Updatable maps would eat away the upgrade costs.

 

[rugedraw]

There's a way to add the HVAC to the 8" Sync 3 screen. A couple members have done it.

If the upgrade cannot accept updates, does that also mean the navigation maps are locked? Or would updatable maps become a thing? Because Ford reneged on the 5-year-map deal we made when I bought the car and they want $149 for a single update. Updatable maps would eat away the upgrade costs.

That's the thing.....it will no longer be Sync 3.

If you opt to ge the system with factory nav, the maps will not be updatable. I am not sure if the APIM I am getting has Ford nav on it or not. I plan to only use the maps from the phone, so for me, that is not a big deal. I never use the Ford maps on my F150, either.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

What’s the big draw to Sync 4? I’ve got Sync 4 in the full size and Sync 3 in the Sport. For my use case, they act the same other than I need a wireless adapter for the Sport. I would like to replace the HVAC control with a 21 or 23 as they had the temperature displayed. Thats about 100.00 for one on EvilBay. For now, I just adjust it to see where it is set at. I normally don’t move it much anyways. But both my other vehicles have it displayed so I’m just being persnickty.

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