Hey y’all! Got a 2017 Expedition with the 5" Sync screen. I’m thinking of upgrading to an 8” Sync 3. Found a used module for about $220, and the harnesses seem available on eBay. What kind of programming do I need to get this thing working? Any tips?
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You’re gonna need Forscan to program it. It’s not too tough, just might take a few hours. Make sure you grab the APIM module too.
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I did this last year. You’ll def need Forscan, and it’s super satisfying when that bigger screen lights up. Took me about 3 hours total.
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Make sure your junkyard screen isn’t scratched to hell. Seen that happen before, and it sucks.
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Yeah Forscan is your best bet. Not bad once you get into it. It’s like tinkering with LEGOs for grownups 
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Just did this exact upgrade and the hardest part for me was routing the harness—fingers felt like sausages, lol. Programming was easy, just follow a YouTube guide.
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@ParriorSoul Did you have any trouble with the steering wheel controls? I read they can be finicky after the upgrade.
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@KingOfTheRoad Nah, they worked fine for me. I’ve heard some people have issues, though. Just make sure to update all the settings in Forscan before you start freaking out lol.
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I got the 2018 Expedition, thought about doing this, but man… those screens are $$$. I just stuck with my phone mounted over the old screen . Bluetooth still works fine.
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Haha, I did the same thing for a year before caving and upgrading. That small screen was killing me.
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I hear ya… The tiny screen looks like a Game Boy! But hey, cheap is cheap, right?
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You’re not wrong. That old screen is like a relic from the past.
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Forscan, huh? Sounds like everyone’s using that. Is there any particular version or extra cable I need? And do I really need a Windows laptop for this? I’m a Mac guy 
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Forscan is Windows-only, man. You’ll either need to borrow a laptop or run a Windows emulator on your Mac.
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@KingOfTheRoad Yeah, Mac won’t cut it for Forscan. Find a cheap Windows laptop, and you’ll be fine. Forscan’s worth it though. You can tweak more than just your screen settings.
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Anyone else think it’s hilarious how we need to become IT guys just to swap out a screen? Ford really makes us work for these “upgrades” 
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Dude, right? I felt like I was hacking into the Matrix just to get my radio to work again after the swap .
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Man, if I had a nickel for every time someone complained about Sync on here… I’d probably be able to afford that 8” upgrade by now.
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For real. It’s like Ford wanted us to become engineers just to get basic tech working in these trucks.
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I swear, Ford didn’t think about making things easy for us. They’re like, “Here’s a fancy screen, but good luck figuring it out without a degree”
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