I'm thinking of doing it to 2013 F350 with navigation, getting tired of pulling #29 fuse to hard boot my sync 2. How has it worked out after you converted over and what brand did you use.

Denny

 

I bought a Simply Michigan system for myself for Christmas. went from Sync 2 to 3, but I bought the sync 4 glass upgrade (new screen has a fast response, and even the crappy back up camera looks good). I did not get it with navigation-i use google maps. having car play is great, all systems work as they should. it was an easy upgrade and is working out great.

 

I've always toyed with that -- buying from that seller, Simply Michigan, to upgrade my truck. He is great with answering questions.

 

Honestly, I looked into the factory head unit replacement for my truck to have the Sync 4 experience. I wound up get keeping and upgrading my aftermarket head unit. Went from a Pioneer to Alpine. Huge difference in function and look. I should mention that a friend of mine handled the whole install. I got a few bucks off labor but that was really it. Earlier last year I had an issue in which my Mastro device was not handling my steering wheel inputs correctly. He said swing by and I will look at it. Turns out the Software and firmware were original to the install by another installer. It was updated and everything was working. While I was there, he was installing a radio in another vehicle of a client. I saw it and was like that is really cool. He gave me a quick demo and I said, how much for my truck. LoL

My system costed a bit more since I redid the speakers and added an amp. I should have also went the subwoofer but at the time I thought i was over budget a little. However, I also had some additional items the installer handled for me while the truck was there. New bed lights and cab lights. He had the truck for 2 days. Radio and speakers were tuned. Sounds amazing. Like having wireless connectivity no more cords all over the dash for AA or ACP since i did use both on the pioneer. Large 9 inch screen with much clear rear camera view. Display works faster. Good viewing for ACP when needing navigation. He did replace my XM receiver since there was an issue with older one. It was a good deal overall. Since I have a scan gauge, I don't get the full use the vehicle information page. I can monitor engine functions like temps, voltage, really anything with a data point. Plus I have TPMS function with the vehicle and I think it has a scanner for OBD codes. I probably can get rid of my Scangauge if I wanted too.

Personally I would look at the aftermarket options too.

 

Great point... I had an Alpine stereo with Alpine speakers installed in my 96 F250 after I hit a Super Bowl pool. Not looking for a banging stereo in my 2016, but appreciate the input for sure... I would probably go talk to the audio shop that installed the Compustar alarm system in my wife's new to her 21 Kia Sportage...

What model number Alpine head unit did you go with?

I monitor my truck's parameters with two Banks iDash units.

Thanks again.

 

Howdy,

Everything Alpine
Head unit ilx-509 9 inch screen.
Speakers S2S69 (Definitely an improvement over stock speakers. I was shocked how shot the stock speakers were.
Amplifier KTA450

Mastro device was from the previous Pioneer head install. My friend updated the software and firmware. Tailgate camera also was from the previous install. The head has an option for a second camera input in the front. My friend did quote it out but I couldn't see the need for the front cam. However the larger screen is great with the back up camera. It is also higher definition in general. The overall unit is quicker in function. The SXM module was suppose to transfer over. The original one I had in the truck was should have been compatible but there was an issue with connector. As he put it, he installed a new one for free since I was already spending a good chuck of change with him. According to my bil there was 7 hours of labor at Family discounted rate. However he did tell me he spent about an extra hour and a quarter tweaking things. Making sure they sound good.

The Pioneer head was a 2016/17 close out.AVH2300 NEX. Worked great. it was a7 inch screen lower definition. As a matter of fact, I had it installed into my daughter's car. He installed the dash kit, new SW interface/wiring harness. Wired up the dash front/ back facing camera set up and installed a new backup camera. Basically gave my daughter's 2008 Focus a more modern function. He was like you got more in parts than labor on this one! It was $400 or 450 in parts but I think he charged me I think 1.5 hours of labor for everything. I know i was able to get some items for cheaper but if there is a problem it is my problem not his. So it was worth the extra money plus he did work on the vehicle for a few hours.

 

Our truck is a Lariat with the premium sound system and we are happy with the sound. We have sync 3 in our 2020 F150 and like the way it works and want something that fits right into existing dash openings.

Denny

 

My 2016 XLT had regular/ original Sync in a AM/FM/CD with SXM double Din radio. My daughter's Focus had Sync as well. She actually used it for a few weeks! Ironically when my mom owned the car she never used it and didn't want it set up. Same as their 08 Explorer. It has a AM/FM SXM and CD with Sync. Both mom and dad had no desire for it. My daughter when she got the car, it was like the first thing she figured out was how to get streaming music out of the speakers.

One of my ex bosses had a 2012 Explorer with had Sync 2 which was horrendous. Sure he was able to connect his phone but that was about it. His wife's 2016 MY was the same thing. Horrible interface. They both drove with the phone in their lap watching it for directions with those explorers. Then he got rid of the 2012 bought the F150 which had Sync 3. At least the interface was usable with google maps. When they bought the T350 van an entertainment interface was a huge selling point. It had to be driver friendly for all the travelling we did. All company phones had to be synced to every vehicle with Sync 3. I don't know anything about Sync 4. Just it is not backwards compatible unless things changed.

With my truck I had the head pulled within 3 months of owning the truck. I missed having a BU cam and well a more graphical head unit. I figured I moved out of the 1990s with my vehicle's entertainment. Which also means I use my AM/FM radio from time to time. It is pretty weird to not listen to a streaming or Satellite platform. Interestingly enough my first car was a mid 80s GM G body. It only had a AM/FM with a bad tape deck radio in it. My father came across an aftermarket radio with a working cassette deck and a quick swap out later, I was high rolling with a car that had cat back cherry bomb exhaust and a 5 cassettes in which 3 of them were mixed off CDs. A couple of years later, I purchased an 87 Bronco a couple of months before Christmas. I got a Sony CD player that Christmas. I thought that was a big thing since since I only had about 20 cassettes between the cars. For years and I still have the CD binder I think in my trailer now of a whole 30 CDs in it. I look back on it now saying how lucky i was to have 7 to 10 cassettes and a radio for entertainment getting to places like school, work and other places. Then getting a CD player. Finally getting mind blown with a Sat radio and MP3 player off a phone to now having 3000 songs on my iphone, "as long as I have service" streaming service like Apple Music. To have an instant library of any genre of music, playlist, and everything in between, my 17 year old self would have said you were crazy. I started the whole phone thing in 2013 when I took a field tech job which put me on the road for hours at a time getting from place to place. So I learned to load the phone with music and used Pandora at the time for streaming.

It's crazy since the aftermarket is still relevant. I was to have the original radio replaced with a better interface. Could I have been able to use the original radio in the truck. Yes. However, would it be harder to use. Yes. At this point I could still plug in a USb drive and have Mp3 files playing. My new Alpine head doesn't have a CD player. However do i really need it? I have not had a CD binder in my trucks in nearly 2 decades. As a matter of fact, I had a DVD binder in my second explorer since it had rear entertainment. For 6 months, Finding Nemo was stuck in the player until one day it decided to eject the disc. Strange enough my wife will use her CD player in her car every so often. My CRV doesn't have a CD player. So come to think about it, I can't remember the last time I used a CD in a vehicle. Anyway I digress...

Sorry to take it down a rabbit hole. It use to be about what media can I play to now I need to have an interface to stream a podcast or play my favorite artist or having a better more user vehicle interface. Maybe in some ways it was easier to pop in a tape, CD or adjust the radio and drive down the road. Drive down the road until the FM station fades away or the CD plays its last track. How did we really do it?

 

@rvpuller I had to remember the company I was looking into for a OEM upgrade. For the last several years, I was looking into purchasing a new to me vehicle for around the house. Long story short, I was commuting with my F350 as a DD. Thankfully it was a shorter commute around 25 miles round trip per day. The parking lot was able to handle the 350 too. I was looking at used Edges and even Explorers if the price was right. Even looked at the new 6th gen Explorer which my wife was like costs too much. My hand was forced in 2023 to purchase a new ride for my new job. Running my F350 between 300-1000 miles every week was not going to be practical for the position. Ultimately, picked up a late model Honda CRV. That is my DD.

Anyway, when researching a number of vehicles, I found my issue was going to be the radio department. I found the link I had saved for the company that seemed to have a seamless install. 4D tech was a company I thought did a great job in giving the OEM look with new Sync 3 functionally. I recall the cost to update from Sync 2 to 3 or even a base radio system was somewhere in the area of 1700-2400 dollars depending on the options ( GPS, Sat radio, etc)

4D Tech Retrofit Kit

Good luck with your project.

 

I looked at them and they claim to use all OEM parts but that doesn't impress me much because they have someone else make the parts and I'm sure it's Taiwan or someplace like that. What really gets me is replacing OEM parts that should have been recalled and replaced years ago. So I'm not going to pay their high price for so called OEM parts.

Denny

 

When I checked this morning, it was down to 1300 which surprised me. As for the OEM parts being recalled and replaced, can you further elaborate this? I didn't know there was a recall on the radios. I just remember Sync, Sync 2, Sync 3 and now Sync 4 were not upgradable from previous generation systems due to hardware compatibility. I don't remember any recalls during my vehicle search. The other thing is I am not familiar with Sync 4. It was out during my vehicle searching but from my recollection it was similar to Sync 3 in terms of use. Was there some form of increased performance or function between 3 and 4. Unfortunately this is the price of technology's progression. Then again my daughter got a 17 year old car to connect to her iphone 13. So... At least the phone is not going to be an issue for a long while.

 

What happens is you take it to the dealership because the Sync 2 locks up and they reset it and then tell you it's fixed but it's not because a month later it does the same thing, got really good at pulling #29 fuse. One dealer told me they added a extended warranty on it but you have to get them to fix it. I believe the biggest problem is it's Microsoft software and just like a computer running their software you have to reboot it when it locks up. It never locks up the same sometimes the volume locks next it may be fan speed or won't stut off then we won't even discuss the navigation locking up when your going through a busy city pulling our trailer, basically any function it has can lock at any time.
Denny

This says it all!

 

That is frustrating. Yeah I now I can understand why you are looking at an upgrade from Sync 2 to 4. I personally went the aftermarket route as there was no 2 to 3 or 4 path for my base radio. I wish you luck with your search. Let me know how you make out. Also if you have any questions about my set up, I will be more than happy to discuss. Unfortunately, I do not have the upgraded dash and sound system like your truck has.

 

I found a couple of possibilities but I have to find out if our Sirius radio that came with the truck will still work.
Denny

 

I successfully converter over to Sync 3 in my 2013 F350. I found and used a company called Four Synctech out of Florida and it's all US based and uses OEM parts. I ordered it Thursday and received it Saturday so shipping was fast. The only installation problem I had was getting the brake controller to line up with its support when putting the cover back on. Everything was programmed properly so everything works including Android Auto. I just have some display setting to find tune. Total price was $531 with a 10% discount they were offering.

Denny