Screen upgrade options

[Angrey]

Angrey, unfortunately the bezel isn't out of a GT350. They have more of a bronze coloring on the switches. Check with Tom about this, make sure you ask him about this as the GT350 stuff complicates some stuff.

Yeah, he said as much. I knew the finish of the buttons and such was different, but I didn't think the entire bezel/frame wouldn't work.

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[cadbane5.0]

what about the scoshe units

 

[Dave2013M3]

what about the scoshe units

Not a fan of those...

 

[Emilbadal]

Checkout the iDatalink KIT-MFT1. I have the SYNC3 conversion, while it looks the best among all the options, but I have to say, the original ACM is garbage through and through.

 

[linkysys]

What did you wind up installing? I've been looking at this as well. I have an 8" Sync2 display. It looks nice but is very slow. The screen is not very sensitive. It does not support apps. The only phone integration is voice. For me, the gold standard on this is support for wireless Android Auto and/or Carplay. I'm an Android user.

Options here are numerous. I see Sync 2 to Sync 3 complete upgrade kits online. These include a new screen, wiring harness, main board, etc. They require forscan coding. If using the embedded Nav, you need US maps and will likely be in a cycle of paying Ford for map updates. Since Sync 4 is out, this entire platform will be deprecated. I think that's the advantage of some of the Android replacement screens as you can install apps. The downside of the Android options (14" Tesla screen, etc.) is that they were designed for multiple cars so you are in settings hell trying to make everything work. It's likely that the toggle switches for mode on premium Mustangs may not be fully supported in the Android screens. I suspect they will work fine for features that are generally available on others cars. There is a smaller Android screen at 12" that preserves the lower toggles, on/off switch, cigarette lighter. The dimensions on it are much narrower than the 14" display and it has a large empty bezel left and right with only a couple of floating buttons. It isn't a great look.

On any of the Androids, check the OS version, RAM, ROM, and cpu. You really want Octacore cpu, >6GB RAM, >68GB storage, snapdragon processor, bluetooth 5. Higher quality screens will have antiglare, 1900 pixel resolution. All of these will have 30-60s boot time. Boot time will depend on cpu and ram. If you go with the cheapest iteration, expect a longer boot time. If it is the only control for your heater/ac, expect to wait or use remote start.

There are many different use cases. Some guys just want the best audio with no Android funtionality. They are happy with an Alpine or Kenwood unit. Others want to stay as factory as possible which means a close ecosystem which will be deprecated as new cars roll of the assembly line.

What separates new car systems in 2023 is native wireless Android Auto (AA) and Apple Carplay. Many also have wireless charge pads. You can add wireless charging plug in cradles easy enough. What you don't have is the convenience of wireless AA/Carpla. It's nice to leave the phone in a pocket or not have to constantly fumble with wires. All of the plugging/unplugging risks wearing out or shorting the USB-C port on your phone. With a wireless connection, you can use voice commands to navigate, play music, place phone calls, send text. No reason to take your eyes or hands off the wheel. Not everyone uses voice or cares to use it, so this still boils down to personal preference. If you want wireless AA/Carplay voice, do the research. Most likely the unit will need to be at least Android 11 or 12 for wireless to work. Verify with the merchant that it is supported. Many of the Android units from China do not support native AA as they have not received official Google approval. They use an app called Z-link to emulate AA. It will autolaunch and automatically connect your phone after the initial setup. You will also need to expect to be in settings hell for a month with most of the Android units as they need to be customized to your particular car using a factory menu that has a passcode in your user manual.

 

[16SaleenYellowLabel]

So what else would I need to make these 3 components work? I have a 2016 base radio/screen

I have a 2016 that I'm putting a Tesla style screen in that has a base style screen now...Considering it's been a few years since your post...Was it a good idea?

 

[Angrey]

I have a 2016 that I'm putting a Tesla style screen in that has a base style screen now...Considering it's been a few years since your post...Was it a good idea?

I ended up biting the bullet and simply paying to upgrade to the factory screen and sync3+.

 

[16SaleenYellowLabel]

I ended up biting the bullet and simply paying to upgrade to the factory screen and sync3+.

So you sent that Tesla style screen back?
I just bought this screen and now rethinking my decision..
I-5 Carplay Touch Screen (15-23 All) | i-5autohaus

 

[ThatSlow5.0]

So you sent that Tesla style screen back?
I just bought this screen and now rethinking my decision..
I-5 Carplay Touch Screen (15-23 All) | i-5autohaus

I had the Tesla style screen for a while (not from i-5 although I have heard good things about theirs if you purchase the one with high RAM and such) and I got rid of mine and put the calculator screen back in. If it was too hot outside (in SoCal at the time) the screen would become unresponsive so I couldn't control the music, air/heat or anything since it was all through the touch screen. Currently looking into the Sync upgrade conversion now as well.

 

[Angrey]

So you sent that Tesla style screen back?
I just bought this screen and now rethinking my decision..
I-5 Carplay Touch Screen (15-23 All) | i-5autohaus

That's not a Tesla screen in the photo, that's an old large screen and it had a special name (can't remember) it was prior to Sync.

 

[16SaleenYellowLabel]

I had the Tesla style screen for a while (not from i-5 although I have heard good things about theirs if you purchase the one with high RAM and such) and I got rid of mine and put the calculator screen back in. If it was too hot outside (in SoCal at the time) the screen would become unresponsive so I couldn't control the music, air/heat or anything since it was all through the touch screen. Currently looking into the Sync upgrade conversion now as well.

Well the one that I posted is the one I bought...My issue is that i-5 doesn't respond to emails as quickly as I'd like ( a day or two is logical) ...I only drive my Mustang in the summer and i'm in the south so if I don't have AC due to the touch screen being glitchy, it'll be a hot one

 

[Dave2013M3]

As someone who thoroughy researched the options for this, I ended up just going with the Sync 3 8" screen update. If you have an issue the tech support or warranty support for most of these non OEM solutions is practically non existent.

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