Sync3 MY20 Nav US (or ANZ) -> PL/EU, the easier way
Converting Sync3 MY20 Nav US (or ANZ) to EU boils down to replacing US map and voice packages with EU ones, and then changing modules configuration (e.g. with Forscan). There are two problems related.
First, the US/ANZ nav units are 32 GB, and EU nav units are 64 GB. We won't fit all EU data on an US unit, so we have to make some choice of what we can get rid of.
Second, this all is most easily done by reformatting the unit and putting right packages on it. The problem is this used to be done (e.g. by great Cyanlabs tools) with the Ford reformat utility (package 1U5T-14G386-CB), but MY20 APIMs (in general, APIM is the Sync3 unit) started to be fitted with new chips, which were not recognized by the utility and using this bricked the unit. Luckily,
bigunclemax released on fmods.net a modified reformatter (signed by bigunclemax, Sanek2033, IgorStr. and Au{R}oN), which is able to work with MY20 APIMs. This is the
SyncRenovation (Universal Reformat). Though, since this is not an original Ford signed software, we first need to jailbreak the Sync3 to use it.
(note that bigunclemax has also a GitHub page for flashing/repairing bricked Sync3 units, and here's also EtoTen's project for starting APIM outside of the car, while we're at it)
For the older MY20 method without reformatting (and for some additional information), look
here.
Since I did everything earlier using the older method, the new one was performed by
Plotus (on Escape 2022 PHEV) - thanks for sharing the experience (and the screenshots
Usual exclaimers need to follow: you should know what you do, and you do that on your own responsibility.
Information given here is a set of hints, you need to understand the steps.
During the procedure Sync3 software is installed, so you could start with another version you can jailbreak (that you know can be upgraded to 3.4.23188), but to be on the safe side, you may want to first bring the Sync3 to 3.4.23188.
This was done for changing US data/voices to Polish, but the procedure itself is exactly the same for other EU countries, just taking other maps and navigation voice pack at one point. That is of course, until your language is among EU voices in 1U5T-14G658-xxx package and navigation voices in 4U5T-14G422-Bxx packages (the latter are: Czech, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish).
What is to do:
1. Jailbreak (FMods) plus FMods Installer Daemon and FMods Tools
2. Using SyncRenovation (FMods) to reformat Sync3 and install pre-downloaded packages
3. Reconfiguring ACM, IPC and APIM with Forscan, and then enabling your language in the Sync menu
Expected effects:
- European maps on the navigation screen, you can navigate to an EU address
- speed limit information for a current road
- localized dashboard and the Sync
- localized voices, including turn-by-turn navigation
- localized speech recognition (interaction with the navigation, radio etc)
- FM radio: ability to set frequency at every 50 MHz (.00, .05, .10, .15 etc)
- RDS: showing name of a current radio station (or whatever the station broadcasts in this place), TA option
- showing logo of a current station (not for niche ones, but main ones are there)
Ad1. Jailbreak (FMods) plus FMods Installer Daemon and FMods Tools
You need to follow the three links below to first jailbreak your Sync3, and then install the FMods Installer (Daemon) and the FMods Tools.
Ad2. Using SyncRenovation (FMods) to reformat Sync3 and install pre-downloaded packages
The first thing to do here is to choose (and download) packages that you want/need to have on your Sync3. Among them is the main Sync3 software. Currently this is 3.4.23188, and the package number is "NU5T-14G381-AD".
Then, you probably also want to have the main EU voice package, which is (for 3.4.23188) "5U5T-14G391-AT".
Other may be "ENH_DAB", containing station logos - "1U5T-14G658-AH" and "Gracenotes" with covert art for music files - "4U5T-14G423-AC".
Sizes are important, as all voices, logos, maps etc go to /fs/images partition of the Sync3, which (for US Nav models) has 25 GB. So we need to make sure all fits and there's some free space for temporary Sync3 tasks. Hence for "image" packages I list its unpacked size in parentheses.
So, at this point we have four packages
- NU5T-14G381-AD - Sync3 software
- 5U5T-14G391-AT - EU voices - voice.img (2 GB)
- 1U5T-14G658-AH - station logos - station_logos.img (72 MB)
- 4U5T-14G423-AC - cover art - gracenotes.img (1 GB)
Packages are downloaded from Ford, links can be found through
Cyanlabs SYNC 3 APIM Software (IVSU) Database. Just paste the package number and it should show the package, and you will be able to download it (if you enter just part of the package number, e.g. without the last part, you will see available matches, this way you can search for other versions).
One important note is that the package name includes (except a .TAR.GZ extension) an additional part, which is a number (most likely just a timestamp). So when looking for "4U5T-14G423-AC", you will download a file "4U5T-14G423-AC_1615425645000.TAR.GZ" (the files are downloaded from
https://ivsu.binaries.ford.com/swparts/).
This way you should have four files, and our counter is at around 3.1 GB (we don't count in the Sync3 software).
The rest of files depend on what maps and navigation voices you want to have. Below is the list for F13 maps (the last letter "L" is for F13, F12 was "K" etc). The list below was assembled using
Tutorial: Current EU Maps Installation on US Imported Vehicles (Cyanlabs), enhanced with details from my installation:
Maps:
1U5T-14G421-BAL - required, EU_Common - map_comn.img (3.45 GB)
1U5T-14G421-BBL - required, EU_Map_ext - map_ext.img (1.25 GB)
1U5T-14G421-BCL - Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden - map_eunuk.img (2.46 GB)
1U5T-14G421-BDL - Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar - map_eulb.img (1.60 GB)
1U5T-14G421-BEL - France, Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland - map_eufr.img (2.45 GB)
1U5T-14G421-BFL - Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, The Netherlands (Holland), Poland, Slovakia - map_euc.img (3.41 GB)
1U5T-14G421-BGL - Albania, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Malta, Slovenia, San Marino, Turkey, Vatican, Italy - map_eus.img (3.00 GB)
1U5T-14G421-BHL - Bulgaria, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Ukraine - map_eue.img (3.78 GB)
1U5T-14G421-BJL - Cyprus - map_eucy.img (41 MB)
Navigation voices:
4U5T-14G422-BAL - English, French, German - voice_nav_euegfd.img (5.09 GB)
4U5T-14G422-BBL - Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish - voice_nav_euspit.img (4.91 GB)
4U5T-14G422-BCL - Czech, Polish, Russian - voice_nav_eucpr.img (3.83 GB)
4U5T-14G422-BDL - Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian - voice_nav_eudnsf.img (4.50 GB)
The license:
1U5T-14G424-BN - the license
The license is obligatory, as well as "EU_Common" and "EU_Map_ext".
So, for example, if you want to have a map including Poland, "1U5T-14G421-BFL" is needed, and for navigation voices including Polish "4U5T-14G422-BCL". To the earlier four packages (the software, EU voices, station logos and cover art) you need to add five:
- 1U5T-14G424-BN - the license (a few kilobytes)
- 1U5T-14G421-BAL - EU_Common - map_comn.img (3.45 GB)
- 1U5T-14G421-BBL - EU_Map_ext - map_ext.img (1.25 GB)
- 1U5T-14G421-BFL - EU Central - map_euc.img (3.41 GB)
- 4U5T-14G422-BCL - EU Nav voice CZ/PL/RU - voice_nav_eucpr.img (3.83 GB)
The counter is 3.1 GB plus 12 GB of maps and nav voices, which is around 15.1 GB. No issue at all (the partition is 25 GB).
For other regions and language, you replace the last two files, or just add other if there is place left.
So, having all the Ford files we want downloaded, we now need to prepare two pendrives. One (USB#1) can be of a small size, the second (USB#2) is for the files we downloaded, so 32 GB or more (and for this example even 16 GB should do).
Both, which is important, need to be formatted in "exFat".
We need to download the
SyncRenovation (Universal Reformatter) mod and extract its contents to the first (smaller, USB#1) pendrive. This is the link to the SyncRenovation page on fmods.net:
FMods - Forum. On the USB#1 pendrive we will then have the "SyncMyMod" directory with its contents and two files, "DONTINDX.MSA" and "README.txt".
On the second pendrive (USB#2) we need to create a "SyncMyRide" directory, and then copy there all our downloaded Ford packages (in this example, we will have 9 files).
Then, in the USB#2 pendrive's main directory, we need to create a text file named "reformat.lst", which contains the list of packages to install. This is the exact file used by
Plotus for his installation (the file contents are between "#####"). For each of the packages we have one line in the "reformat.lst", so 9 lines in total:
#####
VOICE=5U5T-14G391-AT_1660763323000.TAR.GZ
GRACENOTES=4U5T-14G423-AC_1615425645000.TAR.GZ
ENH_DAB=1U5T-14G658-AH_1644006443000.TAR.GZ
APPS=NU5T-14G381-AD_1689364279000.TAR.GZ
MAP=1U5T-14G421-BAL_1723658080000.TAR.GZ
MAP=1U5T-14G421-BBL_1723560114000.TAR.GZ
MAP=1U5T-14G421-BFL_1723601450000.TAR.GZ
VOICE_NAV=4U5T-14G422-BCL_1723745202000.TAR.GZ
MAP_LICENSE=1U5T-14G424-BN_1727700842000.TAR.GZ
#####
Note that name is preceeded with the package type. The package name does not containt the directory name, but it does contain the real file name on the pendrive, that is with the numeric part and the .TAR.GZ extension.
Make sure you have file extensions showning enabled, so you create "reformat.lst" and not for example "reformat.lst.txt"
You can create it as "reformat.txt", but then you have to rename it to "reformat.lst"
Now, since the installation takes some time, you can plan to do this during a longer ride (an hour or so). It is not enough to put the car on the 12V supply with engine off, as Sync3 will power down anyway after some time. You can do it with engine on, but then you should remember to turn off the "idle time off". So the ride is the safest way.
When we have all this ready:
a. Place the USB#1 pendrive (with the SyncRenovation mod) in the USB of Sync3
That will format and reboot the Sync3. After some short time you should see a red screen stating it does not see update packages.
![]()
b. Take out the USB#1 and insert the USB#2 (the one with "reformat.lst" and packages in SyncMyRide). Package installation should start:
![]()
![]()
![]()
After the installation and a reboot the Sync3 should act as an EU unit. That is, if you are in a region covered by maps you have downloaded, you should see the map of the area in the Sync3.
The jailbreak is preserved.
Note that you can fit more maps on the unit. You can do it either by adding "MAP=" entries to the "reformat.lst" (and placing their files in "SyncMyRide" directory, of course) or at some later time. For adding maps later without reformatting, you can use MapsUpdater (more info
here at step 5) or use Cyanlabs's
Syn3 Updater with
Cut Down Map Package Generator, which uses Ford's standard "autoinstall.lst" way.
In my case I skipped BCL (UK and North Europe) and BHL (Bulgaria, Romania and Eastern Europe), and with BCL voices (but without Gracenotes) my /fs/images has around 3.0 GB left free.
Ad3. Reconfiguring ACM, IPC and APIM with Forscan, and then enabling your language in the Sync menu
Using Forscan:
(before doing any changes, be sure to save your current "asbuilt" to a file as a backup)
- ACM: set "Tuner region value" to "Europe"
- IPC: set "Country Code" to your country (e.g. "PL")
- APIM: set "Radio Tuner Type" to "RDS (EUR, APA, SA)" and "Country code" to your country (e.g. "PL")
Here is the Forscan web page:
forscan.org
After a full APIM restart (soft reset) the Sync3 menu should have European languages available (they are set here for both Sync3 and the dashboard/cluster), so you can set the one of your choice.
(the soft reset can be done by pressing Seek Right and Radio Power for more that 5 seconds - you can find more on resetting Sync in a
CyanLabs guide for this topic).
Thanks to Plotus for doing the update, and kudos for all people sharing their knowledge on forums, SyncRenovation guys, as well as the rest of FMods and Cyanlabs people.
