602Raptor
Full Access Member
Has anyone done this upgrade with the Sync 4 screen? Is the difference noticeable and worth the extra $150?
FourSyncTech Sync 3 Upgrade Kits
- Thread starter FourSyncTech
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DavidL
Member
I went with the Sync4 display but TBH I don't know if there is a discernible difference. Regardless, it looks sharp and operates well.
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AZEngineer
Full Access Member
I just did the Sync3 with Sync4 screen. I too don't know what the Sync3 screen would look like but the Sync4 with the Camera Source higher resolution backup cam looks great. Install took about 1.5 hours. The installation video link they sent showed not taking the top silver part of the console off. I did it the way the video showed but the top of the console comes up easily and I think it would be a better way to do the install.
radelow
Full Access Member
Couple questions...
1. My current factory system runs through a RF DSR1 Interface so that I could integrate an amplifier into my factory headunit. Does switching to Sync 3 impact that all?
2. What is the difference between your kits and the others I see out there on Ebay for $380? Just trying to educate myself.
3. What is the benefit to using the Sync 4 screen? Isn't it larger? Does the bezel in our trucks clip the edges off?
1. My current factory system runs through a RF DSR1 Interface so that I could integrate an amplifier into my factory headunit. Does switching to Sync 3 impact that all?
2. What is the difference between your kits and the others I see out there on Ebay for $380? Just trying to educate myself.
3. What is the benefit to using the Sync 4 screen? Isn't it larger? Does the bezel in our trucks clip the edges off?
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Has anyone gotten the wireless carplay/auto dongle? How's your experience?
neovenator
Member
I rented a 2019 Gen 2 Raptor for 2 days before buying my Gen 1 Raptor. I love everything about my Gen 1, but there's no denying that the Sync 2 that it came with lags behind the Sync 3/4 display and software.
My two biggest gripes with the Sync 2 unit was: incredibly unresponsive tactile input, and no Apple Carplay/Android Auto support.
I went ahead and immediately swapped the Sync 2 with a Sync 3.4 unit on a Sync 4 display, I also went with the navigation model. I figured if I was going to do this job once, might as well go with all of the upgrades since I'm keeping this truck forever.
The Sync 4 display is really nice to look at. It's a sharp resolution and crisp, and to my surprise, it made the backup camera quality look MUCH better. That alone made the upgrade worth it now that I could actually see what was behind me. Touch input is comparable to that of a tablet or a smartphone rather than the crappy ATM machines. Everything is fast and responsive.
Back to the overall upgrade, it is 1000% worth it. It is literally plug-and-play. It modernizes the interior without looking out of place and cheap. It's OEM+, so it doesn't look like those cheap units that have their buttons or running on an old version of Android. You still get climate control functions through the display. You can change it to light or dark mode, or auto if that's your drift. Heck, even my Sirius XM trial still worked. The UI is MASSIVELY more user friendly. You can also change your wallpaper from the OEM options and a few ons that I believe were added.
The only minor complain was that I didn't get a Raptor splash screen, but I'll just need to get my laptop and USB to add it, seems like a 5 minute fix.
I followed the tutorial below, he pretty much covered everything you will encounter, and the tools you need.
Sync 2 responds to every input just fine- you just have to push the screen harder. Sync 2 is resistive touch, Sync 3/4 is capacitive touch.
I thought about doing the upgrade, but it's kind of pointless for me from a "touching the screen" standpoint. The only thing I ever touch the screen for is the heated/cooled seats (no buttons for that- nice job Ford) and maybe to use nav once a year. I use voice commands, the steering wheel controls, and the volume knob for audio. The better resolution on the backup camera would be nice, but is still not really needed.
It's a good upgrade though- I'm not knocking it. I think the only real downside to Sync 3/4 is that the default user interface is quite ugly compared to Sync 2. Sync 2 allowed you to change the background too, which is lacking on 3/4, although I'm guessing this upgrade might unlock that?
neovenator
Member
From a UX perspective, capacitive touch is a much better and familiar experience especially when you're on the road and you want to be confident your inputs are detected effortlessly.
You're correct, there's a plethora of available background options whether you want an OEM look, pretty pictures of galaxies and textures or cars.
The biggest advantage for me was having wired Apple Carplay support. Despite being a tech geek longer than I've been a motor head, I thought Apple Carplay was just a gimmick, nothing my phone and a $10 phone mount couldn't do. But I was wrong.
I hated connecting via Bluetooth to play my music because of the loss of quality. It's also less distracting having to switch from Apple Podcasts to Music, which takes 2-3 taps on the screen, rather than having to battle with FaceID, opening up a different app, scrolling to what I want to play.
I'm a spirited driver and hate traffic, so having Waze side by side is really helpful to have it running on the upgraded unit. Sure, you can just mount your phone on the dash and call it a day, but between only being able to see one screen at a time, phone mounts sucking in general, and the glare of the Sun on your phone making the screen basically impossible to use (these are all the constraints I face when I'm driving my beater econobox), it's a relief hopping on knowing I won't be facing those issues.
I guess overall, I really feel like it's a huge quality of life improvement. Not to say you can't live without it, but it makes your commutes a lot more enjoyable.
Yes, the one true star of the upgrade from Sync 2 is Carplay/Android Auto. Live traffic on the dash vs having to look at a phone screen seems trivial, but it is super nice. Even better is also having the factory built-in nav for redundancy when your phone is lost/dead/has no coverage.
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