(Almost) no audio - request for suggestions to troubleshoot

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MrItchy

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Hi all,

I've been lurking on these forums since last year, learning many valuable things from your posts while I searched for my first Expedition. I just purchased a 2016 EL (which I love), but I'm having an audio problem that I am hoping the community can offer some suggestions to help me troubleshoot. My symptoms have got to be related, but I'm not sure if the APIM or CD/radio module is where I should start. BTW, the model is XLT with the 202A package (8" screen & SYNC 3).

Symptoms:
General screen interaction - everything works, screen touches generate a tone as expected
AM radio - tuner works fine, no audio from speakers
FM radio - tuner works fine, no audio from speakers
CD player - all controls work, CD plays, no audio
Bluetooth audio from phone - connection successful, files and info display correctly, no audio
Phone calls - I can dial, call, answer, but no audio
Text messages - audio playback works fine from all speakers (this is the only audio I hear other than touch-tones and audible instructions)
NAV - screen interaction works fine, GPS signal has a red line, position never updates
USB ports - doesn't recognize anything plugged in (phone or USB drive). System updates from USB stick never start.
WiFi - successfully connects to home network
Compass - I don't know if this is related, but the direction is stuck on north (never changes)

I've pulled apart the dash, and all cables to both modules appear to be firmly connected. I scanned the vehicle with FORSCAN and several modules reported an intermittent low battery voltage (the battery appeared to be original, so I went ahead and replaced it just as a precaution). I'll watch to see if the errors return. Any additional suggestions from the community would be welcome.
Thanks!
 
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MrItchy

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Just in case anyone digs up this thread during future searches, here are the solutions I found for my issues:

-All audio faults (radio, CD, bluetooth): these were caused by a bad ACM. I replaced it with a $35 junkyard pull, and now everything works fine.
-Compass/NAV lockup: both were solved with a new GPS antenna ($45 from the dealer). I diagnosed it by hooking up a $10 aftermarket antenna from eBay.
-USB connection for system update: I was able to update Sync to the latest version by buying a $5 mini-USB to USB-A adapter, and connecting to the second USB port on the back of the APIM (needs to be a corded "dongle" type, not molded due to the depth of the USB socket). The USB ports in the center console are still not recognizing anything when connected, but they do charge.
-Low battery voltage module messages: new battery appears to have solved these - no repeats in the last two months.
-Bonus category: the lights on my steering wheel buttons started flickering while driving, followed by the directional control pads not responding with increasing frequency. Then the airbag light started popping up every few days. A clockspring replacement solved all issues (thanks to another discussion on this site)!

Hopefully all gremlins have been evicted for the next few years....
 

WrenchinBrit

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Thank you for taking the time to update and conclude this thread. Many times the moderators on forums get aggravated when people post the same questions but many times threads just die on the vine with no conclusions.. it’s important for existing and new owners to find this valuable info .. thanks again
 

adamsdaddy

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Audio disappeared on the drive to a restaurant but reappeared on the drive home. The Expy is like a Windows PC, just wanted a fresh reboot.
 
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