No sound

[Frustrated Chris]

I have a 2017 Limited EL all factory. I purchased it recently from an individual and the radio wasn’t working. I read through this thread and several others before purchasing and they all stated pretty much the same thing. Soft rest, hard rest, fuses etc.

I have done every suggestion I can find to include purchasing another screen from a salvage yard and still no sound. I have tested every fuse in the interior fuse box, soft/hard/master reset, replaced the screen and still nothing.

Any suggestions on what the next step would be? Looking at after market now because I don’t know what else to do.

Thanks

 

[ewadz3006]

Sounds like you're in kind of the same boat as I am. I have a 2015 XLT. I'm getting no volume. The radio seems to work as far as all the functions just no volume. Also the balance and fade doesn't do anything. Like the display doesn't move when you try to adjust it. I've done soft reset hard reset and check fuses as well. I'm on to testing the amplifier to see if it has power. Haven't done this yet but it's my next step.

Does yours function other than sound?

 

[HILLY]

Hopefully you figured this out by now and you're not still throwing money at this. Assuming that your 3rd gen has three basic components to the radio, they would be the ACM, APIM, and screen. All are independent of each of other of what they do but integrate for the final function (like a computer: APIM = CPU; ACM = Sound Card; Screen = Monitor)

If it's only sound that is not working for you and everything else functions, an armchair diagnosis would point to the ACM which is the unit that usually houses the CD player as well as the amp. If you are getting power to this unit (cooling fan runs, CD player will eject, etc.), then the next component would point to the APIM which is the "brain" of the system. It is not uncommon for these to go up, and this would cause a lot of issues including the screen going out. The LCD screen itself is not usually a failure point in most cases.

Weigh out your options. The APIM and ACM are not cheap depending on the route you go. An aftermarket stereo can be done utilizing a Maestro adapter and give you the same or more of what you want. Look at Crutchfield to easily put together the components. Basically you will ditch the SYNC system and Maestro will take over those functions.

 

[HILLY]

Wow, talk about crazy coincidence. Was driving down the road on a small trip and noticed that my speakers started failing. It started with the LHS channels not working. Then I noticed that my tuner was acting up when I was trying to change SXM stations to see if it was the broadcast. Very quickly soon after my stereo quit altogether. Volume knob is dead. Sound settings menu won’t access. Looks like the amp went.

 

[HILLY]

Internet FTW!

To follow-up on this, I spent the rest of the day trying to Google and research what may have gone wrong and what options I may have had. Got to love the F-150 guys as they seem to have gone through most of the issues that can come up with first and have an answer or fix. I came across pretty much all posts saying the ACM is the culprit, and what is the common belief is the lead-free solder on the circuit boards are more susceptible to becoming brittle and cracking, and thus causing various functions to cease. One of the common shade tree fixes with a high success rate is to put the ACM in the oven and bake it to allow the solder joints to gel up and reset on the board. How hot and how long seem to vary with every Youtuber posting a different method, but I went with 385 for 10 minutes on a pizza tray (perforated) and I didn't really disassemble it as some guys did as I don't have a CD drive, so I didn't feel a need. After baking it for 10, I carefully pulled the unit out and let cool for another 15. Took it out to the truck, plugged everything back up, and voila! Everything was working as it was!

 

[ewadz3006]

Hopefully you figured this out by now and you're not still throwing money at this. Assuming that your 3rd gen has three basic components to the radio, they would be the ACM, APIM, and screen. All are independent of each of other of what they do but integrate for the final function (like a computer: APIM = CPU; ACM = Sound Card; Screen = Monitor)

If it's only sound that is not working for you and everything else functions, an armchair diagnosis would point to the ACM which is the unit that usually houses the CD player as well as the amp. If you are getting power to this unit (cooling fan runs, CD player will eject, etc.), then the next component would point to the APIM which is the "brain" of the system. It is not uncommon for these to go up, and this would cause a lot of issues including the screen going out. The LCD screen itself is not usually a failure point in most cases.

Weigh out your options. The APIM and ACM are not cheap depending on the route you go. An aftermarket stereo can be done utilizing a Maestro adapter and give you the same or more of what you want. Look at Crutchfield to easily put together the components. Basically you will ditch the SYNC system and Maestro will take over those functions.

so, I've replaced everything, i think. The apim, is that the thing on the back of the screen? If so i its on the sync 3 screen. I bought the sync 3 upgrade, nothing. baked the acm, nothing , then replaced the factory amp, still nothing. I'm grasping at straws now. I'm wondering if there's a signal from somewhere muting the audio.

If the apim is not the thing on the back of the screen then i'm not sure where it is.