3G to 4G Modem upgrade with used (recycled) parts

[djcwardog]

I did some searching and found this topic well-covered on the web but not so much here for this group.  I bought my car a few weeks ago and discovered, like many of you, that the Lincoln Way app was useless for me thanks to the 3G modem that came from the factory when my car was new.  So, I found and installed this particular 4G modem on eBay for $75 shipped.

 

PART NO:

JL3T - 14G087 - CK

 

I read and understood that any of the -C_ part # suffixes should work.  Mine is a -CK but others are out there for sale right now.  The key is to stick with the older JL3T parts rather than the very latest ones - at least for my 2017 car!  This is a possible way to swap in a 4G modem for your existing 3G modem that should work for you.  

 

Pull up the left (driver’s) side panel in your trunk to start.  In the photos you see that I moved the single power and CANBUS plug over and then moved my single FAKRA antenna plug over.  You see two FAKRA jacks in the photo.  However, only one of them will accept your existing antenna plug.  Seeing the word “GPS” on the old 3G part I have a feeling that the 3G modems need a GPS antenna FAKRA jack because they also incorporate the GPS function that your car uses to provide the compass in the dash display.  Nerdy Detail Alert - I think for our cars with Navigation there is indeed another (blue?) GPS antenna plug that goes into a jack on your APIM - the silver box that you’ll find secured to the center dash bezel right behind your 8” screen.  Anyway, I plugged a Bingfu 4G Wi-Fi antenna (cheap, on Amazon) into the other jack - see photo - and then did my Forscan work, as noted below.

 

First, delete your existing car profile in Forscan and let it find your car again when you connect.  This makes it build a new profile that includes your replacement 4G modem.  You should see a TCU included in your module list once the car finishes connecting.  Now let it save this new profile for you by clicking “yes” when it asks.

 

Under “Service Prodedures”, do a forced reset of the “new” 4g TCU.  Read and clear any codes that may remain in the TCU afterwards.  See my photos.  You’ll end up with one code for “Antenna 2” that will not clear.  No worry, that’s harmless and it’s there because you used the Bingfu antenna instead of paying more money to find and install the factory Ford 4G antenna under the rear deck between your speakers, and its required extension cord.

 

Now do the TSB 22-2230 initialization procedure - you’ll find that on an internet  search if the attached .pdf doesn’t work for you.  This is the procedure that has you go in and out of Valet Mode to initialize the modem.

 

As that procedure requires, I deleted my car from the Lincoln Way app and then added it back on.  When I clicked “Activate” in the app it sent the expected message to my screen in the car asking me to approve the car.  I did and I then finally saw the lock/unlock buttons, start/stop button and the horn/light flash buttons.  Now my Lincoln Way app does what it must have been doing before they dropped 3G modem coverage last February.  I also snapped a photo of the Sync 3 screen that shows my modem ID.  It’s indeed different from the same screen when I had the 3G modem in there.

 

 

 New part compared with old.  4G modem is bigger and it has two Fakra jacks instead of just one on the 3G part.

 

Recall Service Bulletin to set up 4G modem.pdf

 

The circuit is just fine, thank you very much.

 

Snap a photo of this screen in your own car before and after you do the swap.

 

Before I did the swap, everything below the car was just an empty blue field.

Edited December 3, 2022 by djcwardog
Details added

[bbf2530]

1 hour ago, djcwardog said:

I did some searching and found this topic well-covered on the web but not so much here for this group.  I bought my car a few weeks ago and discovered, like many of you, that the Lincoln Way app was useless for me thanks to the 3G modem that came from the factory when my car was new.  So, I found and installed this particular 4G modem on eBay for $75 shipped.

 

PART NO:

JL3T - 14G087 - CK

 

I read and understood that any of the -C_ part # suffixes should work.  Mine is a -CK but others are out there for sale right now.  The key is to stick with the older JL3T parts rather than the very latest ones - at least for my 2017 car!  This is a possible way to swap in a 4G modem for your existing 3G modem that should work for you.  

 

Pull up the left (driver’s) side panel in your trunk to start.  In the photos you see that I moved the single power and CANBUS plug over and then moved my single FAKRA antenna plug over.  You see two FAKRA jacks in the photo.  However, only one of them will accept your existing antenna plug.  Seeing the word “GPS” on the old 3G part I have a feeling that the 3G modems need a GPS antenna FAKRA jack because they also incorporate the GPS function that your car uses to provide the compass in the dash display.  Nerdy Detail Alert - I think for our cars with Navigation there is indeed another (blue?) GPS antenna plug that goes into a jack on your APIM - the silver box that you’ll find secured to the center dash bezel right behind your 8” screen.  Anyway, I plugged a Bingfu 4G Wi-Fi antenna (cheap, on Amazon) into the other jack - see photo - and then did my Forscan work, as noted below.

 

First, delete your existing car profile in Forscan and let it find your car again when you connect.  This makes it build a new profile that includes your replacement 4G modem.  You should see a TCU included in your module list once the car finishes connecting.  Now let it save this new profile for you by clicking “yes” when it asks.

 

Under “Service Prodedures”, do a forced reset of the “new” 4g TCU.  Read and clear any codes that may remain in the TCU afterwards.  See my photos.  You’ll end up with one code for “Antenna 2” that will not clear.  No worry, that’s harmless and it’s there because you used the Bingfu aBrennan instead of paying more money to find and install the factory Ford 4G antenna under the rear deck between your speakers, and its required extension cord.

 

Now do the TSB 22-2230 initialization procedure - you’ll find that on an internet  search if the attached .pdf doesn’t work for you.  This is the procedure that has you go in and out of Valet Mode to initialize the modem.

 

As that procedure requires, I deleted my car from the Lincoln Way app and then added it back on.  When I clicked “Activate” in the app it sent the expected message to my screen in the car asking me to approve the car.  I did and I then finally saw the start/stop button and door lock/unlock buttons.  Now my Lincoln Way app does what it did before they dropped 3G modem coverage last February.  I also snapped a photo of the Sync 3 screen that shows my modem ID.  It’s indeed different from the same screen when I had the 3G modem in there.

 

 

 

 New part compared with old.  4G modem is bigger and it has two Fakra jacks instead of just one on the 3G part.

 

Recall Service Bulletin to set up 4G modem.pdf

 

 

The circuit is just fine, thank you very much.

 

 

Snap a photo of this screen in your own car before and after you do the swap.

 

Hi djc. A very nice write-up which will certainly help others.

 

Thanks for taking the time, and good luck. 🍻

[drolds1]

Thank you for this.  It's now pinned as a how-to.

[jmcgliss]

Thank you very much. Will consider this after my Sync2 to Sync3 conversion. Good to know there isn't under-dash work involved.

[Chris109]

Don't you need Ford to do some kind of update or something?  I thought I saw that somewhere.

[djcwardog]

41 minutes ago, Chris109 said:

Don't you need Ford to do some kind of update or something?  I thought I saw that somewhere.

I had no dealer involvement at all in doing this.  As described above, I did have FORScan do a forced reset of the modem after I had it plugged in.

Edited January 9 by djcwardog

[Chris109]

28 minutes ago, djcwardog said:

I had no dealer involvement at all in doing this.  As described above, I did have FORScan do a forced reset of the modem after I had it plugged in.

 

 

Good if you have Forscan.  If not, dealer gets involved.  

I may try it sometime.

[Multitask]

Forscan is free

[kramf411]

By the way, I brought my vehicle for service for something else and asked the service advisor about the cost for switching from 3G to 4G. I was told "they did the math" and the amount would end up to be $900+, with the replacement part itself costing ~$600. They had multiple inquiries and none actually had it done.

[sitokod]

Thanks for the write up, i have ordered the same part for my 2016 MKZ 2.0 and i will try to do the upgrade this weekend. I will Update once i go through it.

Edited January 25 by sitokod
add more info

[121dj]

Thanks for putting this together.

I am stuck with Forscan not identifying the TCU after connecting it.

2017 3.0 Sync 3 v3

using same exact TCU in this thread.

Forscan 2.4.6 beta extended license on Windows

ELM 327 INTRRFACE v1.5 OBDII

Did the valet on/off from service bulletin

 

Any help appreciated.

Edited January 24 by 121dj

[sitokod]

16 hours ago, 121dj said:

Thanks for putting this together.

I am stuck with Forscan not identifying the TCU after connecting it.

2017 3.0 Sync 3 v3

using same exact TCU in this thread.

Forscan 2.4.6 beta extended license on Windows

ELM 327 INTRRFACE v1.5 OBDII

Did the valet on/off from service bulletin

 

Any help appreciated.

I am following this, still waiting on the antenna to do the upgrade on my 2016 2.0 . I am curious what your fix will be when you find one, incase i run into a similar issue. best of luck.

[sitokod]

On 1/24/2023 at 4:09 PM, 121dj said:

Thanks for putting this together.

I am stuck with Forscan not identifying the TCU after connecting it.

2017 3.0 Sync 3 v3

using same exact TCU in this thread.

Forscan 2.4.6 beta extended license on Windows

ELM 327 INTRRFACE v1.5 OBDII

Did the valet on/off from service bulletin

 

Any help appreciated.

Try driving around for a while. I used same TCU as original post and followed his steps and was not able to authorize TCU until i drove around for a few minutes. I was then able to connect to my car with lincoln way. it updated my mileage, distance to empty, oil life etc. I was not able to get the vehicle to start/stop yet. i will try that tomorrow.

[Samym]

Hello. Does anyone have TCU firmware files for the "J" series. It is necessary to lower the "K" series. Sync sees the modem, but the modem does not want to log in.

[sitokod]

On 1/28/2023 at 2:12 AM, Samym said:

Hello. Does anyone have TCU firmware files for the "J" series. It is necessary to lower the "K" series. Sync sees the modem, but the modem does not want to log in.

i will suggest checking the cyanlabs forum. I think there is a way to downgrade the firmware explained there: https://community.cyanlabs.net/t/2017-mkz-hybrid-4g-tcu-upgrade/6814