This product was just as advertised: a drop-in replacement for the SYNC3 and too-small touchscreen in the Ford Maverick. The SYNC4 APIM and the 12" screen are both official Ford parts, and DD Offroad's value added comes in two forms: a wire harness so you can integrate the SYNC4 with the Maverick's existing wiring, and a molded plastic bezel for the 12" screen that has the compatible mounting points for the Maverick (the 12" screen comes pre-installed in the bezel, so there are really just two units to install: the APIM and the screen). I included a shot of the back of the 12" screen to show the mounting points. Required cables are included with the kit.
The hardest part of the installation was unplugging the existing SYNC3 module's electrical connections.
There's very little space to move your hands around back in there, and no way to see what you're doing so it's all by feel. After doing it the once I'm sure it would take me half as long to go through the process a second time. Installation is highly reversible, and there is no issue if you wanted to reinstall the SYNC3 and small screen.
The install kit includes a QR code that points to a YouTube installation video, but I'd also recommend looking for more videos--one video may show some parts of the installation process really well, while others show other parts really well.
In this end, it looks factory done. You can see the before-and-after in the attached pics. One of my concerns when I was ordering was whether the larger screen would actually be too large, but the "after" photo is taken from the point of view of my face. I'm not a tall guy (about 5'9"), and I have no problem seeing the base of the windshield, so there is no extra hassle maneuvering in tight spaces.
I did have a couple questions about the unit after installation, and Joe was very quick to respond with good, workable answers.
So yeah. I'm pretty happy I did this upgrade. The wireless CarPlay is more reliable than the wireless USB+WiFi dongle I had to have in the previous version. I can also split the screen to see both CarPlay and a selectable window from the Ford side of the infotainment (e.g., you can have the Ford nav map up and running next to CarPlay it you want, but you can also have stuff like the radio station display).
You also have immediate touchscreen access to other parts of the infotainment system along the bottom of the screen, rather than having to hit a hardware button before moving on from there.
Adding new phones to the list is really simple. All this additional functionality is because of the SYNC4 upgrade--the SYNC3 is missing a lot of what I described here.
Excelent product & company
This process was not easy, to say the least. With the help from DD, things never felt unattainable. Making sure all connections are secured properly ended up being the key for me. I needed to disessemble after having everything in place before i discovered the large adapter cable was not placed and secured properly. Initially my knobs and rear camera did not work, which was because the adapter was not properly connected. Lesson learned and what i could contribute to others, is to take your time and make sure all connections are securely connected. The help DD gave throughout this process meant the world to me and helped me to never give up and always have hope it was going to all work out. It was all worth it. The screen and wireless connectivity to carplay is wonderful. I could not be happier. Thank you DD team!
I was concerned ordering something that costs this much money from a company other than RAM / Mopar for my 2023 Ram 1500. I read other reviews (which were all positive), so I decided to do it. I placed the order and received it about 4 days later. Great packing material and screen was amazing. My screen shipped with one incorrect wire, but Joseph at DD Offroad immediately got it shipped out overnight. It was a little frustrating while we were doing the trouble shooting with the first wire the first night I received the screen. But I took some pictures of the wiring and Joseph spotted the problem (wrong wire) immediately. And another thing,,, I initially emailed him at 11:30 pm at night so he would get the email in the morning but he responded immediately and continued to email back and forth with me until about 1:30 in the morning.
Bottom line we got it to work. The new bigger screen looks incredible and I am very happy. It's one thing to say you had a great experience when everything goes right. But a truer measure is when something goes wrong and someone steps up and goes above and beyond to take care of the customer. Joseph did just that. If you are nervous about ordering an expensive upgrade from DD Offroad, have no fear. If I could leave 10 stars on the review I would.
2024 ford maverick hybrid lariat here Hammer me ayudo mucho y siempre fue muy amable y sobre todo paciente me envió hasta 3 APIM todo funcionando bien y sonido y también la aplicación del ford
Los recomienda a todo aquel que quiero actualizar su pantalla a una mas grande y mantener todas las funciones de ford .
Translated by google: I got a 2024 Ford Maverick Hybrid Lariat. Hammer was a huge help—always kind and, above all, patient. He sent me up to three APIMs; everything is working perfectly, including the audio and the Ford app.
I recommend him to anyone looking to upgrade to a larger screen while keeping all the Ford functions intact.
