SYNC 1 (2007 – 2020)

There are two types of colour SYNC 1 screen, either will require coding to accept a reverse camera.

The most common version of SYNC 1 with a colour screen uses an API module which has a 12 pin connection and is usually attached to the back of the screen. If the vehicle does not have navigation but does have a colour screen then it will use this setup. These systems need our cable CMI-FOR-005 to connect

Some SYNC 1 systems with navigation are the FORD NAV MFD LOW system which has a green LVDS connection on the back. The interface cable to fit a reverse camera to this version of SYNC 1 is CMI-FOR-001. The only way to know for certain which version you have is to remove the screen and check if the camera connection is there and the build sticker on the underside as can be seen below.

There are some navigation screens without the green LVDS connector that have a green fakra connection instead. These screens do not accept a camera.

SYNC 1 has been phased out with the last European vehicles with this system being the Ford Transit and its Custom and Connect siblings before their facelift in late 2018.

SYNC 2 (2010 – 2016)

In 2010 Ford Released SYNC 2, which uses a touchscreen and a Microsoft operating system, on some vehicles starting with the Focus and the C-Max in Europe. It is easily distinguishable by the 8” colour display which was split into 4 distinct sections for phone, entertainment, navigation and climate control. Our harness (part CMI-FOR-003) will connect a reverse camera to an original SYNC 2 system which then needs coding to recognise the input of a reverse camera.

Most versions of SYNC 2 have a separate API module which the camera connects to, often on the back of the screen. This looks much like the one used by SYNC 3.

In North America SYNC 2 was branded as MyFord Touch on a wide range of its cars, vans and pickup trucks. It is also used on Lincolns, branded as MyLincoln Touch.

Ford SYNC 2 also made it into the last 2014-2016 model years of the Ford Falcon (FG X) and Territory (SZ II) built by Ford Australia.

As of 2016 SYNC 2 was discontinued on new models and replaced with SYNC 3 on high end cars, while lesser models continued with SYNC 1.

SYNC 3 (2016 – 2023)

SYNC 3 was released in 2016, initially on the Fiesta on Zetec level trim and above. SYNC 3 runs on either a 6.5” or 8” touch screen and is usually quickly distinguishable by having 5 icons at the lower edge of the screen as can be seen below. Like SYNC 2, this uses part CMI-FOR-003 harness and requires coding to recognise the reverse camera.

SYNC 3 can be found on higher specification Ford vehicles built between 2016 and 2023. The camera is connected to the API module rather than directly to the screen. The location of the API module depends on the vehicle, on the Transit and Transit Custom it is above the glove box, on the Fiesta it is behind the dash clocks and on the Mondeo and Focus it is behind the centre console.

If your vehicle is built from 2018 onwards, take great care in deciding if it is equipped with SYNC 3 or SYNC 2.5 before deciding on the products you need. The two look very similar but do not connect to a camera in the same way.

A SYNC 3 will use a large latched connection on a separate API module to connect to the camera. Check the ‘About SYNC’ screen in the settings for confirmation that your vehicle has SYNC 3 and not “SYNC” or “SYNC 2.5”.

SYNC 2.5 (2018 – 2023)

In late 2018, coinciding with the facelift of the Transit and Transit Custom, Ford released a very similar system to SYNC 3 which was officially marketed simply as SYNC has since been dubbed SYNC 2.5.

It is difficult to differentiate the two systems, yet for the camera they have completely different connections. Unlike the SYNC 3 units with separate API module SYNC 2.5 uses the two square connections directly on the back of the screen or radio module to connect to the camera. Our cable for this is CMI-FOR-002.

From 2018 onward both vehicles with SYNC 2.5 and SYNC 3 have these square connections on the back of the radio module but only SYNC 3 connects to a camera using the separate API module. The only reliable way to tell which version your vehicle has is to open the ‘About SYNC’ screen in the vehicle settings.

If the first line on this screen says “SYNC” or “SYNC 2.5” then you have SYNC 2.5 where the camera connects directly to the radio module

If the first line says “SYNC 3” then you have SYNC 3 which will have the separate API module to connect to the camera.

SYNC 4 (2021 Onward)

From 2021 Ford began releasing vehicles with SYNC 4, starting with the Ford Mustang Mach E. SYNC 4 can be on a large portrait or landscape orientation screen depending on the vehicle.

SYNC 4 benefits from over the air updates and a high definition screen. Our interface CMI-FOR-004 can connect a high definition reverse camera to these vehicles without any coding needed.