4g Modem replacement

[ccihon]

On 8/17/2022 at 3:21 PM, ccihon said:

can't perform self install as detailed earlier - I am using the same original model TCU, and have it in 2016 MKX. Forscan shows it is "working", but I cannot activate the car from the app, nor does an ESN show up in that area of the SYNC screen. A TCY test in Forscan says "Vehicle conditions incorrect" - I am thinking my TCU is configured differently - here are some forscan particulars:

 

Note the model and Strategy don't currently match?

 

 

Here is the info returned - says it is active and has a signal, though the ignition being "Key Off" is incorrect:

 

 

Finally, here are the params - not all of them, as this unit seems to have a long list of them:

 

Any ideas? I have PMed the successful poster to compare configs - cannot post to the Forscan forum currently, it seems.

 

Thnaks!

 

Got it sorted out, had to downgrade the config and strategy files via Forscan, all works now! 

[ccihon]

So to follow up, I posted my issue to the CyanLabs forum where a knowledgable F150 guy there gave me very specific steps to downgrade the TCU, and following that, all is working. I used Forscan and some files he provided to make all of it work. It does seem odd to me that Ford/Lincoln have paused these upgrades. Knowing they are relatively easy to perform, especially when one has the programming tools etc, I wonder if  Ford would rather take these older cars "off network" and discontinue supporting them over a new network, rather than completing the upgrade?

[anzio]

43 minutes ago, ccihon said:

It does seem odd to me that Ford/Lincoln have paused these upgrades. Knowing they are relatively easy to perform, especially when one has the programming tools etc, I wonder if  Ford would rather take these older cars "off network" and discontinue supporting them over a new network, rather than completing the upgrade?

 

Agreed. For what it’s worth though, Lincoln has just resumed the official modem upgrades this past week.

[Haz]

Customer Satisfaction Program 21B09 has been extended to March 31, 2023.

 

Document download links below...

 

Customer Satisfaction Program 21B09 Supplement 1 - 3G to 4G Upgrade - 2016-17 MKX - Dealer Letter.pdf

Customer Satisfaction Program 21B09 Supplement 1 - 3G to 4G Upgrade - 2016-17 MKX Service Procedure.pdf

Lincoln Owner App Instructions - 4G setup after Customer Satisfaction Program 21B09 Completed.pdf

Customer Satisfaction Program 21B09 Supplement 1 - 3G to 4G Upgrade - 2016-17 MKX Owner Letter.pdf

 

Good luck!

[Dallas150]

Hello all, I am acquiring all the parts to complete this 4G upgrade on a 2016 MKX and 2017 MKC.  For those interested the 4G antenna that is part of Fords official upgrade kit is P/N: NL1Z-19A390-A , I can confirm that this is the white flexible antenna pad with a Male Fakra D lead coming off of it as pictured in the ford bulletin and the dealer sells these for about $50 CAD.  In order to connect this to the TCU you will require a Fakra D (purple ends) or Fakra Z (water blue ends) female to female extension cable.  Both the TCU and Fords antenna have male ends.  The Fakra Z type cable is universal and will plug into any Fakra type end, the Fakra D will only plug into the ends on the TCU and antenna.  These cables can be found on eBay or Amazon and you will need to order which ever length you require for your specific application.  For the MKX a 12" (1 Foot) cable should be sufficient if using the suggested locations listed in the ford procedure located Here .  Both the antenna listed above and the TCUs are made by continental.  Also as others have stated it is definitely easier if you can find a TCU out of the exact same model you are trying to upgrade, however this isn't required.  That said you will require a paid version of Forscan in order to change the firmware in the TCU to match your application and will also require it in order to downgrade the firmware.  If those who have completed this upgrade could post the firmware versions that worked on their specific applications as well as the as-build data that would be very helpful for those wondering what files they will need or should show once they connect.  A few have posted successes but not what files they used to get there.  I will be attempting to use a TCU from a 2018 F150 and one from a 2019 Edge.  Though the prefixes and suffixes are different than the ones that come out of an MKX or Nautilus once installed I should be able to reflash the firmware to the correct versions that would apply to an MKX and MKC and load the factory as-build data from 2018 versions of each.  These files are still available from ford and FORScan will also have them.  Waiting on my extension cables before I get started, but once I do I will post exactly what needed to be done in order to get these to work.

[Dallas150]

Finally got all my parts together to complete this 3G to 4G upgrade and I can say it worked out well for both my 2016 MKX as well as my 2017 MKC. The parts I used are below and should apply to any one upgrading from 3G to 4G, the only difference would be the length of the antenna extension cable.  In the MKX the TCU is located in the right rear quarter panel just to the left of the subwoofer as shown in earlier posts in this thread.  The MKC TCU is located under the center console, accessible from the passenger side foot well area.  These were both installed following the guidelines setout in the ford bulletin HERE.  Hopefully this plus all the other info out there can help someone else get this feature working again.  This can be done for much less than what dealers are charging just for labor, provided they are willing to do it or know anything about it.  Total costs for this upgrade was around $200 CAD per vehicle, TCUs were $130, antennas were $52 and extension cables were $20. 

 

The install was as follows:

 

Step 1:  Remove old TCU located to the top left of the subwoofer in the right rear quarter.  Should be noted that the original module electrical connections faced the rear of the vehicle and the new/repurposed TCU faces the front of the vehicle (per the guide).  For me this caused the wiring harness to be too short to reach without cutting back the taped main harness and pulling the TCU wiring out a bit more.  It will reach but it was tight.

 

Step 2: Temporarily Plug the factory harness into the new/repurposed TCU, connect FAKRA type I (beige) bypass plug (if not using wifi hotspot), connect the 4G antenna and extension harness.  This will all be kind of just dangling as you verify functionality.  Make sure everything works as expected before going through all the effort of finishing the install.

 

Step 3:  Connect to vehicle using FORScan.  I didn't reuse a previous profile, I just connected as if it were the first time and allowed FORScan to scan for all modules.  The TCU should get recognized during the scan.  After the scan is completed open the PID tab on the left and select the TCU from the menu at the bottom, then add all available TCU functions to the monitor.  This will allow you to see signal strength and the status of the module among other things.  You can push play and see what the status of these are which will allow you to see that everything is reading, once everything is good push the stop button as you can't run 2 functions at the same time (next step).  Ensure you have decent cellular strength or the authorization steps may not work.  (mine was around 175-180).

 

Step 4:  Open the configuration tab on the left and scroll down to the TCU module asbuild data section and run it.  Once open we will be changing the last character of the first block on the first line 754-01-01.  The code will be xxxX-xxxx-xxxx.  We will be changing the "X" from what ever it is (Likely a 2) to a 3 and clicking on write.  After this has been written and the prompts followed we are going to go and change that 3 back to what it was previously and click write.  This forces the TCU to reprovision itself.  You can now stop this function and go back to the PID section and monitor the TCU again.  This time you will see "Unprovsioned mode" and the other values will be zeros.  Let this run until it reads "Waiting for authorization".  The TCU is now waiting for the request to come from the phone app. 

 

Step 5: Do a factory reset on the Sync 3 screen in settings-general-Factory reset.  This will remove all previously authorizations.  Unfortunately this will also reset your sound settings, radio presets, possibly ambient light setting, bluetooth devices and wifi network.  Not a big deal, this can all be changed back, just a heads up.

 

Step 6:  Open the Lincoln way app or Ford pass app and delete your vehicle if you haven't already.  Now click "add" or the "+" and add your vehicle using the vin, either add manually or click the camera button and scan the bar code on the sticker located in the drivers door jam.  It should say "searching" followed by "vehicle found", then add a nickname and continue.  Once added go to the "Home" screen on the app, you should now see an "Activate" button.  Click this button and it should send the request to the car, watch the Sync screen for the authorization popup and click allow.  You will then be notified in the app that permission has been granted.  It can take a second for the vehicle to update.  If you look at the PID monitor in FORScan (which should still be running) you will see the "Waiting for authorization" change to "Authorized".  Once that happens you should now see your vehicle on the home screen in the app with the remote functions.  Tire pressures and oil life may only update after the first drive cycle.  

 

Step 7:  Test the functions of the app.  Unlock, lock, and remote start.  If these are all working then you can now permanently install the TCU and antenna and put the vehicle back together.  After everything is back together, plug back in and run the PID in FORScan.  This is just a double check that everything is still working after it was installed.

 

DONE!!

 

 

This was easier than I was expecting and worked out well in both vehicles but there are a few things worth mentioning;  If using a TCU the starts with a "K" instead of a "J" you will likely need to change the Calibration level and configuration files to the earlier "J" versions in order to get it to work.   I can't say for sure if this is needed as I just did it without trying it first to see if it was necessary.  From what I've read it will need to be done, especially if the donor TCU is from something a lot newer.  The issue is that some of the newer TCUs have more lines in the asbuild which can cause some errors in the TCU as it will be looking for information from other sources that don't exist.  Downgrading them basically changes them back to modules that don't have these extra lines and therefore no errors.  The reflash took about 50min or so to complete (its a large file). The pics below are of the "K" TCU original files and what they were changed to and the "J" type TCU which I changed nothing on. As you can see I change the "K" TCU to match the files on the "J".  These files were still available on the ford site as of December 16, 2022.  You can save yourself any questions by purchasing a TCU from a vehicle that is the same as what you are trying to modify ie. 2016 MKX get a TCU from a 2018 MKX or 2017 F150 get a TCU from a 2018 F150.  The 2018 TCUs should be "J" and will more or less be plug and play.  The easiest way to identify a TCU that will work for the 4G upgrade is to look for both the purple and beige antenna connectors.  There are some single purple connector TCUs out there which should work for the upgrade but I can verify for sure if they do or not. 

 

Here is a link for some TCU calibration files in the event the Ford site stops working or stops listing them.

TCU Calibration files

 

Note: Only paid versions of FORScan running v2.4.6 beta (or a 2.4.x version) will be able to flash firmware, the trail version doesn't have this ability.  Also note that flashing firmware is not without risk, bricking modules can happen especially if not using quality ELM OBD interfaces.  FORScan recommends OBDlink. Not that it cant be done with the cheaper ELMs you just run a greater risk.  OBDlink adapters will also automatically switch between HS and MS can, no need for the fancy switch on the side. 

 

 

For the "K" TCU,  after it was flashed with the new files I reload the asbuild file I saved from the "J" TCU.  Below is the asbuild list that came with the "J" TCU.  I didn't reload a newer MXX asbuild into this as it wasn't necessary, this file worked in both the MKC and MKX. 

 

 

 

-4G antenna- Ford part - NL3Z-19A390-A.  This is the flexible antenna used in the Ford 4G upgrade kit that no one seems to know anything about.

-4G TCU - Ford part# JL3T-14G229-AK (from 2018 F150 installed in MKX) as well as KT1T-14G087-FK (from 2019 Edge installed in MKC)

-Fakra type D or Z Female to Female extension cable.  Fakra Z (water blue) connectors are universal and can plug into any Fakra type connector.  I chose to use Z type but the actual connector for the 4G port is Fakra D (Bordeaux Violet ).  I had these made locally as they could deliver sooner than I could order but they are available.  MKX was 12" (1foot) long and MKC was 60" (5feet) long.

-Fakra type I (beige) female 4" long whip with a 10kohm resistor soldered between the coax and the cable shield.  As these TCUs are wifi hotspot enabled, this is used to simulate the wifi antenna in order to keep the TCU from flagging a code from an open port.  I was not interested in the hotspot so built this to simulate the wifi antenna.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by Dallas150
Broken link

[VBBoston]

On 12/17/2022 at 11:58 PM, Dallas150 said:

....

Dallas150/ Thank you very much for such detailed DIY instructions! You are the man! Your way of thinking and working is exactly like mine, we could probably be friends if lived nearby  

 

I ran into some problems with my new TCU, perhaps you or someone else will be able to help me out. My new 4g TCU was sourced from 2020 Ford Ranger, details from Forscan as follows:

TCU - Telematic Control Unit Module
Part number: LB5T-14G087-SH
Calibration level: LB5T-14G087-SR
Strategy: LB5T-14G139-SR

 

I tried to reflash firmware on it using same exact .vbf files you saved on Google Drive, just like you did in Custom mode in Forscan, but it ends up in error (see screenshot). Do you think this TCU model is not compatible to flash with different .vbf files or what is the cause of this error? Or should .zip archives be chosen instead of .vbf files in Custom mode in Forscan?

 

The car is 2016 Lincoln MKX Black Label with Sync 3 system with 3.4 firmware on it.

 

Also does anybody know the source to obtain .vbf modules firmware files nowadays for any vehicle by VIN or part numbers, perhaps some third-party database? From what I understand Ford blocked access to them, only 2kb .asp calibration files are possible to download from Ford site and how do we use/apply them in Forscan? 2kb is not the size to contain any firmware updates, so what are these .asp files for? 

 

Also, what are the differences between "Calibration level", "Calibration" and "Strategy" and their roles/purposes in different modules? Please explain if you can. Thank you again! 

Edited November 18, 2023 by VBBoston

[Ruby]

I have had the modem upgrade done at the dealership. The LincolnWay app mostly works. The tire pressures are not being displayed in the app as they should. All I see are 4 red squares, one at each tire. Am I the only one experiencing this problem? If so, can anyone help me out to fix the issue. The dealership and concierge cannot seem to fix the issue. 

2016 MKX Reserve

iphone 14 running the latest os version (17.4)

LincolnWay App latest version (4.33.0 CAN)

Thanks.

Ruby

[deagan145]

On 12/18/2022 at 2:58 AM, Dallas150 said:

Finally got all my parts together to complete this 3G to 4G upgrade and I can say it worked out well for both my 2016 MKX as well as my 2017 MKC. The parts I used are below and should apply to any one upgrading from 3G to 4G, the only difference would be the length of the antenna extension cable.  In the MKX the TCU is located in the right rear quarter panel just to the left of the subwoofer as shown in earlier posts in this thread.  The MKC TCU is located under the center console, accessible from the passenger side foot well area.  These were both installed following the guidelines setout in the ford bulletin HERE.  Hopefully this plus all the other info out there can help someone else get this feature working again.  This can be done for much less than what dealers are charging just for labor, provided they are willing to do it or know anything about it.  Total costs for this upgrade was around $200 CAD per vehicle, TCUs were $130, antennas were $52 and extension cables were $20. 

 

The install was as follows:

 

Step 1:  Remove old TCU located to the top left of the subwoofer in the right rear quarter.  Should be noted that the original module electrical connections faced the rear of the vehicle and the new/repurposed TCU faces the front of the vehicle (per the guide).  For me this caused the wiring harness to be too short to reach without cutting back the taped main harness and pulling the TCU wiring out a bit more.  It will reach but it was tight.

 

Step 2: Temporarily Plug the factory harness into the new/repurposed TCU, connect FAKRA type I (beige) bypass plug (if not using wifi hotspot), connect the 4G antenna and extension harness.  This will all be kind of just dangling as you verify functionality.  Make sure everything works as expected before going through all the effort of finishing the install.

 

Step 3:  Connect to vehicle using FORScan.  I didn't reuse a previous profile, I just connected as if it were the first time and allowed FORScan to scan for all modules.  The TCU should get recognized during the scan.  After the scan is completed open the PID tab on the left and select the TCU from the menu at the bottom, then add all available TCU functions to the monitor.  This will allow you to see signal strength and the status of the module among other things.  You can push play and see what the status of these are which will allow you to see that everything is reading, once everything is good push the stop button as you can't run 2 functions at the same time (next step).  Ensure you have decent cellular strength or the authorization steps may not work.  (mine was around 175-180).

 

Step 4:  Open the configuration tab on the left and scroll down to the TCU module asbuild data section and run it.  Once open we will be changing the last character of the first block on the first line 754-01-01.  The code will be xxxX-xxxx-xxxx.  We will be changing the "X" from what ever it is (Likely a 2) to a 3 and clicking on write.  After this has been written and the prompts followed we are going to go and change that 3 back to what it was previously and click write.  This forces the TCU to reprovision itself.  You can now stop this function and go back to the PID section and monitor the TCU again.  This time you will see "Unprovsioned mode" and the other values will be zeros.  Let this run until it reads "Waiting for authorization".  The TCU is now waiting for the request to come from the phone app. 

 

Step 5: Do a factory reset on the Sync 3 screen in settings-general-Factory reset.  This will remove all previously authorizations.  Unfortunately this will also reset your sound settings, radio presets, possibly ambient light setting, bluetooth devices and wifi network.  Not a big deal, this can all be changed back, just a heads up.

 

Step 6:  Open the Lincoln way app or Ford pass app and delete your vehicle if you haven't already.  Now click "add" or the "+" and add your vehicle using the vin, either add manually or click the camera button and scan the bar code on the sticker located in the drivers door jam.  It should say "searching" followed by "vehicle found", then add a nickname and continue.  Once added go to the "Home" screen on the app, you should now see an "Activate" button.  Click this button and it should send the request to the car, watch the Sync screen for the authorization popup and click allow.  You will then be notified in the app that permission has been granted.  It can take a second for the vehicle to update.  If you look at the PID monitor in FORScan (which should still be running) you will see the "Waiting for authorization" change to "Authorized".  Once that happens you should now see your vehicle on the home screen in the app with the remote functions.  Tire pressures and oil life may only update after the first drive cycle.  

 

Step 7:  Test the functions of the app.  Unlock, lock, and remote start.  If these are all working then you can now permanently install the TCU and antenna and put the vehicle back together.  After everything is back together, plug back in and run the PID in FORScan.  This is just a double check that everything is still working after it was installed.

 

DONE!!

 

 

This was easier than I was expecting and worked out well in both vehicles but there are a few things worth mentioning;  If using a TCU the starts with a "K" instead of a "J" you will likely need to change the Calibration level and configuration files to the earlier "J" versions in order to get it to work.   I can't say for sure if this is needed as I just did it without trying it first to see if it was necessary.  From what I've read it will need to be done, especially if the donor TCU is from something a lot newer.  The issue is that some of the newer TCUs have more lines in the asbuild which can cause some errors in the TCU as it will be looking for information from other sources that don't exist.  Downgrading them basically changes them back to modules that don't have these extra lines and therefore no errors.  The reflash took about 50min or so to complete (its a large file). The pics below are of the "K" TCU original files and what they were changed to and the "J" type TCU which I changed nothing on. As you can see I change the "K" TCU to match the files on the "J".  These files were still available on the ford site as of December 16, 2022.  You can save yourself any questions by purchasing a TCU from a vehicle that is the same as what you are trying to modify ie. 2016 MKX get a TCU from a 2018 MKX or 2017 F150 get a TCU from a 2018 F150.  The 2018 TCUs should be "J" and will more or less be plug and play.  The easiest way to identify a TCU that will work for the 4G upgrade is to look for both the purple and beige antenna connectors.  There are some single purple connector TCUs out there which should work for the upgrade but I can verify for sure if they do or not. 

 

Here is a link for some TCU calibration files in the event the Ford site stops working or stops listing them.

TCU Calibration files

 

Note: Only paid versions of FORScan running v2.4.6 beta (or a 2.4.x version) will be able to flash firmware, the trail version doesn't have this ability.  Also note that flashing firmware is not without risk, bricking modules can happen especially if not using quality ELM OBD interfaces.  FORScan recommends OBDlink. Not that it cant be done with the cheaper ELMs you just run a greater risk.  OBDlink adapters will also automatically switch between HS and MS can, no need for the fancy switch on the side. 

 

 

For the "K" TCU,  after it was flashed with the new files I reload the asbuild file I saved from the "J" TCU.  Below is the asbuild list that came with the "J" TCU.  I didn't reload a newer MXX asbuild into this as it wasn't necessary, this file worked in both the MKC and MKX. 

 

 

 

-4G antenna- Ford part - NL3Z-19A390-A.  This is the flexible antenna used in the Ford 4G upgrade kit that no one seems to know anything about.

-4G TCU - Ford part# JL3T-14G229-AK (from 2018 F150 installed in MKX) as well as KT1T-14G087-FK (from 2019 Edge installed in MKC)

-Fakra type D or Z Female to Female extension cable.  Fakra Z (water blue) connectors are universal and can plug into any Fakra type connector.  I chose to use Z type but the actual connector for the 4G port is Fakra D (Bordeaux Violet ).  I had these made locally as they could deliver sooner than I could order but they are available.  MKX was 12" (1foot) long and MKC was 60" (5feet) long.

-Fakra type I (beige) female 4" long whip with a 10kohm resistor soldered between the coax and the cable shield.  As these TCUs are wifi hotspot enabled, this is used to simulate the wifi antenna in order to keep the TCU from flagging a code from an open port.  I was not interested in the hotspot so built this to simulate the wifi antenna.

 

 

Thank you!!! I just installed it. Took me longer to figure out I forgot to download the obdii adapter driver than the update. My 2016 Mkx now has thr 4g. 

 

It was the first time I ever did something 1, 2, 3... I really can't believe the software part was practically plug and play for me but I made sure the modem started with a J.

 

I just didn't run a Hotspot antenna yet.