I was looking at an announcement of the sync retrofit for the 2008 Lincoln Navigator and noticed the picture or the radio/nav system for the Lincoln Navigator looks about identical to that in my 2008 Mariner Hybrid. So, was wondering if anyone knew whether the Lincoln "SYNC retrofit kit" would work on my Mariner?

 

i am curious to know if my FEH 2007 can be upgraded to these new radios? Will it retain all the fuel consumption/battery info?

 

The dash design is totally different. Nobody has been able to market an upgrade kit yet, so I wouldn't hold your breath. I'm sure if it were plug n' play, then Ford would want to jump on it to make some extra cash.

 

AA2070 (or anyone else). Have you heard any more news about a sync update kit for late build 2008's? Just curious. ..... well actually anxious.

 

sigh.. my FEH 2007 got broken into yesterday and the NAV system with CD changer was stolen too.

What is the best option for me,

1. replace with the original NAV?

2. upgrade to the fansy Alpine/Pioneer that I've always wanted with in-dash big screen, DVD, updated maps etc?? (but my BIGGEST concern is to lose all the fuel consumption and engine readouts)

sigh.... what do I do now???

 

Maybe talk to your dealer and see what they have to offer in the way of Sync/etc since you're in a unique position. You can always look on eBay for something if you're looking for a project.

Those fancy Alpine/Pioneer units are hard to beat if you don't mind loosing the FEH specific screens...

 

My dealer is pretty much "useless" in terms of product knowledge about the various systems. They are just not very knowledgeable plus un-motivated to find extra information for me.

I wonder, who would be a great resource in any city? Stereo-shops? Installers? Word of mouth? hmmm...

 

Wow, I can't believe that someone would steal a Ford CD-based nav system that most likely only works on another 2007 FEH. This might be easy to track down on Ebay/craigslist!

It's not going out on a limb to assume an aftermarket nav/radio/HD system that's actually worth money on the black market would put you at even greater risk for theft. You might want to go the stealth route and put in a plain Ford headunit and use add-ons for the other stuff (GPS, scangage, etc.)

If you don't replace the head unit with a Ford nav system, check out installing the message center in the tachometer area. This has been done by others at a dealer.
Good luck!

 

thanks for the suggestions! could you elaborate a bit more on the "message center"? is this a Ford part? Also, do you know where this dealer is located? even if they are not in my city, I could try calling them for their know-how.

 

The 'message center' is the computer readout in the tach that is on all of the FEHs without the CD/nav/hybrid display. It shows miles to empty, instant/average MPG, relative fuel economy, etc. I don't know which dealers' mechanics know how to install one.