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So, to continue a reply to an earlier thread, and to fulfill a request to share lessons learned/knowledge gained, here's how it worked when I installed a Pioneer NEX-4200 (a carplay/android auto compatible receiver) in my 2016 TC XLT with the 4.3" screen (non-nav/non-touch) sync system. In a word, it was close to perfect. Here's what I needed: 1) The Pioneer NEX-4200 2) iDatalink's Maestro steering wheel control box, plus... 3) Their FO2 (Ford harness) and 4) Their SAT-1 Satellite radio antenna adapter. 5) A Metra Metra 99-5831G Double DIN dashboard adapter. 6) A Sirius Satellite Radio adapter 7) A Metra antenna adapter Model 40-EU10 8) A USB port that replaces the TC's 12v power port. 9) A microphone. My total cost for all this was about $250 (plus the cost of the Pioneer head unit, about $500 with rebate). That's pricier than most solutions—but I think it was worth it for reasons I'll explain below. I worked with my friend John, who owns Angel's Electronics—a car stereo installer south of downtown Los Angeles. John has done all my installs, and he's very cool about allowing customers to participate. How it was done: 1) Prior to install, I downloaded iDataLink's very clear PDF-based instruction sheet. 2) Also prior to install, you need to flash your Maestro module to set it up for your particular car model. The flashing process allows you to customize steering wheel controls and other features. The module won't work unless it is flashed; to flash you need to register with iDatalink, download their (annoyingly Windows-only) software utility, plug the device into your computer with the included USB cable. The thread I linked below—from iDataLink's tech support—states that this only works with Windows. This is true and not true. If you have a Mac, you can make it work using the Parallels emulation software—but not with a Windows 10 installation (or even using an earlier version of Internet Explorer in that installation; you mayu have better luck than me.) Instead, you'll need to create a new virtual machine using Parallels. The GREAT news is that you don't have to buy Windows to do this. You simply use the Parallels Virtual Machine Creation Wizard to install a free Windows development environment, choosing "Modern IE test environments" from the "Free Systems" menu; from there, you'll be given the option of a number of test builds—I chose IE 11 on Windows 7, since that's the one that folks seem to have the best luck with. Once it is installed, you simply plug the iDatalinlk into your Mac's USB port; then (patiently) wait for the running Windows system to recognize it and install drivers. After that, you can download the Maestro flashing utility (you'll need to be registered for this, and registration approval can take a few hours, so be prepared for a wait if you haven't already registered.) The flashing interface and process is very quick, visual, and self-explanatory. 3) Once you've flashed and assembled the harnesses to your new radio, you have to remove the old one. You pop the top cover off, then the Ford dashboard adapter, exposing the radio itself. The radio pops out with a few screws; you'll need to carefully fish around for the connectors to both the radio and the screen above. Follow the instructions on iDatalink's downloadable PDF documentation. Everything is very self-explanatory and I didn't have to do any major cutting or rewiring. The fundamental principle at work here is that you're doing to be disabling—that means completely disconnecting—the Ford 4.3" screen; the iDatalink will move all of Sync's functions (yes, that includes backup camera and backup sensors) to the compatible head unit (the Pioneer worked) of your choice. That leaves you with a blank screen above the new head unit. I've seen that some folks keep the backup camera wired to that, but iDataLink says this leads to problems, so I was OK with the blank screen, since it gave me a convenient mounting location for my giant phone (see attached pictures.) Note: there is a European-import double DIN adapter that allows you to remove the Ford display and replace it with a pocket; CarAV is the manufacturer. It is available on Amazon, but delivery times range from 30-60 days to the US, so I passed. 4) If you want satellite radio, you'll need a Sirius adapter; the SAT-1 antenna adapter allows you to use the built-in Ford Sirius Antenna, but the receiver itself is built in to the radio you'll be removing, so you need a new receiver. 5) To keep things neat, I pulled the Ford 12v/cigarette lighter socket and replaced it with a perfect-fit USB/Aux adapter from Rerii (about $10 on Amazon), wiring the USB and Aux inputs from the radio, down under the console, direct to that. 6) Once you've got it all wired, reassemble and you're good to go. Your steering wheel controls will work—all of them, in my experience—as will your LED console display (the one between the instrument panel gauges). However, there are a few caveats and gotchas and notes: One is specific to the Pioneer unit I chose. It has a motorized faceplate, and the Metra adapter has a little bit of a lip that created a hitch to the faceplate's movement, both when turning the radio on and removing the faceplate. The motor keeps trying to push the faceplate forward when it hitches there, so that's bad. I did a little careful grinding down—about a millimeter; no more, because you don't want a loose fit—and the hitch disappeared. Another minor gotcha—and I think this would be true for any radio, although different types of display might perform differently—is that the Ford's dashboard design angles the radio display slightly up. You can see it fine, but that makes it more susceptible to glare. On a sunny Southern California day, the glare almost made the screen unviewable until I went into the Pioneer's settings and disabled the auto day/night brightness setting, leaving it on permanent daytime brightness. That makes the screen better than tolerable on the sunniest days/angles, and perfectly fine when there's no direct sunlight (of course, at night, the damn thing glows like a Cape Cod lighthouse, but...). Another solution I might try is a strip of tint at the very top edge of the windshield. I might try it. I might not. Another point is that the Pioneer unit seems to offer two different means of connecting your phone for calls—it's internal bluetooth, and the still-operative Sync bluetooth. I haven't played with this, and had to install and external microphone since I use Apple's Carplay, which (at least for the Pioneer) is currently a wired-only connection. One very cool thing is the iDatalink compatibility—one of the adapters included leads goes to the OBDI port on the car; that allows the head unit to display all kinds of info (I'll post some photos of this in a bit.) Other iDatalink compatible receivers—from Kenwood, Alpine, maybe others - should do the same. Carplay and Pioneer have some known glitches—random resets and disconnects, mostly, which I've noticed more when using the Audible audiobooks app—but we're talking very low frequency. Once nice thing about Carplay, if you've got an iPhone, is that you simply plug in your phone and it works; no drilling through menus for device selection. This makes my wife, with whom I share this car, very happy. So, overall—a pricier solution than the factory adapter Metra/Axxess offers, but potentially with some additional and useful functionality. I can't say mine is better, since I haven't tried the Metra/Axxess system. User BetaDon has installed that system, to very good results, he says, including retaining the upper/OE display functionality. His account is here: Other Links: iDataLink: http://maestro.idatalink.com Metra Dash Adapter: http://www.metraonline.com/part/99-5831G Metra Antenna Adapter: http://www.metraonline.com/part/40-EU10 USB socket adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S6IO0NG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 A tech support thread I started on iDataLink to get advice on this (registration may be required): http://www.12voltdata.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=16019 I'll upload some pictures in the follow-up reply. Questions and comments, welcome, of course.

I replaced the headlights on my 2014 TC today. First, as a credit to Ford (and probably because our TC's were all built in Europe) every stock halogen bulb in my wagon was made by Osram, which in my book is the best overall OEM bulb of them all. My standard upgrade on my other cars has always been to order me a new set of higher performance Osram's straight from Germany - Beware of ordering them from China and if you buy them locally, check to see that they're not from China. Like many other brand names, there are both a genuine article and Chinese knock-offs which are always inferior. The ones that came out of the car say 'Germany' right on them Fifty150 ordered a set of Street Cat LED H11's from Amazon and they are unlike any LED replacements I've ever seen. First, they came with a 'driver' which accepts any voltage from 9 VDC to 36 VDC and outputs exactly the correct stabilized voltage and current for the LED chips, no matter how much the input voltage may vary. This has got to make for both a brighter, more even light and a longer lasting bulb. Second, his replacements have a built-in 8,000 RPM fan which cools the LED chips. Again, this has got to increase the life of the bulbs IIRC he got a closeout price on the 2015 version rated at 4,000 lumens and 6000K color which is bright white, but not too far into the blue spectrum. A standard halogen bulb is around 1,350 to 1,500 lumens and the color is quite yellow, usually around 3000K. I bought the 2016 version of the Street Cat H11's which are now advertised to use Philips brand chips and they are now rated at 4,800 lumens or a bit more than triple the amount you get from an equivalent H11 halogen bulb. This isn't to say that you'll have triple the light down the road because other factors limit the useful light, but they are noticeably brighter . . . . and whiter A link to the ones I bought - https://www.amazon.com/Headlight-Conversion-Upgraded-version-Philips/dp/B01LXO0W17/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481579843&sr=8-2&keywords=street+cat+h11 They are not a 10 minute install, IMO - We spent at least an hour in total, but then I was changing both high and low beams. The space inside the dust cap is small and my fingers are large, but I managed to get them inserted correctly and my wife was able to twist them to lock them in the headlight. I mounted the little driver boxes nearby with double stick trim tape. Like Fifty150 I left the dust caps off - I think you could probably cut a notch in them to allow the wires to come out (necessary because the driver won't fit inside) and get the dust caps back on, but with them off the ventilation must be better and the LED assembly with fan is rated as waterproof For the high beams, which are 65 watt H-9's I opted to replace those with PIAA Xtreme White halogens. *Supposedly* these give you 120 watts of light from just 65 watts of power which makes it sound like they are almost twice as bright (I take that with a few grains of salt) and they are 4150K in color, which is very white for a halogen bulb. These are popular replacements because they are so powerful and so white, but in low beam applications many reviewers report they only last for a year or two. I don't think I would choose them for your low beams (They cost about the same as the LED's anyway) but for high beam use, they should last a long time. We'll see. They *are* quite white . . . . nearly as white as the LED's to the naked eye The LED's do light up the road much better - Low beams don't appear to reach much (if any) farther than before - It does look like I could raise them just a bit and I probably will, but the amount of light on the road in front of me is noticeably increased. The high beams are just . . . . WOW! They really do reach farther and are much brighter than before. They light up everything! I'll get some pictures from out on the road and post them in the next few days - So far I'm very happy with the upgrade. Probably the best $100 I've spent on it so far Don

Thanks for the GREAT write-up and photos! I'm sure this will help many folks down the line Don

Here are some pictures. Notice my gorgeous phone holding system—a magnetic pedestal stuck to the top of the dash with double-sided tape, then secured (because it kept falling off) with some inartfully-applied Sugru. Classy!!!!

I ordered one and it arrived broken also - I sent it back The round circle with the red slash you see in the center of the back panel in the above pictures is to remind you not to sit anything heavy on it I was disappointed it didn't come with the car as my last few cars have all had one and I loved the way they work - The Ford one was a big disappointment and I won't be ordering another. If it was $50, maybe, but at $135 plus tax, it's way overpriced, IMO Don