2016 Explorer Limited - Front USB ports not working

[mktwain]

Hello,

Recently the battery died on my wife's 2016 Explorer Limited. After I replaced it with a new battery, most things seemed to be working normally, but the USB ports (one in the front bin, another inside the console) are no longer working to charge phones or connect them to the electronics system.

The charging ports in the middle seats work just fine, and the power points don't have any issue.

I went through the trouble of getting into the fuse box (OMG, what a hellish experience) and checked that the fuses for the SYNC radio system were good, and also pulled them and put them back in for a bit of a reset, but this had no effect.

Anyone have a suggestion for what to check next?

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
Have you read page 287 of the Owner's Manual, 3rd print? It mentions that when a battery is replaced, certain features kept alive by the battery may not work. I don't know if that includes the USB ports. If they worked after the battery replacement and just recently 'died', then the problem is likely not related.

Peter

 

[mktwain]

Yes, I read that. It basically said that I would have to "reset" some settings, i.e. the mirrors and preset stations and such. I followed all the instructions. It said nothing about the USB failing to power device any longer.

The weird thing is, the phone will initially act like it's being charged, then immediately it stops, and never establishes a connection to the radio. I know it's not the phone or cable, as they both work everywhere else with no issues, only in the front and console USB ports (and no one else's phone works on them any longer either, not just mine).

I really don't know what else to try short of taking it to the dealer, but I don't really want to pay them to fix it, especially when I suspect the fix will be to replace the whole system in exchange for an arm and a leg. If that's the end result of all this, I'll just live with it.

 

[Bobs2018ExplorerSport]

This is indeed a very strange issue; I suppose it it were me, I would disconnect the battery once again, and wait 30 minutes to insure a full reset upon reconnection... the idea that perhaps a bit of data corruption happened when you reconnected the battery the first time around. If you don't make a quick, instantaneous, secure connection the first time around (such as getting a couple of sparks when you first reconnect the battery), it might be possible to jolt the PCM into inducing some false data bits into its operating software, resulting in it thinking that the module that controls the Power Points and/or USB ports are telling them to be deactivated? I know this might seem kinda crazy, but since everything is now controlled through software, via several other software-controlled modules, sometimes any kind of data corruption can exemplify itself in weird ways.

I once did such a reset for a weird issue I was having, and that issue went away. It kind of reminds me of rebooting my PC, when certain features seem to have disappeared... and once you do, those features magically reappear again.

Anyway, just a suggestion...

 

[curlywurly]

I have the same issue on my 2013 Explorer. USB port worked fine for years (thumb drive used for music), and then several months ago it stopped working, with Sync just reporting 'No Device Connected" when trying to play from the thumb drive. I tried the best I could to check fuses (hellish as previous poster said). I plugged in my USB port tester I have (shows voltage and amps) and the socket is dead as regards to supplying power to the thumb drive, hence the thumb drive not working. I disconnected the car battery for around 5 - 10 mins, it made no difference.

Next, I pulled out the media panel, i.e. the AV input panel and USB sockets, it easily pulls out, I had read that it is common for liquids to get spilt on it. The circuit board was dirty looking so I cleaned it up with electrical cleaner, re-connected, still no luck.

I have just received a new panel, which I got from ebay (the guy upgraded is ICE so this was spare), and connected it up, still dead. I will double check a few more things tomorrow, but at this point it's a mystery for me as well.

Can anybody confirm the fuse location and how it is named in the book? I think it is fuse 9 from reading the manual but I'm not certain.

 

[peterk9]

I don't recall ever seeing USB ports listed in the fuse panels.

Peter

 

[curlywurly]

I picked what I thought might a fuse for it in the passenger compartment, the manual says fuse 9 is the for the SYNC and media panel, so I took a guess that the media panel might be the fuse for it, but I'm not certain.

The USB ports definitely have no power though.

So are there any separate fuses for this panel? The A/V SD Card USB one?

Or, is that you just pull a fuse for the entire for SYNC system? If so which one is it?

I've been disconnecting the battery, maybe 5-10mins wasn't long enough?

 

[peterk9]

I picked what I thought might a fuse for it in the passenger compartment, the manual says fuse 9 is the for the SYNC and media panel, so I took a guess that the media panel might be the fuse for it, but I'm not certain.

The USB ports definitely have no power though.

So are there any separate fuses for this panel? The A/V SD Card USB one?

Or, is that you just pull a fuse for the entire for SYNC system? If so which one is it?

I've been disconnecting the battery, maybe 5-10mins wasn't long enough?

A battery disconnect won't help this issue. A lack of power is the problem. If Sync is working then it won't be a fuse designated for that. Is the light inside the console working?

Peter

 

[curlywurly]

Yes, the light for the tray below the USB/Media panel lights up.

So far I've tried

• Master Reset of SYNC
• Disconnecting the car battery
• Replaced the entire media panel
• Checked fuses

I'm at a loss at the moment, obviously if the USB ports have no power then they are not going to work, and from what I've learned the USB/Media panel does not have a dedicated fuse.

 

[curlywurly]

I know it's been awhile, but the USB ports are still dead, no voltage (I have USB port tester/voltage display device) what so ever. Any other ideas?

 

[MM07]

Does the USB port in the center console work?

 

[Michael Blackburn]

Note: this is in my 2018 Limited.
The USB hub in front is powered by the Sync Module (APIM). It is a straight two wire run from connector C2383A pin 8+ (YE) and pin 38- (WH) to connector C237 pin 51+ and pin 49-. Then it is YE-BU+ and WH-BU- to the hub connector C3618A pin 1+ and pin 4-.
The front hub has two ports inside of it and one USB-A on the front. The center console USB-A port is run via extension cable. The two rear USB-A ports on the center console are power only, no data. They get power separately from the Sync system.

Fritz

 

[MM07]

That seems the same as my old 16 XLT, which is the same as my 18 Limited, too.

I am wondering if there was pulling out of the USB hub, which would cause it to unplug.

 

[curlywurly]

mm07 - no the center console USB port in the Media panel doesn't work, 0 voltage as well. I have also tried replacing the entire media panel, made no difference.

 

[ExplorerOverland]

I know it’s been a while but this just happened to me as well. Both usb dead. Also the rear 12v is dead. Was working fine the the radio froze and it died. Have you tied the card reader or aux ports yet?

 

[peterk9]

I know it’s been a while but this just happened to me as well. Both usb dead. Also the rear 12v is dead. Was working fine the the radio froze and it died. Have you tied the card reader or aux ports yet?

Did you check fuse #67 in the engine bay panel? It is for the cargo area powerpoint. Are you saying that the radio is also not working? If so, did you check its fuse?

Peter

 

[ExplorerOverland]

Did you check fuse #67 in the engine bay panel? It is for the cargo area powerpoint. Are you saying that the radio is also not working? If so, did you check its fuse?

Peter

Hmm it’s weird. My USB work now. Nothing was done.

 

[peterk9]

What about the rest?

 

[ConnorExplorer]

I know it's been awhile, but the USB ports are still dead, no voltage (I have USB port tester/voltage display device) what so ever. Any other ideas?

Did you ever find a solution for this? I just performed the Sync 2 to Sync 3 upgrade on my 2016 Ford Explorer Sport and the same issue of the new USB module for CarPlay and the one under the arm rest no longer function. The one in the front doesn’t light up indicating it’s not being powered.

 

[peterk9]

Did you ever find a solution for this? I just performed the Sync 2 to Sync 3 upgrade on my 2016 Ford Explorer Sport and the same issue of the new USB module for CarPlay and the one under the arm rest no longer function. The one in the front doesn’t light up indicating it’s not being powered.

Welcome to the Forum.

Peter