Foreward
So since I last did a car related blog post on here, I was adding a trans cooler to my Volvo XC90. Due to it not meeting my needs, and buying a bigger car trailer for the business I decided to upgrade to a 2013 Ford F250, XL trim. This means my truck is about as barebones as it gets. Lots of blank switches, rubber floor vs carpet, etc. Its perfect for my needs around the house and for the business, but in my experience the forums and youtube guides on fixes and upgrades leave a lot to be desired. There is too much fragmentation amongst the different model years, and the truck being made from 1999-2016 means a lot of guides change over time with the chassis. Couple that with the fact that forums exist not only for the different year models, but also by the engine they came with. So with that all being said, here is my definitive guide on how to install an upgraded steering wheel, and add the steering wheel audio controls to a 2011+ Ford F250 / F350.
Prerequisites
Tools you will need:
Windows Laptop
5.5mm Socket
T50 Torx Bit
Basic set of sockets, wrenches, and screwdrivers
Items to Order:
Ford Super Duty Lariat Trim Leather Steering Wheel, PN: DC3Z3600CA
Build Process
To start, we will be replacing the steering wheel. This is a fairly straight forward process so I will not get into the finer details since guides on how to do this are more than plentiful. Removing the steering wheel shroud is required to access the 3 clips holding the airbag on, and this is what we need the 5.5mm socket for. Why Ford used a 5.5mm instead of just a regular Torx bit is beyond me. We can hold off on disconnecting the battery until we have the airbag popped out of its clips since the wheel needs to be turned to access each side.
From here we will remove the center bolt holding the wheel in place. Unlike the Volvos I usually work on, this bolt was in there TIGHT. I used a 1/2in. T50 Torx bit on my impact gun to break it free, even my 3/8 Dewalt couldn’t get it to budge. Keep this in mind for reinstallation.
With everything unclipped and disconnected. we simply reverse the process to add the new steering wheel in. I transfered over my cruise control panel since the new steering wheel came with controls for the Lariat cluster, which has slightly different buttons.
Now with the new wheel and audio controls installed, we need to hop onto our laptop and do some basic programming to get everything to play nicely. There are separate guides on how to get Forscan installed on your PC, but its really as simple as downloading the program, and installing the device driver on your PC. (The unit I linked and used for this comes with very easy to follow install instructions).
Starting with the red highlighted area, we will connect to the vehicle and read all the modules. Then, clicking on the green icon we will go the the module Configuration and Programming page. We need to change some hex codes for 2 modules. The first one will be the SCCM Module (AS BUILT), select the module and click the play button at the bottom. (Highlighted green) You will be taken to the following screen:
Once in the page we will click the Save All button (highlighted in red). This will open a window where we can save the stock configuration of the module. This is just a precaution incase of a flash failure. Make sure to back these up to a cloud service or onto multiple drives.
Next in the blue highlighted area, we will change the hex data to the follwing:
724-03-01:
0505 0006 3F
Once those 3 fields are changed, click the Write button next to it. Once you have done that, save your configuration again using a different name. Then click the STOP button (next to the green highlighted area), to exit out of the SCCM config page.
Our next step now will be opening the ACM Module (AS BUILT)
Before making the changes, make a backup of the stock ACM config using the save SAVE ALL button as used in the previous module steps.
Now lets change the two lines of data in the blue section:
IMPORTANT Authors NoteS:
(Update 1)
8/7/24 - After doing this configuration, I noticed that my radio lights were not working. This was a fault of the code I used which was pulled from a separate guide. To fix this issue, I found a same year model, higher trim of my truck (in this case my truck being a 2013 XL model, and the “found” vehicle being a 2013 XLT) and replaced the two lines with the as built data from that truck. Here is how I did it:
1. Locate a higher trim model of your truck (XLT+, with Sync is prefered, do not use a truck with the bigger screen option). I used AutoTrader for this.
2. Copy and paste the VIN here: https://www.motorcraftservice.com/AsBuilt
3. Scroll down to the ACM Module As Built
4. Copy the first two lines to your trucks ACM config
(Update 2)
8/14/24 - I had an issue with the codes that I used. While at first everything seemed to be working, after turning my radio off one day, my radio starting displaying NO AUX INPUT FOUND. So clearly there is something wrong with the ACM codes I used. Due to this, I compiled a list of ACM codes I have found from various trucks into this spreadsheet. I will be using a new programming cable and testing these various codes to find which one works best for my system. Once I find one set that works best, I will update the ACM codes below:
727-01-01
0400 90BB A625
727-01-02
0031
With these two lines changed, click the WRITE ALL button (highlighted in green), and then make a backup of your modified ACM.
The two modules should now be successfully changed, so lets try out our steering wheel controls!
Conclusion
This retrofit is a must if you have a base model F250 or F350. Even if you want to keep your stock wheel, you can use this guide to add just the new steering wheel controls as the wheels all have the wiring pre-installed for them, and removal of the blank button is as simple as prying it out. I still need to figure out the phone controls on the wheel and with the radio, but its not a top priority for me at the moment. I hope this guide helps, and please feel free to share it amongst truck groups, or leave a recommendation down in the comments on what could be done better or different.