I had to go through a very hectic shipment and customer process while importing the required parts.
BHPian jhenu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Hello Everyone,
Happy to create another post which I feel is a vast one covering multiple topics, As I had given a glimpse previously about the potential modifications that I will do with the Ford Ecosport >2017 model, here are the details of how they are integrated, the parts associated and how it performs in the real world.
It’s very important to note that it’s a fully functional and advanced level of modification and it all uses Ford genuine parts which use stock software configuration values specifically to Ecosport parameters, whichever is available.
You see ADAS features are still not available in many sub-4 m or mid segment or even some higher segment vehicles. Even the number of parking sensors is being reduced to cut costs by OEMs. Features such as Lane keep assist and ACC never existed in the Ecosport. So I carried them over from the Fiesta/Puma and correctly configured them for my Ecosport to make them properly functional.
I had to go through a very hectic shipment and customer process while importing the required parts. In some cases, I had to bring more than one part to study the compatibility. Also, some parts are heavy and big which makes the shipping process itself challenging and again clearing customs also became a challenge. The main issue during shipment was the damage. It happened many times and I had to either fix it or go for a replacement.
My vehicle:
Digital dashboard:
So, here is the list of features that I have successfully integrated into the Ford Ecosport Facelift model:
- ADAS
- Blind Spot system
- 12-channel parking sensors
- B&O audio system
- Storm grille
- Export model rear bumper
- Type-C USB hub
- Direct charger in place of cigar charger
Old modifications:
- Full digital cluster
- Flat-bottom steering wheel from focus and more
Overall parts:
ADAS:
Basically, the Ecosport has ADAS, but I think it is only limited to emergency braking. It uses the bracket from the Puma and Fiesta. So, I decided to equip it with fully functional ADAS as the other vehicles have it. The below features are covered as of now:
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Forward Collision Warning
- Adaptive Cruise control (ACC)
- Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning(LDW), and Lane Centering*
- Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)
- Automatic High Beam (AHB)
Parts required to be changed or added:
Front camera, front camera bracket, windshield masking:
Fitted:
Masked windshield:
Windshield primer masking with urethane adhesive and repositioned rain sensor:
Front-facing Radar and Bracket – This is how the front radar is fitted inside the grille. It’s aligned using a digital level meter and calibrated with the help of software tools:
ABS module:
The abovementioned parts are predominantly required to achieve Emergency Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control. As in the above pic, the native ABS module is not compatible, so I switched to the platform siblings’ – Fiesta / Puma ABS module with the correct vehicle profile configured for the Ecosport. It worked absolutely fine for features such as ABS and Hill Assist and braking. The brake bleeding was done and all Yaw rate sensor was calibrated.
Steering column replacement:
The native Ecosport Steering column does not support the lane keep assist and auto park features and generally the steering columns across Ford vehicle are similar and software configurable. Only in the Ecosport is the mount specifically made. Otherwise, it can support the complete steering system of Ecosport. Another important thing is to program the steering lock. It requires Ford’s tool to program it. So, I had to purchase and program it.
The main challenge was to make the steering mount. I studied different columns and with the right level of modifications, maximum reuse and testing I would be able to fit the latest Focus steering column which had LKA, LCS, Auto park and Haptic feedback capabilities. Below are some pictures.
Testing the column for compatibility:
After installing:
Me making the mount:
Above all, it requires all the software, hardware calibration configurations for India and parameter settings to match the correct vehicle profile. I drove 4,000+ km across different conditions to test the fit.
Some more pics – AEB distance warning:
Blind Spot system:
Features added:
- Lane Change Assist
- Cross Traffic Alert
Blind spot system is basically a carryover from the export models. So the parts are already available for this vehicle. My job was to integrate them into the vehicle. The challenge was the bumper. As the Indian version does not have enough space to accommodate the rear corner radars, I had to modify the bumpers to complete the fit. Later, I got a chance to import the exact bumper used in the export version.
The complexity did not end there because the brackets mounting the bumper and side fender lip are different as the bumper has more depth. I also imported those parts and competed the proper fit. Additionally, I required the BLIS mirrors and the wiring plus the software configurations for the vehicle specific to Indian market. Check out some pics below:
12-Channel parking sensors, flank guard, and Auto park:
Basically, 12-channel parking sensors uses 12 ultrasonic parking sensors – 6 in the front and 6 in the rear. The existing module doesn’t support 12-channel and Auto park configurations. So it requires to be upgraded to an Auto park module and I did the same. Additionally, it requires a harness which runs from the front and rear up to the parking module.
The challenging part is to find the brackets for the parking and side sensors. The side sensors operate at different decibels, so one has to find the correct one. It requires the correct sensor positioning to avoid false signalling and echoing from other sensors. Currently, I am doing the calibration for auto parking for accurate parking.
Some pics – Parking sensor screen with flank guard:
Auto park screen in Sync 3:
Front bumper with parking sensors:
Rear bumper with side sensor:
Bang & Olufsen audio with Beosonic enhancement:
Here’s another mod related to the audio – the well-known B&O audio. In fact, this system is available in many Ford models including the Ecosport. So, I wanted to have a good but integrated stock audio system with wonderful sound quality. I never looked for an aftermarket system due to my concern related to vehicle integration and fit-and-finish. As I had work experience in Ford audio projects, I knew I could estimate how the sound quality would be. Thus, I fitted the complete system including the Beosonic enhancements. The challenge is the size of the parts and availability.
Some pics:
AMP position:
Door speakers:
Sub woofer position:
B&O screen:
Pillar tweeter:
Drive mode enhancements:
I have developed my own OBD device to enable the drive mode screens for the full digital cluster. It’s a plug-and-play device which easily enables the screens. They are non-functional but work exactly like the original Ford design. Obviously, it requires the full digital cluster and the ST line steering wheel with drive mode buttons.
Type-C USB port replacement:
Another change is adding the Type-C USB port in place of the two Type-A ports that came as stock:
I have covered all the above enhancements on ADAS in the this video. I will share separate videos covering BLIS, parking sensors, and B&O audio reviews. I will be adding more videos and images covering the remaining enhancements. I couldn’t post very low-level details as I am the only one installing everything, Thank you for reading the topics.
Check out BHPian comments fore more insights and information
