spyder2005

The carpeting is pulled down and the box placed behind a trim panel. Even your MB dealer won't know that you added anything until they start disassembling your car. Unless of course you have a blind monkey with two left hands install it that didn't read the install manual.

cphil19

Will this work on a 2018 with 8.4 Command? Been searching desperately and on the website it says up to 2017.

spyder2005

Just hasn't been updated. Ask their US reseller.
sardincarusa@gmail.com

FastE

the USA fellow was very helpful. Ask him. It worked well for my 2017.

nevrozel

I have just received and installed the latest wireless CarPlay kit from Sardincar.

I have a 2015 w215 with Comand Online 8.4" screen and Burmester sound system and an iPhone X. I did my installation at a car shop, the guy did this before and it only took about 30 minutes or so. He found a really nice place for the kit, super stealthy, BEHIND the Comand unit, inside the dashboard where there is a nice empty space. The other thing he did was to make a smal puncture in the plastic inside the armrest where he could install the wired USB cable from the kit, for charging and wired connection to the phone. He also installed the external microphone that came with the kit in a nice position near the driver's seat, center console.

I still don't have the AUX enabled in Comand because the OBD dongle did not yet arrive. But all audio (except navigations apps for some reason) is routed as before, via Bluetooth audio of the car and iPhone X. I have paired the iPhone X via Bluetooth with the kit, and everytime I turn on the key, wait a 10-15 seconds for the phone to connect to the car and another 5 sec for CarPlay to automatically show up on the screen. Switching between OEM interface and CarPlay interface is done by holding the hang up button on the steering wheel for a few seconds. On the center console the rotative knob, the back button and the * preferences button all work with CarPlay, the latter being used to invoke Siri if you prefer rather than speaking.

The interface is pretty smooth, not 100%, but very nice. The only issue until now is Waze being laggy, I understand from Sardincar US representative that it is known and it's a Waze problem. I will try Google Maps and report back.

I have been watching this space for a year now and it really helped me in my decision of what to buy and from where. So if you have any questions about the kit and installation let me know.

blaferty

Will you post a pic of the microphone installed?
Can the system use the car's microphone?

nevrozel

Right now I am using the OEM microphones of the car for Bluetooth calls and audio output, as I do not have the AUX enabled in Comand, so everything is basically like before in terms of sound output and input, via car's bluetooth. Without the AUX the only issue is that Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps do not know how to route their audio via Bluetooth, so they default to CarPlay's AUX, so no sound from these app right now.

netboy

Someone on this forum just helped me retrofit / installed Mercedes OEM carplay / android auto on 2016 C450 AMG with audio 20.
( to protect his privacy, msg me if you interested in OEM carplay / android. he also sell the OEM carplay / android auto).
After the retrofit / install, everything still work like before, my 360 camera still works, Distronic safety features still work, everything still work.
You also gain access to Mercedes companion app that let you know the tires psi and how many miles left on the gas.
It's much much more expensive than aftermarket carplay / android auto.
But it's kinda expected, you getting OEM stuff and OEM quality, and OEM look (no wire or anything sticking out).
The good thing about carplay / android auto is you dont need to buy new garmin map SD card and live traffic every year,
and i hate entering address manually on garmin map, it painfully slow entering each letter.

UPDATE: i'm not sure about aftermarket carplay/android auto. but on the OEM retrofit carplay/android auto, it also shows navigation direction on instrument cluster. so if you listening to FM radio, the navigation direction still showing on instrument cluster.

dekon

If I understood you correctly, the mic is only needed if you want to use the "Hey Siri" function or is it always required (for calls or talking to siri after clicking the voice comand button)?

nevrozel

If you keep your iPhone connected to your car via Bluetooth (like before) then you never use the external mic, you always use the OEM mic as before, so no changes here. The external mic is used to give commands to Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps directly to CarPlay. I am still waiting for a OBD plug to activate my external AUX so I can switch all inputs/outputs via CarPlay.

Keeping your iPhone connected via MB Bluetooth and using CarPlay is a little confusing for the system and sometimes you cannot take calls when you are in CarPlay. This is why we must also activate the AUX in Command menu so we can have full CarPlay compatibility.

dekon

I am a little concerned about the audio quality when using bluetooth. In a different thread I read, that the Bluetooth-only function uses the iphone's mic, is that correct? This would need you to keep your phone below the screen.

nevrozel

If you connect you phone directly to MB Bluetooth then 100% you use the two OEM mics from the above central console, you never use phone's mic when connected to bluetooth.

dekon

But if you are using the bluetooth connection you need to acceppt calls via iphone, right?

nevrozel

It works even if you accept the calls via steering wheel but if you are in CarPlay at the time, sometimes the call hangs up instead of answering, it's a bug and Comand does not know what to do exactly with the call. So this is why I think all these small errors will be solved after enabling the AUX in Comand menu and then use all inputs/outputs via CarPlay directly. The seller states that we need AUX enabled for the system to work correctly so this is why I am not giving a final verdict on this issue at the moment.

spyder2005

Havent checked this post in a while. To add something productive to the conversation:
I can confirm what nevrozel is saying about the SardinCar Module:

• All of the OEM Mercedes functions in OEM Mercedes interface continue to work through the OEM mic with regular Bluetooth connection of phone to system
• Most of the SardinCar (CarPlay) module functions work with OEM mic
• But some In-app voice commands (like spelling a street in a navigation app) require the external microphone
• The steering wheel pick up/hang up issue is resolved once the AUX media selection is chosen. The system picks up the call through "CarPlay" rather than requiring "MB Bluetooth" to be manually chosen as throughput

For everyone who thinks the extra microphone is a big issue- relax. It's one extra wire to plug in during install and you simply hide the external microphone behind the bottom half of the screen, above the trim. It's completely hidden and works. You can still use the OEM microphones when placing phone calls if you're dead set on that. Just select "MB Bluetooth" on your phone when accepting the call. Kind of like switching to speakerphone (but instead "MB Bluetooth"), if you didn't have hands free Bluetooth to start with. Remember the days when we used to press Speakerphone anytime we took a call in a car before hands-free? Yeah, using the OEM mic in this kit works like that.

My advice to the perfectionist owners reading this post:
If the idea of minor imperfections in an aftermarket product bothers you I suggest pursuing the OEM retrofit kit at 4x the cost instead. That way you have a perfect product for your perfect Mercedes. The product won't work perfect, as many Mercedes owners with OEM Apple CarPlay will tell you, BUT that way you'll get a cookie and a free coffee at the dealership for the inconvenience of a minor imperfection alongside a couple of hundred dollars in labor charges. Consider you'll also get someone who will listen to your 1st world problem sob story. That's also a value added plus!!! Alternatively just buy this kit, especially since the other manufacturer ones are complete rubbish.

dekon

Is it advised to unpair the iphones bluetooth conncetion to the car in order to avoid certain issues? I mean the bluetooth connection to the Comand won't be necessary anyway, correct? The sound is being output by aux and calls are being processed by the carplay system.

spyder2005

Bluetooth stays connected.

Comand 8.4" screen - The AUX (software) media port in the system is used to relay the sound, but the Comand unit still relays sound via Bluetooth. No physical AUX is hooked up
Audio20 - the USB2 port is used and an audio cord is hardwired into the center console USB port with an AUX to USB adapter.

You want to keep your current Bluetooth connection alive as that's your source for anything phone to system when the CarPlay menu is disengaged, i.e. you're in the regular MB interface.

Star4life

if anyone is looking for a module, i have a brand new aftermarket wireless carplay box brand new with warranty. I am selling for $399 shipped. pm me if interested.

also have 1 last wired/wireless apple carplay and wired/wireless android auto for $499 shipped. Yes that is wireless android as well.

pm if interested. I want these gone!

soccermom

My first Mercedes (a 2017 C300) and I didn’t realize the navigation was so poor. My husband said we should have got CarPlay and then I found this post by Stealth.pilot - “Mercedes is only going to offer one upgrade path for CarPlay for COMAND users and that is to buy a 2019 model.” WHAT?

But we contacted Star4life and went with the OEM system he has been able to build out. It’s expensive because of MB part costs, alternatively it looks like some non-OEM owners have bought 2 or more after market kits to find one that works. Now this system is flawless. I wouldn’t let my husband install, so we actually waited a few weeks to have Star4life do the actual install. He was on vacation in my area, so we met at a grocery store parking lot at 11PM and did the install there! It was that quick.

It is flawless. It is a Mercedes now. I didn’t know how much I would enjoy CarPlay. You know you juggle your phone when you don’t have CarPlay, and there really isn’t a good place to mount your phone. Now you just put your phone away and use Siri with CarPlay.

dekon

Did anyone check if iOS13 works fine on these mirrorlink boxes?

mau108

Picked up one of these boxes (sardincar). It's a little wonky with android auto (connection is fine but the controls are annoying without a touch screen). One thing I noticed is it doesn't have night mode? Meaning running google maps at night I got a bright glaring screen. Any way to fix this?

nevrozel

I have the Sardincar wireless box, bought it in July 2019. I had some problems with it before but I upgraded its firmware and upgraded my iPhone 11 Pro to the latest iOS 13.1.2. This is important because 13.1.2 actually specifically solved issues with bluetooth disconnecting from vehicles. Now it's working pretty good, connection seems stable until now. Will do more testing though. The only real problem is with the quality of telephone calls via CarPlay audio out/in, it is really bad, you barely hear the other person and they hear you poorly. But you can always keep the phone calls via Mercedes Bluetooth and use the built in mics which are very good.

FastE

My Sardincar install is a complete flop. I went wired upon advice from seller and it has been very poor. Don’t buy if you want it to work well at all.

nevrozel

How did you manage to connect wired? I tried with my wireless box but it always seem to want to connect via Bluetooth. I could not manage to connect via lighting cable no matter what I did.

FastE

I hear ya. Audio to car is Bluetooth, but you have to be plugged into the box to do anything CarPlay. Microphone is sporadic if it works - and mainly it does not. I tried keeeping my phone out to see if that is where and it doesn't work. Half the time Carplay tries taking the calls, but it doesn't work. I have to use the phone to switch back to MB Bluetooth - which defeats the purpose of carplay!