matt.jessop

Hi, I am looking for real-life experience with the Road Top Carplay module ( ) please. Anyone who has one of these installed could you please let me know if you are happy with it ?

I have read back through all the threads, there are several around installation but I am looking for medium-long term reviews of day to day usage please.

Thanks all

matt.jessop

*BUMP* anyone ?

ndr

I've had mine in my 2016 W205 (COMAND) since December 2020. Had a local stereo place install the unit after buying it on Amazon since I was too afraid to do it myself.

So far so good. I like that it connects wirelessly so I can keep my phone in my pocket. At times I need to disconnect and reconnect my iPhone via Bluetooth but otherwise it performs solidly and starts/connects automatically when I fire up the engine. It works just like my wife's Apple CarPlay which came standard with her car. Everything connects/works as it should: Google Maps/Waze/Apple Maps, Siri, Apple Music, Calendar, etc. Easy to switch back and forth to the Mercedes COMAND interface: just hold down the star/favorite button. Making and receiving phone calls is easy, too. It's the smartest upgrade I've made to my car and makes it feel much more modern.

matt.jessop

I tool the plunge on this (ordered from AliExpress - took 9 days to arrive in the UK) and installed it yesterday. Takes a while to install, the instructions in the box are not great but there are many videos online to take you through the install. The hardest part is getting all the cables carefully placed back behind the radio. I couldnt fit the box under the radio itself so its currently in the mesh pocket on the passenger side whilst I work out a better location.

anerbe

I will be receiving the road top module later today from Amazon. I already activated aux thru the OBD port after purchasing the blue activator online.

im curious if I can avoid the usb dongle to aux in the center compartment thru the activation. I know other modules do this, but not sure about road top.

I’ll let the group know how it goes. I’ll probably post the activator online in the marketplace soon.

eggsandbacon

So I've had this for around 6 months now, and here's my honest review:

PROS:
1) Navigation with Waze/Google Maps/Maps makes driving so much better
2) Apple interface on your screen
3) Apps work well

CONS:
1) Even when you turn the engine off, carplay is STILL on
>> so when you open the door, your phone will automatically connect to the carplay even when the engine is off (which was annoying for me so I set it so that my phone doesn't automatically connect to the Carplay wifi)
>> i had to disable wifi when I wash my car because I use my headphones and it just automatically connects to carplay and cuts my music out from my headphones

2) When you're connected to carplay, and you start recording with an app on your phone (I used Snapchat), the microphone quality is so bad it sounds worse than Android quality.
3) Sometimes the auxillary battery malfunction error pops up on the dash (it goes away after a while)

FINAL VERDICT:
With all this being said, for day-to-day driving to known places I still use MB Bluetooth since it doesn't glitch out, but when I need the directions on Google Maps/Waze I use Carplay since it's really helpful.

matt.jessop

I agree with you on all these points
One question - where did you put the unit when you installed it ? I could not get it under the radio so ended up with it in the passenger side net thing (temporarily). I am looking to hide it somewhere.

Bigreyrey

For those who have installed the Road Top module, where did you hide the module / box itself? As far as I can tell, there is no way to fit it behind the OEM headhunt, thanks

anerbe

Check my thread on my install of Roadtop:
Roadtop Wireless Carplay Install - Pre-FL W205 - MBWorld.org Forums

If you have COMAND, it's a much larger unit so you cant stack the module under it. Audio20 you can.

There's an area at the floor of the console area, further towards the firewall,past the area the COMAND unit which I put my module in. It looks like a triangle topped opening. You can see the black module in the pic below, with the letters TOG (the toggle switches of the unit). Look at the right metal star torque bolt, and it's right under and behind, past the yellow module.

This pic is with all the wiring connected to the roadtop. I could only get the module in one way with all the harnesses attached. Toggle switches to the right.
Read my instructions - it takes patience to slowly feed in the wires / COMAND back into position, where I was slowly packing the large harnesses on top of the roadtop module as the COMAND was being put in. I was able to fully install the COMAND, bolt it down and have no extra wires showing from behind the COMAND. Good luck.

Kush Desai

You actually can. Take the headunit out fully. You'll see and opening right in the middle, you'll have to insert the module long ways for it to sneak in. Once the module is in the center opening, you can push all the other cables/wire into the opening as well so that your headunit can go back into its position without any issue. It takes some time and patience but you certainly can get the module behind the headunit. I completed mine on friday.

Bigreyrey

Thank you @anerbe and @kush_desai .

With the unit being trapped so tight, are you not concerned at heat not being able to escape from the box?

Kush Desai

There's actually a lot of room for air to circulate. So far I haven't ran into any issues with heating causing the module to run any different. But I certainly will keep and eye out for it.

Bigreyrey

Thank Kush.

For anyone else interested, I actually took a slightly different approach. I removed the glove box and fitted the unit in the cavity to the right of where the command unit sits. You can only access this by removing the glove box. I then fed the wires through the into this cavity. Just about enough space.

Cavity area highlighted in green in the photo attached.



Thanks

matt.jessop

When you say 'Just enough space' - how difficult was it to fit into there ? I think this is a better option than installing under the radio for me.

Bigreyrey

When I say a lot of space, I mean there is more space available than behind the command unit and the module fits in comfortably along with the wifi antenna and some of the excess cabling. The cavity is only visible once either the glove box is out, or the headunit. Below is a borrowed photo (thanks @anerbe), with the arrow pointing to where the cavity is;




I also used the space at the back of the unit (where the foam is) to gently push the larger new interface cable and block connector into. The command unit then fits back in without having to being forced.

I would suggest by using this method, the box has significantly better ventilation as there is more space and the vents on the side of the module are not covered over. You can also access to the module if required at a later date, by removing the glove box, rather than repeatedly taking the dash apart and risking damaging some of the connectors.

You can find videos on YouTube for the glove box removal - . Essentially it involves removing 6 or 7 T20 screws. It’s a little fiddly, but easy enough with a little patience. I did not need to disconnect the connectors on the glove box, the wires all have enough slack so you can gently move the glove box out of the way and access the cavity.

matt.jessop

Awesome thanks. I am definitely going to give that a go. Thanks

Ambidex

I used double sided velcro tape on the back of the module and put it vertical against the back wall, then there is plenty of space when putting everything back.
On a side note I ended up removing it again as it kept switching over to the module interface everytime I went out of reverse.

matt.jessop

Quick update - I did this today, took about an hour all in (took my time) and the unit fits in that gap with loads of space for air circulation.

So thanks Bigreyrey, I really appreciate your help with this

artw1224

I installed the unit yesterday. I have the 7" screen, so it fit easily under the head unit. The hardware took me about 35 minutes to install. I did however have an issue getting the Car Play screen to come up. I tried everything I could think of. All functions worked perfectly, so I knew it was not anything to do with the install. I sent Road Top an email last night about the issue. They suggested that I remove the original blue tooth connection to the car, and also the new Car Play connection. Then reset the Blue Tooth settings on the unit and reconnect. It worked...... I have attached what they sent to me.

artw1224

Anyone know if the Road Top unit uses the radio settings, or overrides them? I know in the settings window you can choose an equalizer adjustment, but in the Mercedes menus you can select the balance and surround settings. I wonder if they are active after installing the unit???

Ambidex

​​​​​​​
As far as I know the roadtop only intercepts the picture coming from the original system and replaces it with it's own interface. Audio has to be sent to the original system via AUX.
Any equalizer adjustments done on the unit will be applied before it reaches the original system, which then still does it's own processing.

artw1224

I asked Road Top, and they said that Car Play does not use any of the OEM functions. Its a pass through, but controlled by Car Play. That means you loose fade/balance, and surround when playing music through the Car Play system using one of the apps like SXM. The Car Play does have equalizer settings to choose which helps, but in my case the fade is a big issue. Too much volume to the front speakers which is easily corrected on the OEM side, but lost when using Car Play. The surround is also something that I like. So, in my case I will be playing my Sirius from the OEM side, and then starting the Car Play for navigation with NO sound. It works if you dont need the verbal directions. I suggested that they consider this as a potential software update. All we can do is hope.

DeeGee123

Just installed mine today (myself) and it seems really easy to use. My only issue is I get no sound when in android auto mode. I'll be reaching out to customer service tomorrow.

jamesnajera

so are you saying that Road Top / CarPlay continues to drain the battery when the car is turned off?

jamesnajera

Does it really drain the battery when the car is off? Did you reach out to Road Top about this?