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Hello,
New owner here. 2018 C63S... Anyone know if there is a way to activate the Android Auto feature of the factory infotainment unit without adding an aftermarket module? I'm fine with having to plug the phone in to USB to use Android Auto. I ran my VIN through one of the online decoders and it says my car has the "17U Android Auto Integration", but when I plug in my phone nothing happens.
Do you have COMAND (Multimedia package) or Audio 20? MY18 only supported Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with Audio 20 and the Smartphone integration package. The Multimedia package and the Smartphone integration package were mutually exclusive.
How do I tell the difference between COMAND and Audio 20? Is there an information screen that will tell me? All I can tell you is that it has the small screen and I think it's NTG5?
How do I tell the difference between COMAND and Audio 20? Is there an information screen that will tell me? All I can tell you is that it has the small screen and I think it's NTG5?
Small screen sounds like Audio 20, but the easiest way is the controller in the center console. If you have the touch controller shown below then it's COMAND, otherwise Audio 20.
Yes I have Audio 20 then... Mine doesn't have the mouse looking top over the dial. So is there a way for me to activate Android Auto / Car Play? I've been googling and it seems like I need the blue programmer thing that plugs into the OBD. However, the ones that I have found say they aren't compatible with my model year. I was hoping there was a way to access the "secret" menus of the infotainment to turn that feature on. Really just trying to avoid a trip to the dealership.
In that case there should be nothing to activate. It looks like your car has Android Auto/Apply CarPlay. I assume you also have option "14U Smartphone Integration" since you have 17U. Have you connected the phone to the correct USB port? There's usually only one port that works for the smartphone integration. The other ports are for charging only. The one that works should have a mobile phone icon or similar above it. In my 2019 the port is in front of the cupholders next to the wireless charger. The ones in the armrest etc. are only for charging.
Last edited by superswiss; Jan 31, 2024 at 02:04 PM.
Yes, the VIN decoder I used says I have the "14U smartphone integration" also. I have tried both USB ports, and I have tried different cables, to include a factory Samsung USB cable (my phone is a Samsung S23). I called a dealership today and asked them if my car had the smartphone integration option, and they looked up my VIN and said it only shows the Apple Carplay (16U) option, but the 17U line was blank. I think it would be strange to have one and not the other. Unfortunately I don't have an iPhone to try, but I'll find one from a friend or neighbor.
This is the tool that a lot of Googling has pointed me to... but it doesn't show to be compatible with my car, and for the price I am willing to try it, but I don't want to brick something either... My car does fall within the production dates (10/2017) of the other models that are listed, even though it's officially a 2018MY.
Yeah, the options below make up the Smartphone integration. If they are there, then nothing has to be activated. They should be activated already. The below snippet is from my 2019. I would not be surprised if Android Auto wasn't fully implemented in the 2018 models, so it's worth a shot to see if CarPlay works. If it does, then it's likely that Android Auto isn't fully implemented and there's probably nothing you can do about it. It's interesting that the Android Auto line is blank when your dealership pulled it up, but that might confirm what I'm saying.
So I found a little more information. The blue colored programmer for the NTG5S1 systems will not work on W205 / C-Class vehicles with Audio 20 built after 09/2017 (mine was built in 10/17). You need the black colored programmer for NTG5ES2, Audio 20 system,
and the car needs the "SA154" datacard code which it shows my car has on two different VIN decoder websites..
in addition to the 14U, 16U, and 17U codes for Smartphone integration and Apple Carplay and Android Auto, which, despite the dealer saying they don't see it, two different VIN decoders did show it..
I went ahead and ordered one of the programmers and when I get it I will post the results.
I do find it very strange that these wouldn't be activated from Mercedes.
So I got the dongle thing and plugged it in to the OBD. It went through the motions and at the end displayed a message "Success Car Play Activated" but no Android Auto... And as luck would have it... My Android phone would not connect with the car via USB cable (Bluetooth works fine). So maybe my local dealership was right?
What is strange is I contacted a business in the UK called MAK Coding and they also told me it can be activated (remotely) but wanted to know if I had and "Mercedes tools", presumably OBD connection stuff and diagnostic software, which I do not. I'm not giving up yet. Just have to find the answer or get someone on this forum who knows.
BTW, I would sell my dongle thing if anybody wants it... Appears to activate apple CarPlay just fine.
Just a little update for everyone. I've now delved into the world of coding and enlisted the help of BenzNinja. He spent several hours attempting to code my head unit for Android Auto but so far hasn't been able to get it working. We have another session scheduled soon to try again. BenzNinja also felt my car was equipped with the right hardware and that it was just a matter of installing the correct software. I know that for the price of the BenzNinja I could have just bought a wireless Android Auto kit, or installed an Android based head unit... But I felt it was worth it for the ability to forever diagnose my vehicle, have all the WIS and EPC manuals as well as the Starfinder feature to find modules and wiring diagrams. On another side note BenzNinja did activate my ILS+ headlights, which are amazing... And changed the "bump" feature of the turn signals from 3 flashes to 5 flashes. I hope to report back soon on success.
Finally got Android Auto working! BenzNinja lived up to his motto of "achieving the impossible". Turns out the dongle thing might have changed some firmware, so BenzNinja performed a clean / fresh install of the head unit software and that did the trick! He also provided a video from YouTube (which I hadn't found previously) showing that the menu for Android Auto is actually in the Telephone menu and not in the Media menu like you'd expect, and like some other YouTube videos have shown.
Loving the fact that I now have the latest Google Maps available with live traffic data and satellite imagery, not to mention "Hey Google" voice access to apps, searches, messages, phone, etc.
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