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I got my unit last Friday (from CKM) and installed it on the weekend. After searching for a possible software update I stumbled across this forum and this thread only to find out, that I seem to have a newer firmware than was made available here. E. g. the HMI is Benz.2F01_010.2019.03.19.08.30
If someone tells me how to extract it from the device, I'd be happy to share it.
The device works quite well, but I have an issue, that I couldn't find any information on - but 50 pages are a lot, maybe I overlooked it:
There is a fader, that allows me to change the volume from front to back, but it doesn't work correctly. It seems there is no sound in the back at all and if I move the fader to the front, it actually decreases the volume on the front speakers. Is that a known issue? Is there a solution for that?
Update 2019-04-10: I played with the Comand fader and the screen fader a little more. It looks like the screen fader only "works" between center and back and basically influences the volume on _all_ speakers according to the Comand setting. Or to put it differently: If I set up front/back ratio in Comand, the screen uses the same and it can't be changed in the screen's settings. Since I don't change that frequently I can accept this "flaw".
Other than that I also dislike the screen layout for Google Maps if run on the device, but that seems to be a general Android problem.
the issue is that the screen only has a stereo audio out as in left and right channel audio. Therefore you connect the screen audio out to the aux I put of the Mercedes. The Mercedes amp now sees this stereo input and can send it to the four speakers via the command system. The screen is simply a source device for the command. The fader on the dsp function of the screen will only work if you use the pre outs of the screen ( which most don’t have)
It is actually not that cramped in there. Tons of room behind OEM screen and there is room under the COMAND head unit. You just have to have your hand back there while sliding it back in and it may take a few attempts. Good luck! Adding pictures to original post...
Hey man so I finally got screen installed. Looks really good perfect fitment! Only downside is I cannot get aux to work. I'm gonna try your engineering suggestion in am cause I'm just sick of messing with it for the night lol. I am using android phone and have question. Do I Bluetooth from phone to car just like before? Or Bluetooth from android screen to car? The introduction of a third device has me totally discombobulated lmao
For anyone who's interested, at last I got an autostart app to work so the system opens android auto and dimly automatically on startup.
It's called "autostart and stay" from play store, seems to work much better than anything I've tried so far. Dimly is a great app but I hate having to start manually at night with the screen glaring at me. The factory dimmer doesn't seem to go low enough.
anyone know of a wireless Carplay adapter that works with the 2nd or 3rd gen 10.25" screens? I have gotten a the new iphone mini that finally supports wireless carplay and I want to use it with the magnet base rather than plugging it in all the time, which means I now need a wireless solution to CarPlay rather than USB
Hello all. I thought I would add my thoughts on my debacle of a head unit install. I am not a novice to these installs having done BMW, Porsche, and Ford F-150 before so figured no problem (hahaha). I bought a MEKEDE 10.25 direct from Alibaba (mistake one). I went for this model primarily because it had wireless CarPlay built in (Android 10 - I guess) and had not gone through the 60 pages of this thread before. So box arrives in about a week (could not believe how quick) so off to a good start. Then I open and zero instructions. As a backdrop I have a 2010 w212 E550 with NGT 4.0. There is no AUX port in the car. I will hit the highlights of what I ran into over the course of a few days to get this to work and a big thank you to all of you who shared your tips here an in other forums. I would never have gotten this to work without you:
1. Zero support from Manufacturer. They do answer WhatsApp and AliExpress messages but the only information I got were product page links with embedded install steps that skip everything from pulling the COMAND unit to putting it all back together. These pictures have inconsistent wiring harness pictures even for the same version of NGT
2. You MUST take the fiber optic plug from the OEM (big square) harness and move it to the supplied harness that comes with the head unit that will now connect into your COMAND module. Failed to do this and lost all sound and my Sat Radio. Throws a bunch of error code in Engineering Menus (open ring, open speaker, etc.).
3. You have to figure out what setting to get the resolution for the OEM screen right and to get to it I had to get a “factory” code for the radio from MEKEDE. I was able to get this from them over WhatsApp. In my case it was 1314.
4. Since I have no Audio AUX you have to get into the engineering menu and trick the car into thinking it has it. This is how the Wireless CarPlay works (harness has a black box with male and female AUX connected). To do this (info from UK MB Owners Forum):
Enter engineering menu ('Hang-up'+1+Hash/pound) In HU parameter you will see greyed out Audio AUX option Go up a menu then select TGW parameters Turn off MOST Key off 5 seconds Key on Enter engineering menu ('Hang-up'+1+Hash/pound) again Select TGW parameters Turn on MOST Key off and done.
In my case I had to go back into TGW parameters and turn external amp on (I have HK system) and also had to re-enable SAT Radio. After reset everything works perfectly.
5. You are going to have two harness connections to your OEM screen. One with the metal L goes into CANBUS box; the other one is no longer used.
I did not install the cheap speaker or mic that I think are needed for Android phones. I also didn’t bother routing USBs into glove box (I may go back at some point and do that one).
Thanks again to everyone for making this site a great resource!!
NTG 4.0 system; this can be configured to stretch and use the entire screen but I didn't care for the odd resolution. Haven't done any research yet to see if you can use the extra space on the right. Pressing NTG Menu from main screen takes you to OEM COMAND system. Android Apps screen view Wireless Apple CarPlay!!
I lost my sat radio as well, and have the HK system "TGW parameters and turn external amp on (I have HK system) and also had to re-enable SAT Radio". Did you find both of those options in the TGW parmeters to get it fixed, or did Sat radio just come back on its own?
I also could not connect to bluetooth on the unit, unplugging the battery on the car for the night, seeing if it will fix both issues.
Both were in TGW parameters (HK amp and SAT radio). You probably need to have your phone forget the MB Bluetooth to connect to the Android unit.
That helped a ton on the sat radio and the amp. It’s so hit or miss on the Bluetooth I can’t figure it out (I’ll attach a photo) it’s like it’s empty. I’ll have to play with it.
On a more fun note, getting those large plugs landed and the radio back was less than fun. My hands are all scraped up, must have took me a 100 tries. Good times.
That helped a ton on the sat radio and the amp. It’s so hit or miss on the Bluetooth I can’t figure it out (I’ll attach a photo) it’s like it’s empty. I’ll have to play with it.
On a more fun note, getting those large plugs landed and the radio back was less than fun. My hands are all scraped up, must have took me a 100 tries. Good times.
Would recommend not pairing your phone to use the BT Phone with the Android side of the unit. The call quality is abysmal because it uses the shi**y mic on the Android screen versus the noise cancelling MB tech.
Would recommend not pairing your phone to use the BT Phone with the Android side of the unit. The call quality is abysmal because it uses the shi**y mic on the Android screen versus the noise cancelling MB tech.
My unit has CarPlay on it. But it says I have to connect to BT (I think). I’d like to use the CarPlay or at least see how good it works. It’s the last feature left I can’t get to work
My unit has CarPlay on it. But it says I have to connect to BT (I think). I’d like to use the CarPlay or at least see how good it works. It’s the last feature left I can’t get to work
previous comment stands. If you want to swap years of german audio engineering for the POS cheap as they come Chinese circuitry to have a half functioning phone connection only coming thru the driver speaker and relying on a non-noise canceling mic in the android unit, for the sake of being able to use carplay, then by all means. Be my guest.
previous comment stands. If you want to swap years of german audio engineering for the POS cheap as they come Chinese circuitry to have a half functioning phone connection only coming thru the driver speaker and relying on a non-noise canceling mic in the android unit, for the sake of being able to use carplay, then by all means. Be my guest.
lol. I’ll stick with the stock Bluetooth and use the android auto. Thanks for all the help and thoughts.
I agree the BT on the unit sucks and I have mine set to use the MB BT. After trying the wireless CarPlay for a while I also got frustrated with that the data did not seem to work since you were connecting both wireless network to the HU and Bluetooth. If you had a data SIM card in the HU I guess everything would be good, but not doing that. Anyway I bought a $50 CarPlay dongle on Amazon and ran the USB inputs from the HU into the passenger footwell and they sit in the netting. Stuck the dongle in the net with everything else and use it with Autokit. Wired CarPlay works great with MB BT.
On the BT issue make sure the HU has BT on in the Android settings and the obvious one is that your phone BT is on. My guess is the former is/was your issue.
Last edited by bulldogge01; 12-07-2020 at 08:56 AM.
I agree the BT on the unit sucks and I have mine set to use the MB BT. After trying the wireless CarPlay for a while I also got frustrated with that the data did not seem to work since you were connecting both wireless network to the HU and Bluetooth. If you had a data SIM card in the HU I guess everything would be good, but not doing that. Anyway I bought a $50 CarPlay dongle on Amazon and ran the USB inputs from the HU into the passenger footwell and they sit in the netting. Stuck the dongle in the net with everything else and use it with Autokit. Wired CarPlay works great with MB BT.
On the BT issue make sure the HU has BT on in the Android settings and the obvious one is that your phone BT is on. My guess is the former is/was your issue.
I will check that on my car when it gets a few degrees warmer outside, thanks! Also with both of you with your advice on ditching the CarPlay on the unit itself, I will look at Amazon for a usb unit, as you suggested.
I forgot to put the GPS receiver in the unit, so I have to take the glovebox off again anyway (ugh), so I will run the second usb cable at the same time, so I can have flashdrive and Carplay at the same time.
Any brands on the CarPlay USB to stay away from or get in your opinion?
I just made sure that the dongle I bought said it was compatible with Android 10. I think it is the same one as Carlinkit but was from another seller. The GPS antenna sucks and mine will not get a position lock. I have been meaning to take mine apart again and get a splitter to use the Benz GPS antenna, but haven’t researched what one I need for NTG 4.0. If anyone know if there is one that will work with 4.0 would love the help.
I just made sure that the dongle I bought said it was compatible with Android 10. I think it is the same one as Carlinkit but was from another seller. The GPS antenna sucks and mine will not get a position lock. I have been meaning to take mine apart again and get a splitter to use the Benz GPS antenna, but haven’t researched what one I need for NTG 4.0. If anyone know if there is one that will work with 4.0 would love the help.
I wondered why so many people were referencing gps splitters, yikes, I get lucky on that one.
previous comment stands. If you want to swap years of german audio engineering for the POS cheap as they come Chinese circuitry to have a half functioning phone connection only coming thru the driver speaker and relying on a non-noise canceling mic in the android unit, for the sake of being able to use carplay, then by all means. Be my guest.
So it is easily settled, use the OEM bluetooth for the phone, but I would like to use the Torque app, along with a bluetooth OBD2 reader. Can that be done? If bluetooth is turned to OEM, I am not sure how to do that.
So it is easily settled, use the OEM bluetooth for the phone, but I would like to use the Torque app, along with a bluetooth OBD2 reader. Can that be done? If bluetooth is turned to OEM, I am not sure how to do that.
Pair phone with COMAND. Pair Android unit with Torque BT dongle. You're going to need some addt'l software as the Android units only like pairing with phones, not BT devices. Going to have to search the forums -- it's been discussed here, but I don't do it.
Hi guys and girls, I need help, I managed to install one of these head units with carplay builtin.
1. how to get the carplay to pair with iPhone 7?
2. how to stream music from the phone to the head unit?
there was no installation/user manual so any help will be very much appreciated. thanks.
You need to pair your phone with the android head unit via Bluetooth. Then you will be able to use the android Bluetooth system for phone calls. Remember to unpair from the Mercedes Bluetooth.
you will also be able to steam music to the android player but you must activate the AUX on the MB as the android is an external source and connects to the car via the audio AUX cable.
the apple car play is a separate functionality to above. You need to activate the apple CarPlay by with connecting your phone physically via usb to the android hEad unit. It will then auto detect. If you have wireless CarPlay then you will need to activate this via an auto connect app.
Hello, i installed N400 MTK 1920*720 10.25" on cls63 2012 with ntg4.5, i have big issue that the control knob is not working, everything else is working good, i have change all configurations between A/B harness without success, i checked all connections for loose wires but all looks fine, this is canbus issue, there is 4 canbus wires, 2 of them working fine and the the 2 others which are cables A and B when connecting to the screen the knob stop working, i have search everywhere but could not found anyone with this issue, can someone help? anyone has the wiring diagram of the harness in the rear of the android screen?
solved .
Last edited by Robert AMG; 01-03-2021 at 02:05 PM.
I am using zlink for the wireless carplay but always in portrait mode, is there any way to have the above pic? in a landscape format with all the apps and the lot. Ican only operate the carplay from the phone. is there a way I can operate it from steering wheel or fron controller?
Hi guys, i am a w176 owner, sorry for jumping into this thread but it seems there is plenty of know how here on this unit. I have installed the N600 10.25 HU on my car and everything works fine. Just a bizarre behaviour, everytime the unit is turned on, its wifi is set to off. This is annoying because I've set a bixby routine on my Samsung phone so thay everytime my phone is connected to MB BT, it turns tethering on and the HU picks up data. Now i always have to go android settings first on the HU and switch on the wifi. Is anyone else having the same issue? I looked in all possible settings including factory ones but couldn't find what might be causing this.
One more question, i read that connecting the phone to the android BT is a bad idea due to poor mic so i guess my current setup of having my phone connected on both the COMMAND and the HU is a bad idea? Wouldn't i lose some functionality by not having the pool phone connected to the HU?
10-26-2020, 12:46 PM
