DIY: Joyeauto Wireless CarPlay for NTG4.5/4.7
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: MN
2013 S212 Sport Package
depends.
I like the factory look, the 10" unit looks tacked on. (for some reason manufactures think we like that, hear me M-B!!)
My wife has Factory Android Auto/Carplay in her car and she doesn't like my system because it's not touch screen, the knob is a bit confusing. If you use it everyday then it's not a big deal.
I like the factory look, the 10" unit looks tacked on. (for some reason manufactures think we like that, hear me M-B!!)
My wife has Factory Android Auto/Carplay in her car and she doesn't like my system because it's not touch screen, the knob is a bit confusing. If you use it everyday then it's not a big deal.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: USA - Minnesota
2014 GL350
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Joined: Mar 2019
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2015 E250 4Matic
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/400131...e8a7372&is_c=N
Unit looks identical to the new units but for far less, ordered one will see if it's for real
Unit looks identical to the new units but for far less, ordered one will see if it's for real
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Joined: Jul 2017
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2012 E550 Cabriolet 2011 VW Eos 1985 Pininfarina Spider
I am still waiting on Joyeauto to tell me what the latest update for the NGT4.5/4.7 unit is. Their website seems to have updates for all car models on one page.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: USA - Minnesota
2014 GL350
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W204 C180 Coupe
I spoke with some of the vendors for the new "next generation" system. I have and AMI/MMI connector in my arm rest on my 2014 W212. The vendors say that for the install that connector has to be used, I presume for sound. That means an install additionally requires disassembling the centre console to run a cable to the arm rest. Did you have to use an AMI/MMI connector? Did you run it to the arm rest? Disassembling the dash makes it a big job; with the console even more so.
Thanks for an amazingly informative thread.
Thanks for an amazingly informative thread.
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Joined: Aug 2020
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W204 C180 Coupe
Hi Ian. I also have a W204 so I'm curious to know if you needed the 3.5mm aux cable to be run into the centre console AMI/MMI port via the adapter or did you find that simply changing the AUX setting in the Engineering menu was sufficient for the sound to work correctly? Thanks.
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Newbie
Joined: Aug 2020
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W204 C180 Coupe
I have recently installed one of the Road Top units in my 2012 Face lift W204. 90% of the time I get in the car with iPhone in my pocket and it loads up without doing anything. The other 10% I have to press the C or back button for 3 seconds then it loads up.
The sight issues I have are 90% of the time it loads in night mode and can not change it to day mode. And when you use the left steering wheel controls it moves the CarPlay menu. Also if you want to use the car radio you lose the sound from CarPlay as it needs to be on aux to get the sound. I use a radio app which is ok as long as you have cellular connection. Hope this helps.
The sight issues I have are 90% of the time it loads in night mode and can not change it to day mode. And when you use the left steering wheel controls it moves the CarPlay menu. Also if you want to use the car radio you lose the sound from CarPlay as it needs to be on aux to get the sound. I use a radio app which is ok as long as you have cellular connection. Hope this helps.
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Joined: Jun 2020
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E550
Hi there. Thanks to all the posters here for such great info. I have a 2014 W204 with the AMI/MMI in the centre console and I'm about to install the new generation Road Top unit which has the 3.5mm jack. I would prefer not to have to run this to the centre console if I can possibly avoid it and wondered if you managed to discover if it really is essential or not? It's so confusing because Cadetdrivr managed to get his working without it. I pulled out my head unit and made the connections without doing the full installation and I had no sound at all from the Road Top interface until I plugged the 3.5mm into centre console (via the included adapter). I enabled AUX in the Engineering menu first but I only ever achieved sound using the centre console. Before I start running the cable to the centre console, I'd really love to know if it's 100% necessary. Many thanks.
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W204 C180 Coupe
Thanks for confirming and thanks also to Cadetdrivr who I realised also confirmed this again a few posts ago. I'm not sure why mine hasn't worked but before I start ripping apart the centre console, I'll persevere with the Engineering Mode trick and maybe try resetting everything after the changes to try to get it to work. At least I now know that it should work that way. Cheers again.
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From: USA - Minnesota
2014 GL350
Thanks for confirming and thanks also to Cadetdrivr who I realised also confirmed this again a few posts ago. I'm not sure why mine hasn't worked but before I start ripping apart the centre console, I'll persevere with the Engineering Mode trick and maybe try resetting everything after the changes to try to get it to work. At least I now know that it should work that way. Cheers again.
Last edited by cadetdrivr; Aug 24, 2020 at 09:17 AM.
Newbie
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C204
Hi all, I replaced my Joyeauto unit (which worked, but not really... Phone calls were a mess, audio jumped, crashes everywhere...) with a RoadTop one, much better! Sadyl phone calls are still not as good as the OEM solution.
I just saw, that the BMW version got an update with OEM BT Call option : https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...postcount=4358
Do you think it is possible to port this over ? I allready asked RoadTop on there Whatsapp chat, sadly they seem a bit "locked up" on further updating the thing (they are ok with fixing, but not adding functionality it seems).
Maybe if we all ask them, they will listen ?
Just to add to the discussion : My sound doesnt work without the MMI Aux plugged in (which is not so bad, as I had to unmount everythig for the roadtop unit and so not much had to be changed...
I just saw, that the BMW version got an update with OEM BT Call option : https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...postcount=4358
Do you think it is possible to port this over ? I allready asked RoadTop on there Whatsapp chat, sadly they seem a bit "locked up" on further updating the thing (they are ok with fixing, but not adding functionality it seems).
Maybe if we all ask them, they will listen ?
Just to add to the discussion : My sound doesnt work without the MMI Aux plugged in (which is not so bad, as I had to unmount everythig for the roadtop unit and so not much had to be changed...
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: USA - Minnesota
2014 GL350
Do you think it is possible to port this over ? I allready asked RoadTop on there Whatsapp chat, sadly they seem a bit "locked up" on further updating the thing (they are ok with fixing, but not adding functionality it seems).
Maybe if we all ask them, they will listen ?.
Maybe if we all ask them, they will listen ?.
Also, it's already possible to use the native MB bluetooth for calls with CarPlay (I don't know about Android Auto) if the phone is also connected to MB bluetooth and you do this:
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post8129703
The downside of the work-around is it tells the phone to try to use a bluetooth headset all the time. It could be an issue if you have another BT headset paired with the phone when not in the car.
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C204
That would be a useful addition.
Also, it's already possible to use the native MB bluetooth for calls with CarPlay (I don't know about Android Auto) if the phone is also connected to MB bluetooth and you do this:
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post8129703
The downside of the work-around is it tells the phone to try to use a bluetooth headset all the time. It could be an issue if you have another BT headset paired with the phone when not in the car.
Also, it's already possible to use the native MB bluetooth for calls with CarPlay (I don't know about Android Auto) if the phone is also connected to MB bluetooth and you do this:
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post8129703
The downside of the work-around is it tells the phone to try to use a bluetooth headset all the time. It could be an issue if you have another BT headset paired with the phone when not in the car.
Problem for me is that there is a smartwatch on my wrist all day and a OBD2 Module for drive logs (because of work), so messing up bluetooth is a bit of a pain...
It would be great to decompile both firmwares / make a custom one (if even possible) but apart from theoretical knowledge, I sadly wouldn't be able to do much...
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W204 C180 Coupe
Thanks - I'll give that a go. I have to work away for the next 6 weeks so it won't be until October that I get to have another go but I'll update here when I do. Thanks for all the incredibly useful information here.
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Joined: Sep 2009
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From: Planet Earth
2011 C63 P31 2015 BMW X5M Schwarz Einhorn w/Bootmod3
IF it's all working properly via MB Comand (SD card, radio, CD, etc) then it's an issue somewhere in the Joyeauto setup. All audio (Comand and Joyeauto) goes through the HU and it's transmitted to the external MB amp via the fiber-optic cables.
A partially fit audio cable could easily explain the issue, especially if its left vs right speakers (the signal is stereo L &R). Unfortunately, if that's the case then I think the first step is to verify that the Joyeauto audio cable is fully seated at both ends.
If the cable is fully seated then it's something else. Examples: bad audio cable, harness wiring problem, or the Joyeauto unit itself.
FWIW, the only email I had for Joyeauto was sales@joyeauto.com and they responded fairly quickly considering the time zone difference.
After I installed mine I also noticed an email for tech support: tec@joyeauto.com.
A partially fit audio cable could easily explain the issue, especially if its left vs right speakers (the signal is stereo L &R). Unfortunately, if that's the case then I think the first step is to verify that the Joyeauto audio cable is fully seated at both ends.
If the cable is fully seated then it's something else. Examples: bad audio cable, harness wiring problem, or the Joyeauto unit itself.
FWIW, the only email I had for Joyeauto was sales@joyeauto.com and they responded fairly quickly considering the time zone difference.
After I installed mine I also noticed an email for tech support: tec@joyeauto.com.
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Joined: Jan 2014
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From: USA - Minnesota
2014 GL350
Anyone try the newest firmware upgrade from 08/12/20? https://www.joyeauto.com/support/upgrade/ Curious about what's improved.
The setup went virtually identical to the behavior of my Road Top unit, and was in all respects much improved. I tried to mess up the connection and reconnect to CarPlay several times and it all worked flawlessly, unlike some the 'quirks' I'd sometimes see with the Joyeauto unit. It will take some more testing and playing around with it, but if the initial impression holds I'd say it's a major improvement to one of the relatively weaker aspects of the Joyeauto unit compared to the newer units.
I'm looking forward to playing with it some more before making any firm conclusions.
(Note that I'm also on iOS 14 Beta.)
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Joined: Jul 2017
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CLA45
Cheers mate. Yep have a CLA 2013 so it will be 4.5
Is there a detailed set of instructions for this newer version via a manual or video that I can pass on to the installer? Any other specific instructions I should let him know about? Should I get him to install the USB to the centre console for better quality I assume?
Is there a detailed set of instructions for this newer version via a manual or video that I can pass on to the installer? Any other specific instructions I should let him know about? Should I get him to install the USB to the centre console for better quality I assume?
https://www.mercedescla.org/threads/...015-cla.40239/
I didn’t run any cables into the arm rest as per cadetdrivr.
Space is a bit more limited for the cable harness in the CLA so just have patience. There is a small void below the head unit which you need to tuck as much of cable into before you can get the head unit back into place.
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 227
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From: Planet Earth
2011 C63 P31 2015 BMW X5M Schwarz Einhorn w/Bootmod3
I just installed it played around with it for a few minutes. As expected, it required me to re-pair my iPhone with the unit and that's where it got interesting.
The setup went virtually identical to the behavior of my Road Top unit, and was in all respects much improved. I tried to mess up the connection and reconnect to CarPlay several times and it all worked flawlessly, unlike some the 'quirks' I'd sometimes see with the Joyeauto unit. It will take some more testing and playing around with it, but if the initial impression holds I'd say it's a major improvement to one of the relatively weaker aspects of the Joyeauto unit compared to the newer units.
I'm looking forward to playing with it some more before making any firm conclusions.
(Note that I'm also on iOS 14 Beta.)
The setup went virtually identical to the behavior of my Road Top unit, and was in all respects much improved. I tried to mess up the connection and reconnect to CarPlay several times and it all worked flawlessly, unlike some the 'quirks' I'd sometimes see with the Joyeauto unit. It will take some more testing and playing around with it, but if the initial impression holds I'd say it's a major improvement to one of the relatively weaker aspects of the Joyeauto unit compared to the newer units.
I'm looking forward to playing with it some more before making any firm conclusions.
(Note that I'm also on iOS 14 Beta.)
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 1
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15 SLK250
[QUOTE=mikymerol;8084996]hello do you think it is possible to connect an amazon firestick to our joyeauto interface to HDMI output? thank you all.[QUOTE]
Assuming it is an active port, it depends on how the Firestick implements DRM. If it ends at the Firestick then it should work fine. One way to check is to connect one of the cheap HDMI-USB video capture cards (on Amazon for ~20) to a computer, fire up OBS (a free OS video capture program that is awesome) and see if it can record video and sound then you should be good to go if the Joyeauto interface supports HDMI.
Assuming it is an active port, it depends on how the Firestick implements DRM. If it ends at the Firestick then it should work fine. One way to check is to connect one of the cheap HDMI-USB video capture cards (on Amazon for ~20) to a computer, fire up OBS (a free OS video capture program that is awesome) and see if it can record video and sound then you should be good to go if the Joyeauto interface supports HDMI.
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Joined: Mar 2019
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2015 E250 4Matic
I returned/exchanged my RoadTop unit today with a replacement sent by Amazon. I just swapped the units and used the same wires from the original order (didn’t want to tear apart the dash since the wiring was identical).
Anyways, my 360 surround issues are now fixed. So far it’s working 100% after I updated to MCU 20.7.16.18 firmware. New unit also shipped with MCU 20.4.30.17 as did my original.
However, the difference is my new unit has CUST Version: v2.1.0.8.lt.m4_2
My old unit with the problems shipped with CUST Version: v2.1.0.6.lt.m2
Both are HW: BENZ2.
So I’m not sure what the cust versions mean but that might have been the issue for me. I still think it was just defective hardware since it sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t.
The old unit also doesn’t turn on when it’s super hot inside the car.. it’s been 100+F several days in a row here in California and it has been consistently starting up with a black screen. After 10 minutes of AC blasting and cabin cooling down, the screen comes back. Or after several restarts by holding down back button.
Anyway, tomorrow is another 105+F weather, I will see if this new unit has any issues with the heat. Also, the user manual has about 6 more pages and new pictures than the old manual.
Anyways, my 360 surround issues are now fixed. So far it’s working 100% after I updated to MCU 20.7.16.18 firmware. New unit also shipped with MCU 20.4.30.17 as did my original.
However, the difference is my new unit has CUST Version: v2.1.0.8.lt.m4_2
My old unit with the problems shipped with CUST Version: v2.1.0.6.lt.m2
Both are HW: BENZ2.
So I’m not sure what the cust versions mean but that might have been the issue for me. I still think it was just defective hardware since it sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t.
The old unit also doesn’t turn on when it’s super hot inside the car.. it’s been 100+F several days in a row here in California and it has been consistently starting up with a black screen. After 10 minutes of AC blasting and cabin cooling down, the screen comes back. Or after several restarts by holding down back button.
Anyway, tomorrow is another 105+F weather, I will see if this new unit has any issues with the heat. Also, the user manual has about 6 more pages and new pictures than the old manual.
My 360 camera runs when I hit reverse, but when I go back to D it will go back to the AA screen, road top not offering new firmware to fix it.
Also in AA Google maps, are you able to move the map around using the controls? I can only zoom in and out
(In carplay that function works)
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 477
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2016 S550
Got a road top unit with MCU MCU 20.7.7.12
My 360 camera runs when I hit reverse, but when I go back to D it will go back to the AA screen, road top not offering new firmware to fix it.
Also in AA Google maps, are you able to move the map around using the controls? I can only zoom in and out
(In carplay that function works)
My 360 camera runs when I hit reverse, but when I go back to D it will go back to the AA screen, road top not offering new firmware to fix it.
Also in AA Google maps, are you able to move the map around using the controls? I can only zoom in and out
(In carplay that function works)
I am able to move the Apple map with the knob’s directional buttons vía CarPlay. I don’t know about Android Auto, since I don’t have an Android phone.
Correct, as of now RoadTop does not have a fix for cars with factory 360 camera when transitioning to D gear. Some other models claim it works for them 100%. I’ve had two RoadTop units and both are the same scenario. Not sure if it’s some setting in my Head Unit that is different or something..
Anyway, high cabin temps still cause a black screen for me for until cabin cools enough.
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Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 49
Likes: 10
From: Budapest
'10 W204 C300
Hi guys! I just woke up this morning thinking: can I get carplay in my w204? Later on surfing the web searching for solutions I’ve found this thread. I have a 2010 model with NTG4, as I understand my best option is the Joyeauto one with the external microphone. Is there any other options I should consider? Thank you!
