S550e

This is a DIY Installation thread that covers how to install wireless Apple CarPlay for Comand unit NTG4.0 in most Mercedes-Benz models from 2009-2011. This thread is based and inspired off of @cadetdrivr 's amazing install thread for NTG4.5/4.7 found here.

The device I used is a Kremersino Wireless CarPlay box that merges the videos cables of the factory Comand unit and allows for a plug and play install, no splicing or cutting what so ever. The install is very clean and looks factory (retains factory resolution), you can switch easily between the CarPlay screen* and the factory Comand navigation screen.
*(As I keep referring to this unit as a CarPlay device, please note that it also supports Android Auto. I am all Apple products so I will refer to the screen as the CarPlay unit. Please also note that I have not tested Android Auto on my NTG4.0 unit.)*

I am not going to cover how to install the unit in-depth as @cadetdrivr has already made clear instructions on how to get started on the W212 interior found here. There are some differences, as his car is a W212R 2014+, and I will cover those differences here.

I am not much of a DIYer or a mechanic but I found this job to be somewhat easy with some help from a friend.

Job time - 3 to 4 hours
Experience level - none prior
Tools needed - Big towel, plastic pry bars, electrical tape, and TORX T20

(UPDATE 9/14/20 - NO NEED FOR MMI TO AUX) You WILL need the Mercedes

MMI to Female AUX cable in the glovebox

MMI to Female AUX cable in the glovebox

. If you have the

MMI to Male cable

MMI to Male cable

, like I did, you will also need a

3.5mm female to female adapter

3.5mm female to female adapter

for the sound to work. I searched everywhere and found mine at Guitar Center same day emergency. You can pick them up

on Amazon

on Amazon

as well.

Unit purchased - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001049263624.html (Must select NTG4.0 option before adding to cart)
My vehicle - 2010 W212 E350 with NTG4.0, Harman Kardon, and glovebox audio AUX (Mercedes Media Interface Cable)

Please make sure to identify what NTG unit you have before purchasing your CarPlay unit. Contact Kremersino if needed. WhatsApp +86 134 2516 3678 or Ali Express chat

This is what comes in the package:


Everything you will need to get CarPlay working in your Mercedes. (Source: @reject )

REMOVAL:
First, you will need to remove the center air vent strip, passenger footwell trim, and glovebox. Refer to this video when removing those items:

Some owners stated it was hard to find the last screws for the glovebox, You will need to pry off the side panel to the right of the glovebox (LHD USA) with the plastic pry bar. The glovebox is still fixed in place with all screws removed, so remember that for the reinstall, the glovebox should not move or be unstable even with all screws removed.

I could not figure out how to fully remove the MMI cable from the glovebox, so I left my glovebox in the passenger footwell. There is plenty of slack for the thick MMI cable to rest and the glovebox sat fine on the passenger floor. Feel free to disconnect the MMI cable if you know how to or leave it and do what I did. This is one of the differences from the W212R removal process.

Remove the two screws on the top of the Comand unit. You'll want to remove everything from the cup holders and close the lid. Place a big towel over the AC controls, Comand scroll wheel, Cup holders, and any other lower center trims. This is to protect your car while the Comand unit is pulled out.

INSTALLATION:
Follow this install video from Kremersino on how to install the CarPlay unit box and wires to the back of the Comand unit.

Make sure to transfer the orange Fiber-Optic cable to the new power harness, this is for your sound. It is very special (handle with care). 10 year old plus wires.
Plug everything in and test to see if the unit works before reinstalling. Make sure sound, controls, and all features work on both the factory Comand screen and the CarPlay screen.

IMPORTANT: LVDS CABLE
MAKE SURE THE LVDS CABLE GOES IN THE RIGHT WAY. There is an indent, or small marking that shows and that should be facing up. Do not install upside down. It will be a pain to remove from Comand unit. I have included a picture here to show which way it should be plugged in. There is this marking in the middle on one side only, you can't miss it.


See the little hump that the blue arrow is pointing to? Make sure that side is facing up. Plug in and it should be snug. (Source: Kremersino Install video)

RE INSTALLATION:

Run all of the cables to right side where you removed the glovebox. Unfortunately, our gloveboxes do not have a removable opening like the W212R gloveboxes (I checked and could not find anything. YMMV). So, I was unable to store the CarPlay unit on the top tray of my glovebox like @cadetdrivr . We will get back to this later.

Tuck all of the extra wires and cables behind the AC control unit. There is plenty of room for the big power harness and the small LVDS box. Slide the Comand unit back into place until it is flush. This may take a couple of tries before it become flush. Slide the Comand unit in and out unit it is flush.

Reinstall the glovebox and make sure all of the wires you pulled over are clear of the glovebox's path and it is set to the bottom corner (in between the bottom footwell trim (removed right now) and the glovebox. Near the OFF button on the AC controls.

At this point, your Comand unit should be reinstalled, the glovebox reinstalled, and the upper air vent long strip. Almost done.

(UPDATE 9/14/20 - NO NEED FOR MMI TO AUX) Run the Aux cable from the wires at the bottom to inside of the glovebox, very easy. This is how you will get your sound. Using the MMI cable in the glovebox. You will need the if your MMI to aux is male.


This is my 3.5mm female to female. Found at Guitar Center the same day as the install. In glovebox.


Reinstall the bottom footwell trim (three screws). Leave the CarPlay unit resting on top of the trim (on the insulation). Make sure the wifi antenna, and all other connections are plugged in. It is going to be harder to get the three screws in with the box sitting on top, but you can do it! This is a great way to store the box for the people who don't have access to put the unit in the glovebox. It can be easily acessed with only three torx 20 screws.

The unit will be good here. You can also turn on head and footwell airflow to blow some more cold air in that area near the unit but, it hasn't been an issue for me yet. (Some other owners were having overheating issues).

Run the USB cable to wherever you would like (get creative). You can drill into the ash try and hide it there, route it to the glovebox, or simply let it poke out of the footwell. Regardless, the cable needs to be easily accessible (for updating the unit, charging, and wired CarPlay / Android).





It should look something like this.

FINISHED:
Everything should be working now. Take a drink, pat yourself on the back, and make sure everything is working one last time.




It should look like this! YAY

If you are not getting sound through CarPlay, go back into the Comand screen and make sure you have selected AUX.

If you are still not getting sound, make sure you have activated AUX in engineering mode. Here is a video on how to do it. Your AUX may be already activated, everyone's will be different.

(UPDATE 10/14/20 - RE-ENABLE SDARS AND EXTERNAL AMP IN TGW PARAMETER MOST SETTINGS) Make sure to re-enable SDARS and External amp in the TGW Paramter MOST settings. This will ensure the sound is going to the speakers as well as your SAT radio and live traffic updates for the regular Comand unit screens.


MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS:
This is a great unit. It really updates my 10 year old Mercedes. This is a great and cheaper alternative to the big android screen head unit upgrade. IMHO, this is better than those android screens. It retains factory look and the anti glare properties of the OEM screen. You can easily flip back and fourth with Comand and CarPlay. If you are thinking about getting it, go for it. It doesn't hurt and it is fully reversible.

This DIY thread was not possible without the endless support of @cadetdrivr !! Make sure to give him a shout! He spends loads of time troubleshooting and helping for the NTG4.5/4.7 owners. And I hope to do the same for the NTG4.0 owners along with some other members who also has this unit on the way.

I will constantly be updating and communicating on this thread. About software updates, new issues, and other comment about the unit. So far, so good. Kremersino has great support through WhatsApp with fast response times (+86 134 2516 3678). They offer software updates and a warranty similar to the owners with RoadTop and Joyeauto.

PLEASE NOTE:
I did NOT install the included microphone. I never use SIRI and that is the main use for the microphone. You can still answer calls through CarPlay and use the factory MB mic! All you need to do is go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Call Audio Routing > and SET to Bluetooth Headset. You can answer calls on CarPlay and when you hit Accept, it will route the call to the factory MB Bluetooth. Make sure you are connected to both MB Bluetooth and the CarPlay unit Bluetooth for this to work.

You may feel the need to install the included microphone (for SIRI only), follow the video installation and route it to where you wish.

OTHER THREADS TO READ:
I suggest checking out these other threads before purchasing or attempting to install the unit.

DIY: Joyeauto Wireless CarPlay for NTG4.5/4.7 by @cadetdrivr
Group Buy For A Wireless Joyeauto CarPlay/Android Auto Retrofit by @deeoh

cadetdrivr

Awesome! It's great to see the folks with NTG 4 get some love.

Thanks, S550e!

S550e

Did a 1 hour and 30 min drive today. I tried out Waze and Apple Maps just to see how everything worked.

Pros
-Wireless CarPlay connects almost instantly upon starting the vehicle.
-Backup camera has been working great even when in CarPlay mode.

Cons
-Cannot use steering wheel buttons to change tracks. Since the car is on Auxiliary mode, you can't change tracks. You will need to use the Comand dial. If yours is broken, I highly suggest doing the . I did this a couple of years ago and it works flawless. Lots of How-to videos online for it.

-The guidance volume is way too loud. It turns down your music (or whatever you are listening to) and makes the navigation extremely loud. Not sure how to fix this yet. I am not in the car anymore. I believe a similar problem was addressed and fixed on Cadet's thread. Trying to find it now but there are a lot of pages to go through. I will also talk to Kremersino on WhatsApp if I can't figure it out.

I will post the PDF that Kremersino sent me about using the system and the secret menu passcode for anyone interested.

deeoh

@S550e Great job! These boxes aren't perfect, but maybe with present/future firmware upgrades, most of these bugs can be addressed. Have fun & don't forget the PDF's. I could prolly use 'em!

S550e

Hey @deeoh !! I am having trouble right now trying to upload this PDF to the thread. If you contact Kremersino they will send it to you right away. They are pretty good about that stuff. I'm glad to see that you also got your unit installed!

Just curious, where did you route everything? You had to use the MMI to Aux cord for sound correct? Just clarification for others

deeoh

Ok, no problem. I didn't get that far to test the sound, but I did contact Kremersino just a bit ago. And I do have a local Guitar Center center I can visit or maybe I'll use your Amazon link to order. I'll post up my results, if/when I get this sorted. Thanks for all your help!

S550e

(UPDATE 9/14/20 - NO NEED FOR MMI TO AUX) Disregard this post.

You don't need to go to Guitar Center if you have the MMI cable to female aux, shown here:



If you have the MMI to male cable,


then you will need the 3.5mm female to female adapter,



Hope this helps and good luck!

deeoh

@S550e Yes, it did help, thank you. Ok, problem's been solved. Turns out the dip switches needed to be set to L L L H L for proper display (W204), rather than L L L H H factory settings. Also, MMI cable is working with sound. So far, I'm liking this!



Note: This is the proper dip switch setting for 7” screens (confusing I know). The official PDF installation instructions from Kremersino are incorrect! ^^


Pic of the software/MCU that came shipped with the Kremersino unit as of 08/29/20. ^^

S550e

Nice! Glad you could get it working.

Did you have to activate AUX in engineering mode? Is everything put back together?!

deeoh

I did have a look around in engineering mode, but I just chose AUX from the standard MB UI menu. Moving in/out of CP is as easy as a hard press of the steering wheel button. Slightly different from BMW iDrive, but I'll get used to it.

S550e

Interesting... my AUX always worked up until installing this CP unit. When I plugged everything in, I selected AUX from the standard Comand screen and got no sound. After switching AUX on in engineering mode, then the sound finally worked. Not sure why or how all of that works.

The buttons to the right and left of the Comand dial are shortcuts for to go back to the CP home screen, if you long press and hold CLR (right side) it also switches back to Comand like the steering wheel button.

deeoh

Wow, I haven't run into that problem yet. Perhaps Michael from Krem can offer some help? But be prepared to upload video/pics to help your case. Or better yet, maybe someone can chime in with a fix.

Gotcha! Thanks

S550e

So I was fooling around with my AUX cables and realized that my music was still coming through the speakers even though I unplugged the MMI cable... hmm.

Michael from Kremersino sent me some misleading information. I sent him a picture of the aux cable coming from the CP unit and asked if this was necessary for sound. He said it had to be plugged into the MMI port. This worked with sound on full wireless CarPlay mode. I'm am beyond confused and also happy that it's working.

It must be the internal aux when you activate in engineering mode. I guess we do have it like the NTG4.5/4.7 guys!!

Sorry for the misleading information, I was just going off of what the manufacturer told me. No need for the MMI to aux BS
I guess this is what the thread is for, right?

deeoh

No problem. I should try that experiment to see what happens. We NTG4.0 guys are late to the party so to speak, and learning as we go. I still remember the wired CP boxes that came on the market a few years ago, and was jealous we didn't have that luxury. Times have indeed changed!

S550e

Yes try it on yours and let us know. We are all here to learn and help each other! I was shocked when I unplugged all of the aux cables and I thought I was losing it.

S550e

My CarPlay unit came from the factory with the 'Wireless only' option being selected. I was messing around in the secret menu settings and enable CarPlay both wireless and wired. Here's how:

Go into the settings menu and scroll down to 'system'

click on factory mode and enter the passcode ' 688612 '

click on ' factory setting ' and go to 'iPhone Link Type'

select ' USB & Wireless CarPlay'

hit Apply and done!

aibkaresz

I am also here with NTG4 Waiting for my box, trying to learn from you guys!

S550e

Just went out to take a picture of mine. Same stuff!

deeoh

Ahh good stuff! I was trying to figure out why my USB wouldn't connect to CP. Even though I've got power to the USB, there's no data transfer (apps) to the CP box.

Regarding my MMI cable: As soon as I unplug, I lose sound. So I have to keep mine plugged in. Unless there's settings in the engineering mode I need to adjust?

S550e

You will need to go into Engineering mode and activate Audio AUX. There is a how-to video in the first post. Watch the video carefully and make sure to re-enable external amp.

deeoh

Gotcha, thanks! I'll post up my results.

S550e

Still trying to figure out how to lower the navigation announcements and alerts in Apple Maps and Waze. It is extremely loud and sounds almost distorted coming through the speakers. I contacted Michael from Kremersino via WhatsApp and email regarding those issues but still no response yet. @deeoh try this one out...

Did you get the internal AUX to work?

deeoh

No, didn't get a chance this afternoon. I'll try again tomorrow and post up my results.

S550e

I have created a DropBox link for anyone interested in viewing the PDF that Kremersino sends after purchasing the unit. Was having trouble uploading to this site.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jfwb3vxt0y...TG4.0.pdf?dl=0

Enjoy!

deeoh

@S550e I had a chance to change the settings in the engineering mode, I even double checked the settings afterwards. But no luck . Once I unplug the jack from the MMI cable, I get no sound. So maybe the W212 HU is different from the W204 HU?

Other than that experiment, everything works awesome. Not bad, considering it's 10+ year old equipment. Btw, I clipped the external mic to the harness between the vent panel for Siri function and text message dictation (new iOS 14 coming soon too). I learned this trick from the BMW guys and it works perfectly and out of view!

Your page should be extremely valuable to the NTG 4.0 newbies who wanna take the plunge. It's not perfect, but comes pretty darn close, and everything's is here on one page! Maybe a FAQ page may also help? I'll help contribute if I can, lmk...