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Just finished up my install. Was easy and the video I posted pretty much walks through the whole process.
I secured the speaker it came with behind the monitor secured to the vent. I also mounted the cell antenna under the center speaker grill. Out of site, but in the hugest point possible.
the only thing the video does not address is the rear view camera. It comes as the default setting, “after market.” Just change to “OEM, and it works just as it did before.
there was an app already loaded that prompted me to sync my phone after I paired it by Bluetooth - in a few minutes CarPlay was working.
I haven’t played with it long enough to test all the cool stuff it does. But for now, everything OEM works without issue.
a few posted about the tight fit… yup… you have to pull the big plug down below to get the command unit back in. It’s a tight squeeze, but doable.
I actually had the 9" installed for 2 weeks and it looked good but then saw this one and couldn't resist. The 9" is like new - if anyone wants it, I'll take 200 (snapdragon 8 core cpu, 4gb ram and 64gb internal memory).
Be aware, the dashboard piece of the 12.3 looks nice but the mechanical parts of the vents barely work and feel cheap to open/close/changing air flow direction. The vents would actually close when turning the fun high. I ended up disconnecting the front "wheel" controls (one wasn't working at all) and tied the mechanism inside stuck open for the time being. They're sending me another part but doubt it will make a difference. They made me work for it too...
This is the best carplay retrofit I've seen by a mile. Sorry to hear the vents don't function quite as well as they look though. Otherwise I'd love to get this one. How much did it cost?
This is the best carplay retrofit I've seen by a mile. Sorry to hear the vents don't function quite as well as they look though. Otherwise I'd love to get this one. How much did it cost?
I actually had the 9" installed for 2 weeks and it looked good but then saw this one and couldn't resist. The 9" is like new - if anyone wants it, I'll take 200 (snapdragon 8 core cpu, 4gb ram and 64gb internal memory).
Be aware, the dashboard piece of the 12.3 looks nice but the mechanical parts of the vents barely work and feel cheap to open/close/changing air flow direction. The vents would actually close when turning the fun high. I ended up disconnecting the front "wheel" controls (one wasn't working at all) and tied the mechanism inside stuck open for the time being. They're sending me another part but doubt it will make a difference. They made me work for it too...
I saw this not long ago and wanted to get it as opposed to the 12" screen, but I strongly suspected that the air vent piece was of poor quality and this seems to have confirmed my suspicions. It's too bad, as the extra screen size is nice. I guess the 9" will do for now.
Great install Boston79! I didn't know that was possible!
Following on the theme of this thread, here is my 9" touchscreen retro fit final pic. I use Android Auto (via yellow USB connector) but Carplay is possible with this setup, but not able to test as I don't have an iPhone. I also added a 4G LTE sim with 50Gig per month so free wifi for all passengers
The other retrofits I did while I had everything in pieces was a wireless charger that can be seen at the bottom by a green led strip/light.
9" touchscreen retrofit with Android 10 - Android Auto & Carplay on GL350 Bluetec x166 2015
Great install Boston79! I didn't know that was possible!
Following on the theme of this thread, here is my 9" touchscreen retro fit final pic. I use Android Auto (via yellow USB connector) but Carplay is possible with this setup, but not able to test as I don't have an iPhone. I also added a 4G LTE sim with 50Gig per month so free wifi for all passengers
The other retrofits I did while I had everything in pieces was a wireless charger that can be seen at the bottom by a green led strip/light.
9" touchscreen retrofit with Android 10 - Android Auto & Carplay on GL350 Bluetec x166 2015
is it as easy as going to at&t and buying a SIM card to add WiFi?
I was planning to try and then her my phone… is that essentially the same thing?
Great install Boston79! I didn't know that was possible!
Following on the theme of this thread, here is my 9" touchscreen retro fit final pic. I use Android Auto (via yellow USB connector) but Carplay is possible with this setup, but not able to test as I don't have an iPhone. I also added a 4G LTE sim with 50Gig per month so free wifi for all passengers
The other retrofits I did while I had everything in pieces was a wireless charger that can be seen at the bottom by a green led strip/light.
9" touchscreen retrofit with Android 10 - Android Auto & Carplay on GL350 Bluetec x166 2015
The screen looks great! Wireless charger is very slick also, not to mention the convenience of having the SIM card--great setup!
For internet, I didn't want to add another bill, but hitting the hotspot button on my phone, the wifi connects almost immediately. But since lots of media lives offline in a hard drive I added, for short drives I often don't bother with internet.
I ran the USB wires into the glove box upper tray (there is a small pre-cut tab on the back you can open) and placed a 1TB SSD drive for offline Spotify and YouTube play lists and movies.
is it as easy as going to at&t and buying a SIM card to add WiFi?
I was planning to try and then her my phone… is that essentially the same thing?
I think you would want a tablet plan, which is only data, without phone service. Most phone companies have different options, depending on how much monthly data you want. Or you can use your phone and share internet from it.
I have also routed another cable where you have it in the glove compartment for such occasion but as I am paying £8/$10 per month for 50GB+roll over then everyone can stream from plex and tiktok and let me drive in piece
Hey all. I have the latest 9" Android unit with built in CarPlay. Overall it's great and if I had to live with it as-is I could deal. But I'm having a few issues I'm hoping someone can assist with:
Unit randomly grabs bluetooth from my phone, even when the car is off. If I'm on a phone call the car will steal the call from my phone, even though it's off and parked in the garage. I have to shut off bluetooth so it stops grabbing the connection and then I have to remember to turn it back on to use the unit as well as to get back into my Tesla which uses the bluetooth as a key.
CarPlay is great when it works but often doesn't work. I'm using the Z-Link app that the device came loaded with. About 50% of the time it connects without issue. The other 50% of the time it won't connect at all. It says "connecting" and then eventually switches to "waiting". Sometimes it disconnects during a drive and the only way to re-connect it is to power cycle the head unit. Not fun.
No Bluetooth Audio - Has anyone been able to sync bluetooth output with this device to bluetooth audio on the Mercedes system? Currently I'm using AUX in but would prefer to use bluetooth. I just don't see how to connect the two units though.
I have to go into NTG mode to use the star button, which I have set as a shortcut to my massage seat. Going into NTG mode is a pain in the butt. Is there a quick way to switch into NTG mode using a hard button? Some people said hitting the radio button does it. It doesn't on mine.
Bluetooth - What in the world are you guys using for Bluetooth? When I'm on a call in CarPlay, I get a couple different bluetooth options on my phone. One is direct and another is localhost. Both result in audio being transmitted but it seems the audio is delayed significantly. What are your phone settings for CarPlay and do you use CarPlay for your phone?
I was thinking I'd skip CarPlay altogether and just use apps from the play store. This works well however the device doesn't consistently connect to my phone. I have to manually connect it each time I start it. This gets tedious. Are you guys using your phone for data or are you using the onboard SIM card?
How do I get the IMEI number for the SIM card or basically any information on that so that I can get a data plan on the device?
I know these seem like a bunch of different issues. Overall it's not bad once you learn to live within it's limitations. I'm hoping others can help me figure out a few of the shortcomings though.
Hello @Boston79, I have few questions related to the 12.3 inch android screen.
1. Where did you purchase this?
2. Is Apple CarPlay wireless or wired?
3. Did you install this yourself? If so, how long did it take you?
4. Is the sound system quality the same with this screen installed?
5. Are there any issues (Screen freezing, screen touch not working, etc.) other than vents closing at max AC?
Last edited by krnboi8913; Jul 27, 2021 at 09:55 PM.
Great install Boston79! I didn't know that was possible!
Following on the theme of this thread, here is my 9" touchscreen retro fit final pic. I use Android Auto (via yellow USB connector) but Carplay is possible with this setup, but not able to test as I don't have an iPhone. I also added a 4G LTE sim with 50Gig per month so free wifi for all passengers
The other retrofits I did while I had everything in pieces was a wireless charger that can be seen at the bottom by a green led strip/light.
9" touchscreen retrofit with Android 10 - Android Auto & Carplay on GL350 Bluetec x166 2015
I Like the wireless charger, can you tell me how much space there is in that area now? It looks like the charger eats up quite a lot of the storage there. Also, do you have a link to which one you purchased?
I Like the wireless charger, can you tell me how much space there is in that area now? It looks like the charger eats up quite a lot of the storage there. Also, do you have a link to which one you purchased?
You are right, it does eat up some space but its now only used to plug in the phone for Android Auto and let it wirelessly charge.
As its a royal pain in the **** to fit this I did it at the same time when I fitted the 9" screen as you have to take the whole middle arm rest off to get to all the bits you need to access.
Installed a 12.3 inch android screen that reroutes the vents under the screen. It works beautifully (let me know if you need help installing one) except obd2 port no longer connects to wired code readers or bluetooth dongles. There is power, code readers powers up fine but no data connection. I don't think I'll be able to pass state emissions as they plug it to obd2. I don't care for getting performance info on the android screen. I'd rather have a functional obd2 port. I would prefer not having to install the oem screen every year to pass inspection. Anyone seen this?
Hi - I love this setup and want to order it. Have you found a way to get the ODB2 port to work with the unit installed? Many thanks
I just did the 12.3 install and it works well. Except that when I am in CarPlay and put the turn signal on, it switches back to the OEM Command Screen. When the turn signal is not on any more it, goes back to CarPlay. It’s annoying and I haven’t been able to figure it out in the settings. Does anyone have a remedy for this? Many thanks
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