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New ‘16 GL 450 owner here. Native navigation is obviously pretty terrible. Any advice for a CarPlay alternative, aftermarket or otherwise? Thanks all!
Not open to unbranded foreign parts on eBay (saw a different thread on this). I think I have an ntg 4.5 so assume CarPlay isn’t compatible.
Hoping for reccos on any of the below:
Mirror maps from my iPhone with some kind of adapter
Replace existing nav with compatible aftermarket system without wrecking the park assist
Worst case, recommended phone mount (does a cd, vent or dash setup work best?)
2016 is actually NTG 4.7 (at least my 2014 is, so I can't imagine that a 2016 is 4.5).
FWIW, I'm using a small adapter box (JoyeAuto NTG4.5/4.7) to provide wireless CarPlay on the MB OEM screen. You can also switch back and forth with the native Comand system and everything is controlled by the OEM controller knob. No splicing or hacking required---all plug-and-play. I started a thread in the W212 section that is now quite large, but the easy takeaway is it's a much easier install in the X166 as the unit fits behind the HVAC controls in the dash. The are some minor "quirks" with the setup, but native Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze are all vast improvements compared to the Comand maps of that generation. The silver surround trim on on the X166 center dash pops right off and ditto for the HVAC panel.
Last edited by cadetdrivr; May 17, 2020 at 06:33 PM.
2016 is actually NTG 4.7 (at least my 2014 is, so I can't imagine that a 2016 is 4.5).
FWIW, I'm using a small adapter box (JoyeAuto NTG4.5/4.7) to provide wireless CarPlay on the MB OEM screen. You can also switch back and forth with the native Comand system and everything is controlled by the OEM controller knob. No splicing or hacking required---all plug-and-play. I started a thread in the W212 section that is now quite large, but the easy takeaway is it's a much easier install in the X166 as the unit fits behind the HVAC controls in the dash. The are some minor "quirks" with the setup, but native Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze are all vast improvements compared to the Comand maps of that generation. The silver surround trim on on the X166 center dash pops right off and ditto for the HVAC panel.
This is awesome, thank you! As a first time poster (and MB owner , this is exactly the kind of thing I’d hoped to get out of these boards. Really appreciate your insight. Will look into this and come back with results!
This is awesome, thank you! As a first time poster (and MB owner , this is exactly the kind of thing I’d hoped to get out of these boards. Really appreciate your insight. Will look into this and come back with results!
Also double check that you might have NTG5 on a 2016. If you do, it will require a different box.
Depending on the date of manufacture of the truck and if you have NTG5 you might also be able to "unlock" wired OEM CarPlay from the Comand unit with a one-time aftermarket dongle provided the Comand unit has the most current firmware.
the ejoyauto only uses the mic for siri, phone calls go through the mercedes bluetooth you can see this happen on the phone when call connects
ejoyauto works amazingly well for me since i installed in November 2019. Just upgraded from iphone7 to SE and now the occasional glitches are gone it automatically connects every time in a couple seconds. newest sw lets you mirror iphone using cable including full screen youtube which is fun.
the ejoyauto only uses the mic for siri, phone calls go through the mercedes bluetooth you can see this happen on the phone when call connects.
Interesting. I see the opposite when I make a call but I can manually switch it over to MB Bluetooth on the phone. It seems to maintain that preference for additional calls on the same drive but after parking it goes back to the default next time.
Figured I would chime in here, finally decided to install the Joyeauto unit into my 2013 GL450. The goal was to add a little life and incentivise me to stick to my goal of keeping the GL for another couple of years (via spicing it up). I got to tell you, it does add a little life and the install was really straight forward. Paid $395, delivered in 4 days from Hong Kong, email support before/after ordering was excellent. Pretty smooth process thanks to the forum and doing this on an x166 was pretty easy in hindsight. Agreed that stuffing it in afterword is was the most concerning, but happened in 5-10 min of fiddling with it. I'm using the stock bluetooth, so didn't even use the microphone, tested siri several times with the phone in the console and the phones mic can hear it fine. Total process was a couple of hours, most of that checking/double checking and being careful unplugging/plugging things...
If your looking to add a little bit of life to your older GL, I like this option.
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, this is exactly the kind of thing I’d hoped to get out of these boards. Really appreciate your insight. Will look into this and come back with results!
