dallasgleguy

I know this has been discussed in other forums, and it appears that Android Auto can be added to my car. But so far I have had no luck. Have purchased an ODB dongle, have gone to Mercedes dealer here in Dallas. Production was in February 2016 so it should have apple car play active.

Here is my experience so far:

I purchased a used 2016 GLE 450 Coupe. When I got it I noticed that neither Apple Car Play or Android Auto was available. Upon googling. I realized that I 100% should have Apple Car Play due to this being added at factory for my model manufactured after Jan 8 2016... Again I did not see it listed on my car.

So I went to these forums and online etc. etc. etc. And I purchased on of those ODB dongles. I purchased from mbenzcoder.com and I received the dongle shown here: https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...E#shopping-ads

I then followed all the steps in the video but did not have any success. When I plug into the ODB port I do not get to the DIAG screen... Instead, in the top left corner it says Diagnosis for 3 seconds and then the screen shuts off. The screen comes back on after 10 seconds of being black and off, but there are no changes. Nothing was activated everything was as it was before. Still no CarPlay or Android Auto. I 100% confirmed that my car was compatible based on the website description.

The next thing I did was take it to Mercedes dealership. I told them the issue I was having and how Carplay should be available. I have smartphone and multimedia package and the correct USB port. Moreover, I have tried many different cords, so I know the cord is not the issue... Anyway, at Mercedes I told them I wanted Carplay because it should be there on my car and I told them to update my software to the latest version. I read that sometime the dongle does not work if your software is not updated.

Went back to mercedes that same day and they did everything I asked. They updated my software/firmware and I now am seeing Apple Car Play as an option under telephone. But still no Android Auto, even after I plugged my phone in... So I then decided, now that my software was up to date, to plug in the dongle again, maybe it would work this time. So i plugged it in and the same screen sequence happened, only this time, it actually removed Apple Car Play! Now Apple Car Play was missing and I was back to square one.

For what it is worth I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with the latest software.

Back to the drawing board..... Now I am seeing success stories of people using this part on their GLA and other NTG5s1 Audio 20 Comand systems. That part is: 246-820-38-00

I asked my dealer about this and they said this software/part is not compatible and that there is no software available to flash Android Auto into my car. I do not care about Car Play, just android auto. The dealership today opened up a case with Mercedes to see if they can get access to an update to enable Android Auto in my car. I am waiting to hear back.

Lastly, I am thinking maybe the dongle I have is bad? Maybe I need unichip or vladmircdi's chip?

If it helps, here is my VIN: 4JGED6EB5GA030988

Can anyone shed any light on this? Am I missing something??? I refuse to accept that I cannot get Android Auto in my car.

dallasgleguy

Upon further look into the part number: 246-820-38-00, it looks like it is not compatible with my feb 2016 build date. So it looks like my car is in some sort of grey area between that part number compatibility and android auto becoming standard in 2017.

GLE43_Sube

Were you at least able to get a refund for the OBD plug you purchased? According to their website, it should work, so you should be entitled to a refund.

I would try Vladmircdi's version. First confirm it's compatible with your vehicle. Just email him your VIN and he can confirm that before you purchase it.

dallasgleguy

I will try. Their FAQ section says returns are not accepted. But they also said my car was compatible.

GLE43_Sube

I'm kind of leery of certain things purchased from China. What looks suspicious to me is the fact that the ad says, "Unlimited Use". Vladmircdi's ad emphatically states just the opposite.

After I ask for a refund, I usually tell these types of sites, "I'd like to give you a positive review". The threat of a negative review is implied. Positive reviews are their lifeblood. They'll usually do anything to avoid a critical review.

dallasgleguy

Yep. I see that. I thought the website looked legit vs purchasing from alibaba. If someone can confirm Vladmircdi product works then I will purchase that.

fabbrisd1

Yes - there were interim "orphans" in 2016 - like your's (I confirmed by your VIN) - where Smartphone integration was CarPlay only - not CarPlay & Android Auto together.

On Vladimir - he is a straight up guy - take the appropriate eBay listing from him - and message him your VIN# - and tell him you have CarPlay and want to add Android Auto by OBD programming - and you can trust Vladimir to message you back straight up if that can be done or not.

dallasgleguy

This is great intel, thank you. I will post back here in the next 48 hours regarding MB's response and if there is a software flash that can be applied at the dealership. Vladimir already confirmed my VIN with one of his dongles. If MB says they cannot do it, then I will go with Vladimir. Either way I will post back here and keep everyone updated.

dallasgleguy

Great News! So MB came back and they said that they CAN flash this software update to my car. So now my car has both Android Auto and Carplay which is awesome. Moreover, my car is under warranty so it was free!

What this means for you, is that, if you have a NTG5s1 Audio 20 unit you can go to an MB dealership and they can add Android Auto to your unit, assuming you have the correct USB port. If you have any problems tell them to contact Rachel at Park Place Mercedes in Dallas. She was an all star in getting this over the finish line in her communication with MB. She went the extra mile, I imagine you will have to do the same with your dealer. Stay active and do not take no for an answer.

GLE43_Sube

That's great news! I don't know how much experience you have with Android Auto, or even if you've ever used it at all. In case you're a newbie, there's a tutorial at the link below. If you're already a pro, then just ignore this thread altogether.

https://mbworld.org/forums/gle43-cou...utorial-2.html

Here are a few basic things to get you started:

• Create a "Voice Model" in Google Assistant to better recognize your voice. On your Android phone, touch and hold the Home button or say "Ok Google." Go to Settings/Voice/Voice Match. There, you'll see the option to train a voice model.
• Download both Media Monkey and Rocket Player (links below). They are undoubtedly the best media players for AA. "Google Play Music" is the default media player, but it's horrible. It doesn't have many options to access your own music collection. It's geared more toward purchasing music from Google. If you're like me and already have an extensive personal music library, Media Monkey and Rocket Player allow you to select music by Genre, Artist, Album, Song and Playlist. Also, they both have built-in equalizers. You'll need to tweak all of your settings and organize your library on the phone. Then of course there's Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora and TuneIn Radio.
• Within AA, open the "Menu". This would be the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner (see screen shots). Then, go to "Apps for Android Auto". It's best to search for AA apps here, as opposed to Google Play. Reason being, this will bring up only those apps compatible with AA.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...id.mediamonkey

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...herMusicPlayer

toluka

Hello
I have a similar problem. I can't drive up to Rachel at Park Place Mercedes in Dallas because I'm from Poland.
Gle coupe 350d year 2016 VIN WDC2923241A039775.
It was ApplePlay and I asked the dealer to add an android car. In two representatives in Warsaw I heard that it is impossible.
I found information about the OBD port. I bought and the seller assured that it would work. After connecting, a message appeared in the left corner of the diagnosis. Now I don't have ApplePlay and Android. The OBD dealer advises me to update the software at MB dealer and try again.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions