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2010 GLK350, 2021 Taco, 2019 Lexus GX460, 2009 BMW 335d, BMW 328xi
2010 GLK NTG 4.0 aux activation…need help!
I’m trying to install an android touchscreen in my GLK. I followed all of the instructions, including moving the optical cables. Everything seems to connect well, and I can access the NTG system through the android system. The only thing I can’t do is play music. I’ve narrowed it down to “aux” not being activated in NGT system. My car does not have the aux input in the glovebox or anywhere else. When I go into the hidden “engineering” menu, activating aux is not an option. This is important because the android is designed to play through the aux in the head unit.
I’m pretty sure I’ve watched every video and read every “how to” article on activating the “aux”…no dice.
Anyone here come across this?
ok, I always thought it came with either an aux or uci, you can always confirm in the engineering menu, if both aux audio and uci are greyed out. My uci was in bold so I can change between installed and not installed, the first pic is a GLK with no uci so it’s grayed out
My Road Top Linux unit instructions mentioned that if there is no aux or uci then you leave the 3.5mm male in the female end with the rest of the cables
2010 GLK350, 2021 Taco, 2019 Lexus GX460, 2009 BMW 335d, BMW 328xi
Originally Posted by SAVZ
ok, I always thought it came with either an aux or uci, you can always confirm in the engineering menu, if both aux audio and uci are greyed out. My uci was in bold so I can change between installed and not installed, the first pic is a GLK with no uci so it’s grayed out
My Road Top Linux unit instructions mentioned that if there is no aux or uci then you leave the 3.5mm male in the female end with the rest of the cables
My engineering menu does’t have any greyed out parts of any kind. Here’s the display in the big screen, which matches what is displayed on the small screen.
My working theory is that these cars either came with the aux option, or Serious xm. Mine has the lifetime serious xm, which is nice to have, but the car is driven by my 16yo daughter who could not care less about anything other than streaming.
Best option may be a “ye old auction site” head unit.
My engineering menu does’t have any greyed out parts of any kind. Here’s the display in the big screen, which matches what is displayed on the small screen.
My working theory is that these cars either came with the aux option, or Serious xm. Mine has the lifetime serious xm, which is nice to have, but the car is driven by my 16yo daughter who could not care less about anything other than streaming.
Best option may be a “ye old auction site” head unit.
Is that the menu when you press the hang up button, # button and 1 button simultaneously?
2010 GLK350, 2021 Taco, 2019 Lexus GX460, 2009 BMW 335d, BMW 328xi
Quick update
I received the used head unit and it was a bust. Like my original, did not have the aux option. It did however seem to have the free SiriusXM. This forced a deeper dive into the head units and wiring. I found a wiring diagram online and identified the aux R&L inputs. Sure enough my wiring harness had nothing in these positions. The first pic below shows the open positions (poorly highlighted), The second shows another harness with wires in the aux R&L input positions (blue and yellow)
Fortunately some scrappers just cut harnesses rather than disconnecting them at the head unit. I found another used unit on the auction site that had wires in those positions, and bought it. This unit should arrive today.
Fortunately the seller of the first unit I bought allowed returns and was understanding.
Additionally, last week, I tore into my head unit to see if there was a way to tap into the CD output and use that instead of the aux, as a back—door workaround. Turns out this is not an option because the CD output is digital, no R&L wires, where the aux signal from devices is already converted to analog. The head unit converts the analog aux input signal back to digital and sends it to the external amp via the big orange optical wires. The amplifier itself has an onboard DAC, which converts the optical signal to analog, then amplifies them and sends out to the speakers. That was a long-winded way to say there is not another way to jump the signal into the head unit.
Fingers crossed (horrible strategy BTW) the second used head unit will work as intended, and allow me to use the android unit.
2010 GLK350, 2021 Taco, 2019 Lexus GX460, 2009 BMW 335d, BMW 328xi
Update…final
Well, I had to abandon the Android screen. I was not able to activate aux, even with a second new used head unit. I was mistaken on the aux wires that I previously posted. Basically, ignore much of my posts above.
Here’s how the external amp works: head unit sends digital signal to amplifier via fiber optics cable. Signal is amplified, then sent back to head unit and converted to analog, then out to speakers.
I bought a Sony head unit with a floating touch screen, and abandoned the NTG4.0 system. The Sony is a single DIN. I took all the guts out of the MB head unit, and put the Sony unit where the CD player was.
I wish I could get the android screen to work, but this is pretty cool too.
My 16yo daughter is happy, I’m happy, and that’s a win.
[Digital] Signal is amplified, then sent back to head unit
Unless the industry has advanced way past my knowledge level, that makes no sense! The D to A converter would have to have the same power capability as the amplifier, making the amplifier basically superfluous.
2010 GLK350, 2021 Taco, 2019 Lexus GX460, 2009 BMW 335d, BMW 328xi
Originally Posted by John CC
Unless the industry has advanced way past my knowledge level, that makes no sense! The D to A converter would have to have the same power capability as the amplifier, making the amplifier basically superfluous.
It’s a confusing setup. The MOST ring is the optical loop that hooks all the audio stuff together.
You are correct, it would make the amp superfluous. The loop does not work as I described. It is however a silly system, good for sound quality, but silly nonetheless.
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