.

 

Welcome aboard and good luck with your project. You’ll see lots of posts from users on here that forked out nearly £200 to have apple car play, only to be disappointed by the naff look of it on a 10” screen. My car has the Burmister sound system and it is absolutely terrible, imo.

Not enough Bass. Again, plenty of posts about that too.

Post up Somme pics and show us your new car, hopefully these two issues won’t put you off?!?

 

Hi and thanks, carplay is shocking I constantly just switch screen rather then look at it.
regards Burmister yes I agree its not the best but atleast you have that over my so called upgraded Merc system I have.

 

On the sound, the Burmister is very good , its the speakers that are no good , pop in to a very good car audio shop and have a word

have a look in my profile-posts and check out the sound systern I up gauged to .

 

Hi lovely set up ,I might contemplate upgrading the my speakers.

 

I have been looking to purchase one of those android boxes but couldn’t find any good reviews about them for the W177.

Please make a new post or update this one once you do! I’d love to know how the experience with it is. Also, what box are you thinking of getting?

 

.

 

Hi yes there’s not much online about the android box and how to install it in the A class,

Heres a link to the box
https://www.dvdplayer.com.cn/Multim...cedes-Benz-A-B-CLA-GLA-GLB-with-NTG-6-0-System-Wireless-CarPlay-pd46565274.html

I’m just waitimg for mine to arrive next week hopefully on Wednesday tracking says ! shipped via FedEx.Good support so far in my questions on the product and help in how to install has been good too.I’v installed android screens before in my C class“s so I have some confidence in doing the work myself , with this one it looks to be much easier as it’s just a case of getting access to the head unit under the footwell and attaching the android box.
C class involved removing the centre console,running cable up,and changing the screen completely which seems alot work than what needed for this A class.As I said earlier it’d just the location of the head unit is a bit cramped and awkward to get at but not impossible.
I’ll be sure to let you know how it all goes and how the box performs. I’m feeling confident I will be more than happy with it and looking at a full screen CarPlay rather than the poor excuse Mercedes expect me to live with.
Just to clarify you keep your MBUX interface and android runs along side it, you access in and out of android system by a simple long press of the hang up button on your steering wheel.

I really want to know how it performs with the integrated wireless Bluetooth connection and how fast it boots up and is able to load CarPlay.
If everything works perfectly then I’ll definitely pull the trigger and buy one of those boxes

 

Looking forward to hear how you get on with this. Keep us posted 👍

 

Shall feedback

 

Been a delay on shipping

 

Been a delay on the android box arriving,hopefully expecting it tomorrow now,then likely to fit it on Saturday I imagine ,shall update when done

Thanks for the update! Looking forward to your review

 

Android box arrived today I’ve fitted and from what I’ve observed quickly ,looks good,negative is I can’t get sound to play thru the car currently,will look at it more tomorrow as installing just took what free time I had today.

 

Hi all very quick update android box arrived today I’ve fitted and from what I’ve observed quickly ,all very smooth operating and look great, curent negative is I can’t get sound to play thru the car currently so I’ve asked for some help on that ,will look at it more tomorrow as installing just basically it took what free time I had today so need play around with it I think .below is the apple car play showing full screen and honestly it’s just night and day different to the crap display Mercedes gave us, View attachment 10953
View attachment 10954

That looks great! How fast does CarPlay start and connect?

Bummer that your sound stopped working in the car. Let us know what the culprit eventually was once you fixed it!

 

It’s sad we have to do this in order to get a full functionality we paid a premium price for.

 

Hi guys,

I live in China for long time now and I have A200L (long wheelbase model for China market). This carplay/android auto full screen problem was already been solved in China for some time with something called Baidu Carlife.

Its a system similar to carplay but it takes over your whole screen somehow.

My car have this turned on by default together with carplay and android auto. (in china this comes standard)

So there is this wireless small box that connects trough usb-c port in your carplay/android auto plug. Then you connect to the box with your phone trough wi-fi and blutooth (yes, both) and full screen apple carplay appears on your screen.

Direct apple carplay with usb-c cable is only supported in that stupid container box in the middle of the screen.
Like this with this box you get full screen.

Weird thing is that in the media on the gauge screen I get the message that controls for media are unavailable since android auto is connected. So I think this thing works trough android auto protocol somehow.

So you cant control your carplay music using left buttons on the steering wheel (right buttons in the UK I guess as your steering wheel is on right hand side)

When I try to connect it trough android auto tab, same carplay screen appears and its again connected as baidu carlife.


Its a bit laggy since it works trough wifi but its pretty stable. You enter your car, turn on ignition and carplay appears in 10 sek.

Small issue is that seems you cant get to carplay maps or music screen with shortcut in the middle console (place where are radio/media, favorites, park assist etc...). You need to use touchpad in the middle console or touch the screen.

So Im not sure if this will work in a-class (or any other mercedes) for euro/uk markets but you can see that limitations are not so great that you need to replace whole unit that connects your car's vital functions.

I have to say that resolution is not crazy crisp as mbux but you cant really notice it unless you are very very close to the screen.

You might be thinking where is climate temperature or AC setting now when whole screen is taken by carplay.
Well, when you adjust your temp, temperature tab will appear and then disappear after few seconds. Mercedes could do that at the beginning and not limit people to this tiny container in the middle.

If you have any question I will be happy to answer since I was also looking for this solution long time before.

Cheers

 

If you have any question I will be happy to answer since I was also looking for this solution long time before.

Isn't this the same as Ottocast (also a HK company)? As far as I know fullscreen won't work on MBUX, only on Command systems or the new MBUX 2. What system do the A200L run?

 

Had to search for “Android Bluedroid“ via phone option to find new device connection and from there u go to media and select Bluetooth
Then your sound will come out when you go to use CarPlay.

Wanted it hard wired but the aux usb box is not working.I’ll keep with it but I might give it up and just leave it to Bluetooth.
It looks great ,very crisp and clear pic,and run ok so far, only thing I’ve noted is when I put the car in reverse and car camera comes on screen the sound goes off.
Installation and getting everything up and running has been a bit of a headache,little info is provided so I have to go thru chat with the seller but a 3 way conversation with them and there technical department.
Will monitor it the next few days to see how it performs and if there’s any crashing or problems with the system.

 

View attachment 10960
sound is working fine now , I had to search for “Android Bluedroid“ via phone option to find this new device connection (android box) uyounthe. Go to media and select Bluetooth
View attachment 10961 Thrn

Awesome to hear that all is working fine and that you now got sound. Do you have any videosThis looks very promising! How fast does your phone connect to the android box? Is it as fast as the MB connection or does it take longer to connect? And how fast does CarPlay boot up?

These are my only concerns regarding the box.

Sorry for the many questions 🤣

 

How has your experience been now that you have used it for a couple of days? Have you managed to fix the audio stopping when putting it into reverse?

 

Sorry for the delay,been in hospital for an operation so been out of action but able to update you on my experience.
I did managed to iron out some issues and fix somethings but..
After much patients and time trying to fix the issues I had with it,all I was left with was a glitchy buggy system that does not meet what is advertised.
Cant use the steering control touch button to control the android box (they advertise all original steering controls are retained so clearly a fault)
Disconnects from the Bluetooth connection for sound to the car while your in the middle of running it (you then have to go back into MBUX and reconnect the Bluetooth to then go back into android to hear music again) does it randomly often. If you try to use the option of USB aux connection sound is terrible,constant electrical buzz in the back ground and inbetween songs. So forced to use Bluetooth for sound quality.
If you want to use android for playing your music and you want return to MBUX for anything,forget hearing your music it cuts out until you return the the android screen,most noticeable whenever you put the car in reverse the music just cuts off completely until you come out of reverse again.I changed the settings to allow music to not mute when reversing,still did the same thing.
Tried fixes and updated android box they sent me with a newer update nothing changed the problems.

It’s not ready for release in my opinion,can’t recommend it.I tried and tried to get it all running smooth.
Returning It.

 

First off, hope you're feeling better mate. Sounds like you jumped the gun there a bit unfortunately. I have been considering it myself, so good to hear it's not worthwhile the investment.

Personally at the moment I think the best option is probably going to be to wait until someone comes up with a way to retrofit the new, a class face lift mbux system into our models.

For those who don't know, the new facelift does have a new version of mbux installed which supports full screen on Android Auto and Apple carplay. I expect that Mercedes will never retroactively update the software themselves though..

 

First off, hope you're feeling better mate. Sounds like you jumped the gun there a bit unfortunately. I have been considering it myself, so good to hear it's not worthwhile the investment.

Personally at the moment I think the best option is probably going to be to wait until someone comes up with a way to retrofit the new, a class face lift mbox system into our models.

For those who don't know, the new facelift does have a new version of mbux installed which supports full screen on Android, Auto and Apple carplay. I expect that Mercedes will never retractively update the software themselves though..

I’m getting better thanks, should be up and running fully soon enough ! Yep am disappointed by the box to be honest but felt it was worth the gamble , if it was a lot less cost wise I might be able to stomach it but the bugs are annoying, maybe someone will come back to who’s a little more helpful and we figure things out,but as it stands I can’t recommend people buy it.
If I get any futher with either the issues I’ve mentioned or it sent back at their cost! I will update on here .

Obviously me being a perfectionist and expectinf the box to be fault free and work smoothly was unreasonable

 

Glad to hear that you're recovering well! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. It's disappointing to hear that the interface you purchased has several bugs and crashes frequently. In my opinion, it's not unreasonable to expect a device that costs $350+ to operate flawlessly without any bugs, especially when it is intended for use in a car where music and navigation are important.

If the device fails to deliver that, the company is responsible for finding a solution. They should either refund a significant portion of your money while allowing you to keep the interface or provide a full refund and cover the return shipping costs. If I were you, I would contact PayPal customer support and explain your situation over the phone, as it may increase your chances of getting a favourable resolution.

I was in contact with a woman named: 'Sandy' from the Hualingan company through WeChat. She has been very pleasant to talk to. When I asked her if the audio cuts out when reversing, she assured me that it would not. It's strange that they would lie about it as your experience says otherwise. I trust your experience more than their word.

Initially, I planned to purchase one interface to try it out in my car. If it worked well, I would have bought ten more as I know people that would love to have fullscreen CarPlay in their cars. However, now that I have read your complete review, I have informed Hualingan that I am no longer interested in purchasing the android interface.

If you are ever in the Netherlands, feel free to shoot me a PM. I would love to treat you to a beer in appreciation of your honest review, which saved us all money and headaches.

 

Glad to hear that you're recovering well! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. It's disappointing to hear that the interface you purchased has several bugs and crashes frequently. In my opinion, it's not unreasonable to expect a device that costs $350+ to operate flawlessly without any bugs, especially when it is intended for use in a car where music and navigation are important.

If the device fails to deliver that, the company is responsible for finding a solution. They should either refund a significant portion of your money while allowing you to keep the interface or provide a full refund and cover the return shipping costs. If I were you, I would contact PayPal customer support and explain your situation over the phone, as it may increase your chances of getting a favourable resolution.

I was in contact with a woman named: 'Sandy' from the Hualingan company through WeChat. She has been very pleasant to talk to. When I asked her if the audio cuts out when reversing, she assured me that it would not. It's strange that they would lie about it as your experience says otherwise. I trust your experience more than their word.

Initially, I planned to purchase one interface to try it out in my car. If it worked well, I would have bought ten more as I know people that would love to have fullscreen CarPlay in their cars. However, now that I have heard your complete review, I have informed Hualingan that I am no longer interested in purchasing the android interface.

If you are ever in the Netherlands, feel free to shoot me a PM. I would love to treat you to a beer in appreciation of your honest review, which saved us all money and headaches.

Trust me I want more than anything for the android box to work correctly,ive had an android screen before in my c class and that work exactly as it should so I know what is achievable and realistic expectations.I’ve nothing to gain bad mouthing the device or company I can only say what I experienced and what problems I have come across, I’ve provided videos the issues to them and I’m happy to post on here .
Maybe somebody else from the company will reach out to me this week, I’ve reached my limit with the person I’ve unfortunately dealt with I know that much.I did inform the individual that I was going to post feedback on the device etc as there where a few interested buyers on the forum waiting to hear how it performed etc,but they didn’t seem interested or bothered in the information in the slightest and just ignored it, maybe they thought I was talking rubbish I don’t know...

 

IMG_1541.MOV | Storj DCS

IMG_1538.MOV | Storj DCS

you can see in the vids sound cuts out when car put in reverse and reverse screen comes on …couldn't reverse much on my drive so put it back into drive to move forward but while cuts out while the reverse camera is on.

other vid show sound cutting out everytime I come out of android to Mbux and then return to it and sound returns…

hard to record the issue with Bluetooth disconnecting while using Android but trust me it happens randomly when out driving and I then have to re connect the Bluetooth connection in Mbux .. and then back into android … annoying to say the least .

 

IMG_1541.MOV | Storj DCS

IMG_1538.MOV | Storj DCS

you can see in the vids sound cuts out when car put in reverse and reverse screen comes on …couldn't reverse much on my drive so put it back into drive to move forward but while cuts out while the reverse camera is on.

other vid show sound cutting out everytime I come out of android to Mbux and then return to it and sound returns…

hard to record the issue with Bluetooth disconnecting while using Android but trust me it happens randomly when out driving and I then have to re connect the Bluetooth connection in Mbux .. and then back into android … annoying to say the least .

Edit; will try find a better free site to upload the vids they seem cut slightly short to me when watching ..

The audio cutting out when reversing or switching to the original OS is quite weird. As this does not happen when you are connected through bluetooth with a phone. So I wonder why it is triggering this behaviour even though it's bluetooth connected. Maybe a CarPlay issue from the box where it doesn't detect it being on the foreground so it pauses? Does it also do this if you play YouTube on the android box as a test?

It's such a shame because seeing that fullscreen is just so beautiful. I really hate Mercedes for not incorporating this natively. I would've then bought the smartphone integration package in a heartbeat.

 

Looks great barring the bugs! Is there a way to do this with Android Auto do you know? Or does this box support both.

 

Supports both

 

Renat is the unprofessional individual I’ve had to deal with ,today they claimed a video I sent them of the steering touch controls not working was showing it working, clearly why I sent the video in the first place is it’s showing it “not” working…. Go figure.. claims there’s no other issues with the android box .. there all fixed now !? that was my breaking point ,because it’s just all utter nonsense and going round in circles, maybe deliberately I’m thinking.

It’s been removed from my car and shipped back this morning at my cost.Taking the hit on the return postage, they refused to pay it.I have had enough of the whole thing now I will just live with the car as it is.
Terrible experience , my health and recovery right now is more important than some stupid android box.
Switching off from it all now.

 

Renat is the unprofessional individual I’ve had to deal with ,today they claimed a video I sent them of the steering touch controls not working was showing it working, clearly why I sent the video in the first place is it’s showing it “not” working…. Go figure.. claims there’s no other issues with the android box .. there all fixed now !? that was my breaking point ,because it’s just all utter nonsense and going round in circles, maybe deliberately I’m thinking.

It’s been removed from my car and shipped back this morning at my cost.Taking the hit on the return postage, they refused to pay it.I have had enough of the whole thing now I will just live with the car as it is.
Terrible experience , my health and recovery right now is more important than some stupid android box.
Switching off from it all now.

What an awful experience. Your health definitely comes first.

Thanks again for all the information you’ve given.

 

Firstly I hope you're feeling better and wish you the best!
Any updates on this or something similar? Maybe if someone has found a dongle that can fit the whole screen. It's unfortunate that your experience wasn't good with the device. I wanted to have a look at it but the link shows me something that's nearly 500 dollars! Is this the same one?
Just bought a 2019 180d and was disappointed with this whole android auto thing tbh.

 

We have a new forum sponsor that may be able to provide what you are after, in both Apple Car Play, and Andoid Auto.

Might be worth a new post/thread in their forum section, for anyone that wants to pursue this?

DashLynx.com

DashLynx is a USA-based business that specializes in manufacturing devices for vehicles. DashLynx devices are designed to add Wireless Apple CarPlay, Wireless Android Auto, and HDMI interfaces to vehicles that have factory color screens and/or navigation systems. Add HDMI Input to vehicles with...

www.aclassclub.co.uk

 

Brilliant! Sent them a message through Facebook Messenger. Hope to get some more information about their interfaces. Hopefully a much better product than we saw here.

Edit: If I go onto their website I can see that if I press purchase they can only ship within the USA. Unless that is still being worked upon.

 

Any new information about wireless CarPlay full screen?

 

There are more brands on AliExpress that sell a similar product. Some are based on Linux and only have CarPlay/Android Auto. I haven’t purchased one yet as there are no reviews to be found which scares me

 

More news. I have been eyeing an interface box from AliExpress for a while now. It seems to be a very reputable seller, quick in communication and even offers interfaces for Lamborghini's. The interface is just mainly CarPlay and Android Auto. No weird side loads like YouTube etc.

I made a post on the German Motor-Talk forum to see if someone has any experience with these interfaces. Turns out someone has bought the same box I was eyeing and has been using it for a week now, with no issues. I'm currently inclined to purchase the same box and install it in my car. Just talking to the seller to see if they can ship from an EU warehouse (due to import tax). After purchase I'll probably start a new thread with more information for other users if that is something that is wanted.

 

That's brilliant thanks for the update. Mind sending the link here?

 

Update: Have ordered it today and the seller has created the shipping label, ready for shipping. Once it is delivered (I expect 1.5 - 2 weeks) and installed I will try to make a detailed review for you all in a new thread.