Installation Problems: The device for cars having NTG 3.0 differs slightly from the one for NTG 3.5. While the boxes are the same, the shape of the connectors is different. The companies will ask you for your VIN to be sure you get the right box. However, the following were other problems which caused repeated removals and reinstallations (seven in all, for me).

Problem 1: The instructions that came with my SmartBox had improper DIP switch settings. They differ between NTG 3.0 and 3.5, and I received instructions for NTG 3.0 when my '13 has 3.5; here are the correct instructions. NTG 3.0 is on left; 3.5 is on right. For my '13 with an adjustable angle screen and original rear camera, DIP switches 1 and 8 were on, all others off, and that setting worked.

 

Problem 2: The instructions say to disconnect an LVDS (low voltage differential signaling) cable from the COMAND head unit and replace it with one supplied in the kit; but there are two LVDS connections on the HU; the instructions do not say which one is replaced, and they are not labeled on COMAND. Silly me, I assumed the LVDS cables supplied in the kit were color coded to the original HU connectors; they are not. Pink does NOT connect to pink, or gray to gray! Below are the correct connections for both COMAND 3.0 and 3.5. The first photo shows the original factory COMAND HU connections, with the pink and the gray connectors being the LVDS connectors; the center photo shows the proper HU connections for cables going to the SmartBox. Note in the center photo that the original pink HU LVDS connector is left in place; the gray connector is replaced by a kit LVDS cable (which is pink and tagged "LCD IN") which then goes directly to the “LCD IN” connector on the box (last photo); and the original HU gray connector (that was disconnected) is connected to the LVDS cable labeled "LCD OUT" that in turn goes to the “LCD OUT” connector on the box. The confusion is not the labeling of the two kit LVDS cables; it is over which original HU LVDS cable to disconnect and replace.

 

Problem 3: There is an installation video for the 2006-2009 W221 on the SmartBox website; it recommends removing the cover board below the glove box and placing the SmartBox below and behind the glove compartment, routing the very long harness through a difficult-to-reach cable access hole between the HU and the space behind the glove box. (Mercedes-Benz W221 Head Unit) S class (W221) 2006-2009. That might work for the ’06-09, but doing so in my ’13 positions the SmartBox so that it obstructs part of the cabin air recirculation system and filters. I chose not to do that, which created a problem as to where to store the box and the long cable and large connectors supplied with the kit. I chose to place the SmartBox lengthwise in a slot below and behind the COMAND HU, and to tuck the cable – especially the bulky connectors – into a space under the shelf directly below the HU. It can be a tight fit getting the HU back in, but it can be done.

The installation video referenced above for '06-'09 also shows an external switch box being connected; mine had no such switch box. It is controlled by the car’s original COMAND controls.

Last, there is a small WiFi antenna with a black plastic cover that kept popping off with the frequent removals. I taped the antenna cover to the body of the box to prevent losing it.

 

Problems With Seller Support. Again, I purchased my equipment from CarPlay SmartBox, not Joyeauto. The customer support desk was very prompt and courteous responding to my requests and reports of problems. However, tech support was another story. The company requests you document your installation, and any subsequent questions about function, by video. I do not have 3 hands, and had enough to do just to handle the COMAND HU, the box, and make the connections during installation without trying to record a video on my iPhone. When problems developed related to the DIP switch settings and LVDS connections, they wanted video of the connections, settings, and screen display as well. I had sent detailed still photos illustrating the problems, with a typed description accompanying each photo. Not good enough. Explaining that their techs did not speak English, the company insisted on video, and the techs would not respond until the videos were sent. So, I pulled the unit out (again), recorded a video of the connections I had made, and the results shown on my COMAND screen – providing an English commentary describing what was being shown. Yes, I am aware that not everyone speaks English; but I am puzzled by the inability to follow my typed description, while the verbal one seemed acceptable, while both were in English. In any case, in reply they sent annotated screenshots from the video that were identical to two of the still photos I had sent in – one of the DIP switch settings, and the other of the erroneous LVDS connections. There was NOTHING in the videos that was not also shown in the still photos. Still, their requirement cost me a lot of lost time (and pain) from yet another removal and reinstallation (there have been seven; at least I have removal and reinstallation down to 30 minutes). Had I known this would be their approach, I’d have purchased elsewhere.

 

Using CarPlay. Following the extensive setup instructions, and after correcting the LVDS connections and DIP switch settings, I was successful in getting CarPlay to work wirelessly. The one problem I have had is an inability to get voice turn-by-turn instructions from any CarPlay map, no matter the settings on the device, on COMAND, or on my phone. The turn-by-turn prompts are displayed visually in the app, but no voice. I use the Apple-authorized CarPlay apps (Apple maps, Google maps, Tom Tom Go and WAZE), and I can get music (more about that). I just can’t get voice TBT – but may have something even better. One problem that may occur is that having an external device connected via MMI when you try to start CarPlay may prevent its loading. The solution is to disconnect the device from MMI, start CarPlay, then reconnect it to MMI. Alternatively, CarPlay loads, but music does not play. One can switch from audio on the multifunction (instrument cluster) display to something else, then switch back; or sometimes, just select the next song, then go back to your original choice, and music will play. If I use the iPod I have used for years to play my music, I cannot control the iPod from the COMAND or from the steering wheel while using CarPlay. However, if I connect my iPhone to the MMI (either by a lightning to MMI connection, or by a Bluetooth device such as Tune2Air) while using CarPlay I can control my phone's music playback from the COMAND, via the music app I am using (plus, album artwork is displayed).

Another useful CarPlay feature (among many) is that if you use the iPhone calendar app and record your destination along with the appointment name on the phone, you can select the particular appointment from the calendar on the CarPlay screen, and it will automatically give you the route to the appointment location on the map screen, ready to start navigation.

Regarding voice TBT, a good alternative - I have found that on my phone, by enabling Notifications in the nav apps, a haptic tap occurs on my wrist from my Apple Watch (5), bringing my attention to the COMAND screen for the upcoming turn. The turn info is also shown on the watch. The benefit of this is that your music does not decrease its volume – so your listening is not interfered with, but you don’t miss your turns. For that reason, I am keeping this device, which otherwise I would have returned for a refund. Bottom line, it meets my needs and works for me despite the problematic installation; and I hope this lengthy thread will help to avoid those problems. But for those who really want updated nav maps (plus the other goodies CarPlay or Android Auto offer), I would recommend the device (though we would like to hear about any experiences with Joyeauto, the other vendor of the same equipment).

 

In a nutshell, there is no excuse for the faulty instructions, and the refusal to accept still photos of problems was nothing short of bullheaded. Still, the device provides me a usable navigation option. If the problems I encountered put you off, there are other alternatives listed in the thread at No More Nav Map Updates for North American W221s -...

 

Excellent write up Skylaw. I've been wondering what to do with mine so will have to go back through this and digest it over time to get my head around the operation of it. In the event that you are just popping around the corner and don't want to connect the phone I assume all the old command functions and radio work as normal. Do you select one of the inputs to bring up the system like aux or MMI?

Also I don't have an apple watch so would not have the full tactile experience but I could buy this for the price of that apple watch????

 

You are correct that if you don't start CarPlay or Android Auto your COMAND works perfectly, as if you had not installed the device. All of the COMAND controls work normally until you start the SmartBox. You turn the SmartBox on by pressing the "Back" button of your COMAND controls on the console, holding it for about 10 seconds (and if you use SIRI, you can use the voice command button on the steering wheel) . You deactivate it by pressing the same button briefly (1-2 seconds). If you exit the car without deactivating it, and nothing is plugged into the MMI, it will start up automatically when you re-enter. If you turn the system off before exiting the car, it will not restart automatically on re-entry - you'll have to use the "Back" button (or voice command button) to restart it.

When you have a chance to digest all of this, you will note that the SmartBox device uses the Video AUX input (from the Video menu on COMAND); MMI uses the audio AUX. If anything is plugged into MMI (audio AUX), it makes the video AUX inaccessible - it is greyed out. That is why MMI or whatever device is plugged into MMI may have to be disconnected, to free up the video AUX and allow the SmartBox to start up. Once that is done, you can reconnect to MMI. Of course, the instructions don't tell you this.

When connected to MMI while using CarPlay, the ability to control selections of music depends on whether the connected device is CarPlay compatible. For example, my iPod is not; I can set a playlist before plugging it in, listen to it, and alter the volume while using CarPlay - but any other changes must be made on the iPod itself. By contrast, my iPhone 11 is fully CarPlay compatible, and all of its music functions can be set and controlled from the CarPlay music app when it is plugged in to the MMI.

I find it mildly annoying when I want to use CarPlay to have to lean over and disconnect the MMI (or alternatively, disconnect whatever device is connected to the MMI cable) , then reconnect after CarPlay starts. I am considering buying something like the Bovee Tune2Air Bluetooth adapter for MMI (NOTE - I did buy one and subsequent posts will reflect that), and seeing if I can arrange the sequencing of the car's BT and the Bovee BT connections, so that I can just leave the phone in my pocket and not make a physical connection to anything (my trips are generally short, so I don't need to charge the phone while driving). But for longer trips, it is good to know that I can connect my phone to the MMI and get my music as well as charge the phone.

Of course, there are CarPlay compatible apps for music sources other than MMI; Spotify, Apple Music, etc. will play from CarPlay, as long as you are subscribed.

Admittedly, I will not use CarPlay on most of my short trips; but because I don't drive as much as I used to, I forget some of the back roads and little-used destinations (especially, emergency medical services, etc - useful as one gets older). There is also a lot of new construction about - and a current map is useful. It will also be a pleasure, going to the beaches or the local airport, not to be told to take 3 nonexistent detours off of the Interstate highway that were done away with when construction was finished 5 years ago.

I have not fully explored the system or CarPlay; I only got it all working 3 days ago. I am no CarPlay expert - but rest assured, I will keep playing with it.

 

Thanks for that. I bought a Bovee from Amazon but returned it. I couldn't get it to work in two different 2007 cars both with the factory fitted iPod cable.

Bovee issue thread here but might try an invery which looks the same or some other Tune2air thing:
W221 Bluetooth Sound Solution?

I might try a different brand one but was also wondering about the new google chrome cast (have one at home and I think it has a guest feature that does not require a wireless network meaning you can connect directly to it - really need to look at it) with a HDMI converter to component output connected to the video input. The only thing is I don't seem to have the video inputs in the glove-box only the iPod cable. TBH I haven't had time to do much checking but my situation seems similar to this one so more research required.
07 S550 no Video Aux? How can I add Video/Audio Aux?

Either way I can test the chromecast theory on the rear system anyway to prove it works or doesn't. The HDMI converter was only €12 on amazon so not a massive investment. If it works the crew in rear seats can use it.

The short term goal is just Bluetooth tunes and further research as to a long term upgrade.

 

SUCCESS!

I bought & installed the Bovee Tune2Air with the MMI connector - it works perfectly! As a result, I can leave my iPhone in my pocket, and connect via Bluetooth to both CarPlay and the music files on the iPhone, without having to unplug or reconnect anything from/to the MMI connector, as described in preceding posts. I just leave the Tune2Air in place. Any changes that need to be made as a result of changing from regular COMAND control to CarPlay and back can be done with the COMAND controls.

In what follows, I am using my iPhone with its 40GB+ iTunes library recorded on the phone as my primary source of music (BTW, sound quality over the Tune2Air is excellent). I do not know if what follows will be the same if you use Spotify or some other CarPlay app as a music source.

Here is the twist: With the Tune2Air, whichever system you use (Audio Aux without CarPlay, or CarPlay via the Video Aux) will control what plays from the iPhone. For example, if I am playing from the iPhone without CarPlay started, COMAND and instrument cluster show what is selected through the regular COMAND controls, and they control what music is playing from the phone. However, if I then start CarPlay, the music will likely switch to whatever I had last selected in CarPlay.

I hope this doesn't muddy the waters - it's much easier to follow when you see it happen. If I have exited the car without turning CarPlay off, when I re-enter, CarPlay comes up on start, and plays the last selection made on the phone via CarPlay. If I have turned CarPlay off before exiting, but did not switch over to Audio Aux (i.e., to normal COMAND control) music will continue in whatever sequence had been selected in CarPlay; and the last song playing when the car was shut down will start, and it may not be the one displayed on COMAND. If, under the same circumstance, I had switched over to Audio Aux before exiting, the song playing and displayed on COMAND under Audio Aux will start. Regardless of what starts out controlling the songs, with a bit of fiddling between audio Aux and video Aux with the COMAND controls you can get the song playibg to agree with what is displayed. The major point is, regardless of whether one begins with CarPlay active or not, you can switch to whichever system you want - COMAND or CarPlay - to select something else, and you do not have to unplug the MMI.

But the bottom line is, I can leave the phone in my pocket, as I said; no need to plug it in to any cable. Of course, for long trips one will want to plug the iPhone into a charger - one can cover that base easily, either with a car charger or using an MMI/Lightning cable instead of the Tune2Air.

Of course, I still get no voice turn by turn instructions - but I get the haptic tap from the Apple Watch, with turn instructions displayed on the screen and on the watch. Interestingly, with no turn pending I also get the music controls displayed on the watch, but haven't tried to use them (eyes off the road - don't want to use the watch to control things while driving).

BTW - All versions of the Apple Watch (even my now-retired "Series 0") have the haptic (or taptic) tap feature; iPhones 7 and above have the taptic engine. While CarPlay will work with iPhones as early as version 5, the iPhone 5 and 6 may not have the taptic feature, and I do not know if they will send the tap for an upcoming turn.

So despite the difficulties, the system meets my needs; I just wish it had been without some of the problems encountered along the way. At least it is a lot less expensive than buying a new car to get current nav maps.

 

Hello Skylaw, had to make an account to reply! I am Barron from JoyeAuto Technology. First of all, what a great write up. Really well written with great pointers.

It’s unfortunate you did not have a good experience with the vendor.

Some quick questions/pointers:
1. Any particular reason why you went against ordering from JoyeAuto Technology?

2. Actually CarPlay uses audio AUX. Were you connecting your phone to the AMI-AUX cable? Everything can be wireless. You do not need to connect your phone to the AMI.

2.a. Your 3.5mm jack aux cable is connected from Audio IN to Audio OUT right? With the AMI plugged in, there’s no sound in CarPlay? The aux you see in your settings would be AUX video then. Activate it in developer settings or try to connect AUDIO out to AMI directly. Though this would mean you would have to bring out the box again.


3. You were not getting turn by turn navigation is most likely you were connected to MB Bluetooth and MB changed the audio setting to Bluetooth audio. Bluetooth channel does not support turn by turn signal. This could have been solved by changing to AUX channel. However AUX channel does not have the same audio quality as Bluetooth obviously and sometimes calls might have an echo due to the nature of AUX. Pros and cons

4. You received an incorrect wiring diagram, so you received an incorrect product initially as well?

Let me know if you are experiencing any other problems like no nav turn by turn. There’s absolutely no need to try to integrate your Apple Watch for any function of Apple CarPlay to work.

Best regards,
Barron


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hello, Barron, and thank you for your thoughtful reply. I will interlineate your post with my responses. and I genuinely appreciate your efforts to address some of the problems I had (and still have).

1. Any particular reason why you went against ordering from JoyeAuto Technology?

This is a peculiar story. While searching the Web for alternatives to the no-longer supported Mercedes W221 nav system, I used the search term "CarPlay." That brought me to the CarPlaySmartbox site, your competitor. My search did not come across JoyeAuto (I wish it had) and I was unaware of your company. During setup according to the instructions, after installing the box, I was looking for a Bluetooth connection called "IDCORE." There was none, I could not find it - the connection that showed was labeled "Joyeauto." I though this strange, and queried the seller; they simply said to go ahead and use that connection, it could be renamed later if I wished (I found that to be true). Curious, I then did a search on JoyeAuto, and found your site. So, in fact, there was no conscious decision on my part to choose CarPlaySmartbox over JoyeAuto.


2. Actually CarPlay uses audio AUX. Were you connecting your phone to the AMI-AUX cable? Everything can be wireless. You do not need to connect your phone to the AMI.

That is a revelation - I will try it. When I was connecting the phone (an iPhone 11 Pro Max) by wire, it was to the MMI (AMI-AUX) via its Lightning connector. Rather than having to lean over to connect the phone every time I wanted to use the system, I am now using a Viseeo Tune2Air connected via the MMI (AMI). I understand you are saying nothing at all needs to be connected to the AMI AUX. However, when I had nothing connected, I did not get any audio when using CarPlay. I'll try again.


2.a. Your 3.5mm jack aux cable is connected from Audio IN to Audio OUT right? With the AMI plugged in, there’s no sound in CarPlay? The aux you see in your settings would be AUX video then. Activate it in developer settings or try to connect AUDIO out to AMI directly. Though this would mean you would have to bring out the box again.

I am not quite sure I am following you on this. What Audio OUT are you speaking of? There is none on the SmartBox unit itself. The only 3.5mm connector in my system setup was the female Audio IN connector that was part of the dual MMI (AMI) connector for my 30-pin iPod (which was disconnected for all parts of this discussion). I ordered a Lightning to 3.5mm male connector and connected the iPhone to that MMI (AMI-AUX) input. I also replaced that with a Lightning to MMI direct cable. Neither provided turn-by-turn instructions, though I could get music and control selections on the iPhone. And yes, having anything connected to the MMI (AMI AUX) inactivates the Video AUX input over which CarPlay seems to be activated. To get CarPlay to start up when I connected the phone by wire, I had to disconnect everything from the MMI (AMI-AUX), start CarPlay via Video Aux on COMAND, then reconnect to the MMI (AMI) AUX to get sound. Connecting via the ViseeO Tune2Air, a Bluetooth device I am using now for music (using the phone as the source), I must sometimes turn CarPlay off and restart it in order to get control of audio selections via CarPlay.

I am curious about the instruction to "Activate it in developer settings or try to connect AUDIO out to AMI directly." Which Audio out? The only one I am using is from my phone; again, there is no Audio Out on the SmartBox I received (the only 3.5mm connector on the box is for the microphone used for telephony; no other 3.5mm jack or cable of any kind was provided with the kit, nor was it addressed in the instructions). And when you say "developer settings" do you mean by Mercedes diagnostics tools such as STAR, or something else?


3. You were not getting turn by turn navigation is most likely you were connected to MB Bluetooth and MB changed the audio setting to Bluetooth audio. Bluetooth channel does not support turn by turn signal. This could have been solved by changing to AUX channel. However AUX channel does not have the same audio quality as Bluetooth obviously and sometimes calls might have an echo due to the nature of AUX. Pros and cons

I am indeed connected and set up via Bluetooth, both the CarPlay app and for music from my iPhone. I did not opt to use wired CarPlay (indeed the vendor advised that switching to wired CarPlay would not solve the problem; I had asked). How would I change to the AUX channel as you suggest? The source of my audio currently is the MMI (AMI-AUX) from my iPhone (connected via Bluetooth through the Tune2Air device, so indeed it is via Bluetooth, but routed through the Audio AUX)). However, when I connected the iPhone by wire (Lightning to MMI), I still did not get turn-by-turn. I printed to 50+ pages of setup instructions provided on the CarPlay SoundBox site and tried to follow them carefully during setup, but still wound up with the situation as I described it - finally, using my Apple Watch to alert me to upcoming turns (which are displayed prperly onscreen - just no audio instruction).


4. You received an incorrect wiring diagram, so you received an incorrect product initially as well?

I do not know if the model numbers I am about to supply correspond to those used by JoyeAuto, but here they are anyway (plus a photo of the label on the device, taken to show the initial problems during installation; note the improper DIP switch settings as discussed at post 2 above) The CarPlay SmartBox folks say two series of boxes are for the 2006-2013 W221 - CSBME-2S and CSBME-3S. First, let me clarify model year designations: In North America, the first W221 was designated a 2007 model; in Europe, as a 2006. In North America, the last W221 model was 2013; the 2014 was a W222, which used an entirely different COMAND system. When I queried CarPlay SmartBox, they told me that the 2S and 3S were the same box except that the LVDS connectors were shaped differently (one round, the other squared). They requested my VIN and a photo of my COMAND contrls, whch I sent. They supplied a CSBME-2S box for my 2013 COMAND 3.5 equipped car, and stated it was the correct box. Indeed, the connectors fit my car's COMAND HU LVDS connectors. The box was not replaced when the discrepancy in the installation instructions became apparent.

My objection to the installation instructions was threefold: 1) the installation video on their site (which was for the 2006-2009 W221s, but said later models were similar) said to place the box itself in a position below the glove box that would partially block cabin air filtration and recirculation; 2) the DIP switch settings provided in the printed instructions were wrong (the printed instructions are labeled WJME-2S; at least the 2S on the instructions corresponded to the 2S designation of the box I had received); and 3) there was absolutely no guidance on which LVDS cable to disconnect from the COMAND head unit (again, I initially color matched the connectors, which was the wrong assumption. Without detailed guidance, one would not ordinarily assume that pink replaced gray rather than pink, in the connection scheme).

Let me know if you are experiencing any other problems like no nav turn by turn. There’s absolutely no need to try to integrate your Apple Watch for any function of Apple CarPlay to work.

If I can set the system up without using the watch, I will, but I may need to rely on a bit more detail in response to my questions above. In the meantime, the watch lets me accomplish what I must (and the Tune2Air setup sometimes requires some fiddling to establish whether the Audio Aux or the VCarPlay will control my music). Once I found your site, I saw that you offer an installation manual - but accessing it requires a password, which I did not ever establish since I was not your customer (and I did not want to try to access it by circumventing the process). I genuinely appreciate your efforts to assist, and I would hope this post guides our forum members to your site rather than the other.

 

Thank you again for all the help; I will try the things you advise.

I misstated when I said the only 3.5mm jack in "my system" was the AMI-AUX cable; I was considering "my system" to be the one that existed prior to installation of the SmartBox. Yes, the two connectors you pointed out are present in the SmartBox system wiring, and I had connected them as shown in your diagram. I will of course check to see if they are still connected, after al the removals and re-installations, and I will get back to you on that and the other suggestions.

INTERIM UPDATE: I have not been able to remove the installation to check connections - very busy with other pressing matters. I will get to that.

However I checked - I do not have a 3.5mm AUX input in the glove compartment, because I have MMI (I do have a USB input in addition to the MMI/AMI socket). The 3.5mm AUX input I have is provided via the split iPod 30-pin/3.5mm cable that can be plugged into the MMI (AMI) socket.

Today I was able to select AUX (not MMI) from the COMAND Audio menu, and connect to the Tune2Air Bluetooth device plugged into the MMI/AMI socket. Having done that I was able to get music without any "fiddling" and the song title was displayed on the instrument cluster. This is an improvement (I was having 2 competing systems try to control music - probably the video AUX and the audio AUX). As you advised, however, I was not able to get voice turn-by-turn since audio was coming over bluetooth. I did verify that I still could not get voice TBT.

Hopefully tomorrow I can try the rest of your suggestions - I will pull the unit, check the male/male 3.5mm cable connections. If they are still connected, then I am still not getting audio AUX from the box. I will disconnect the one end as suggested and plug it into the 3.5mm MMI/AMI connector, and try to get music and TBT (since I would not be using Bluetooth via the Tune2Air device). I will continue to update, and thank you for your assistance.

Once I get all this worked through, I plan to heavily edit this thread to make it more coherent, and let folks know what worked for the W221 (including your wonderful support) instead of all the things that didn't.

 

FINAL UPDATE

I pulled the unit, and the male-to-male 3.5mm cable was still properly connected. I disconnected it from the connection closest to the SmartBox (silver box) as instructed and connected a line from there direct to the MMI (AMI) input; still no luck. No other device was connected via the MMI (AMI) plug, only the Smartbox. I was still unable to get voice turn-by-turn from any of the maps apps I use (though Google Maps did lower the music volume when it tried to send them).

So, I am back to using the Tune2Air (selected via AUX in the COMAND audio menu), and getting the taptic notification of an upcoming turn via my Apple Watch. Fortunately, any version of the Apple Watch, even the original version (Series 0) will deliver the tap if paired with an iPhone 7 or above. I am not certain if they will deliver the tap if paired with earlier iPhones. While I know the system was not designed to have to use an Apple Watch, it looks like the modification to my COMAND setup will have to be made, as you mentioned, to get away from needing one. I will ask my dealership about that.

I want to thank you again for all the assistance you have provided,Barron. While your competitor touched on some of the subjects, they did not do so nearly as clearly as you did. I could understand what you were saying. Overall, the experience leaves me wishing I had chosen JoyeAuto, and if anyone is going to install the SmartBox into their W221, I would recommend they buy from them. Similar versions of the box are also made for a wide variety of Mercedes models and COMAND systems, so check those out.

While there were problems with the installation, due mainly to receiving improper installation instructions, your support was superb, and went above and beyond (especially since I had not bought from you). Thank you again.

Again, I have no business relationship with either company, except as a customer.

Barron, your answers were clear and helpful enough that you might want to establish a relationship as a vendor, which would allow you to advertise on the forum (something not permitted otherwise). If interested, please see Vendor Rules

 

Skylaw and Barron,

Thanks to both of you for putting all of this information in the forum to save everyone else from making the same missteps. I'm looking at the WJME-3S, and while it's a lot of money to put into 12 year old hardware, it seems it adds a LOT of functionality.

I have a 2008 W221 with just the iPod adapter cord in the glove compartment. The cord has seen better days, as I believe it's been twisted and pinched by the glove box door on a number of occasions. I've had the Bovee adapter for the last few years, but we don't really use it much anymore because it doesn't always connect. Especially when different drivers want to use it, it often doesn't switch easily. That cord isn't really needed if I have CarPlay, is it?

Also, I believe I only have the audio aux...is video aux required for this device to work?

TIA

 

Good questions, all.

First, despite all the installation problems I had, I am very happy to have the functionality CarPlay adds. The current maps alone are worth the cost (which was no more expensive than two Mercedes map disc updates). Hopefully, the explanation provided here about installation difficulties, and getting the right instructions in the first place will help. In addition, Barron's support has been top-notch.

The system is designed to work without using the MMI (Multi-Media Interface; some call it AMI, for Audi Media Interface) input in the glove box; but I have not yet been able to make that happen. I am most successful using the Tune2Air bluetooth device to get music (played over the Audio AUX selection on COMAND), and the various Bluetooth connections ("MB" Bluetooth shown on my iPhone is for telephony; "IDCORE" shown on the phone after setup is for the CarPlay, as far as I can tell). The Tune2Air device has its own cord, terminating in an MMI (AMI) connector.

The information from Barron of JoyeAuto, above, that one cannot get spoken Turn-By-Turn instruction over Bluetooth, is accurate - after all of my fooling around with settings, I can confirm, certainly as to my installation in the '13 W221. I can get visual TBT displayed onscreen, and on my Apple Watch (plus a haptic thump on the wrist to notify of a turn). I was experimenting with all kinds of combinations of initial parameters when turning CarPlay on, and various settings, to simplify its use; for one of them, while using a map, I turned CarPlay off in the Settings menu of my phone and immediately got one (and only one) spoken TBT instruction. I repeated this several times, and it occurred to me what was happening. I had been using the Tune2Air as my music source; when I turned off CarPlay on the phone, it disconnected from the IDCORE Bluetooth connection to the SmartBox. With the Bluetooth connection disabled, I got a spoken instruction, together with the music, via the Tune2Air (however, the onscreen maps disappeared from COMAND, since they needed the IDCORE connection). That verifies what Barron had advised.

So, as I have said (buried in all the stuff above), I am successful using CarPlay wirelessly for maps and other applications, and to control my music selections, etc. - but the music input from the phone is via the Tune2Air (I have also used a Lightning to MMI connection from the phone, but it's a bother to keep hooking it up every time you want to use it - except that you can charge the phone that way). I also like having album art displayed, something I have not had before. I have been successful with four navigation map applications (one of which allows download of offline maps - great if you're out of cell tower range). But I use the Tune2Air via the COMAND Audio menu, with "AUX" (not MMI) selected as the source. As to the taptic thump for turns, any series of Apple Watch will deliver that - all the way back to the original Series 0. The Series 0 can be had for not a lot of money ($75-$100 currently).

One other thing is that SIRI must be activated on the phone before CarPlay will function (but my car will not deliver the SIRI commands to CarPlay - when I try to use it, I get feedback saying my car is not equipped for those commands). Still, disabling SIRI on the phone disables CarPlay as well. No big deal - I have never used SIRI to any extent anyway.

I am still trying to puzzle my way through the advice Barron gave regarding using DAS to change the Video AUX to Audio AUX, and making changes in the Logic 7 setup. I want to thoroughly understand that before going forward. Also - you may find the location suggested for the SmartBox, below and slightly aft of your glove box, works better in your '08 S63 than it did in my '13 S550. If you can locate it there, it would be a lot easier to access if wiring changes have to be made than my setup (which always involves removing the COMAND HU and then tryin to stuff the SmartBox, wire harnesses and bulky connectors back into place afterward).

And at 76 years of age, having given up my garage, workbench, and tool storage space to move to an apartment, I don't really want to tackle removing my console (but I appreciate Barron's offer of assistance in doing that, for perhaps a better installation than the one I used).

 

Thanks for the additional info Skylaw. I am impressed the length you have gone to get this all working. It sounds like you have telephony working through the stock MB Bluetooth system? That is something I am missing on the 2008. I have Bluetooth of sorts, but it does not support making/taking calls through my iPhone. It is the old system where the car itself has to have a SIM card and a separate phone plan...not really an option today. I am hoping with this upgrade I can answer calls through the stock microphone/speakers using CarPlay. Do you know if this is possible?

I'm really hoping this device is what I am looking for. I like most everything about this car, but the electronics are dated and very difficult to replace given their tight integration with the car. I have an '06 Porsche CTTS that is similar. Beautiful cars if they can be kept up to date.

 

The SmartBox provided a separate microphone (I mounted in just above the mirror, near the OE mics). The Bluetooth connections on my phone show that it connects to the Car's Bluetooth (telephony); to IDCORE (for the CarPlay); to the Tune2Air (for music on the phone, which is separate from telephony) and to my Apple Watch. If I am not using CarPlay, the phone works as normal. When I use the CarPlay phone app, everything still works - I can make and receive calls, but I believe they use the separate mic.

I am seeing my dealership this week to see if changes can be made to AUX settings so that the Tune2Air will not be necessary. The SmartBox is designed to make music and turn by turn voice instructions via a wired comnection that is part of its harness. However, with standard factory COMAND AUX settings, this has not been possible so far (at least, for me). Hopefully the changes can be made, and all I would have to do to use all of the features of CarPlay is just get into the car with the SmartBox powered up - no fiddling with AUX settings to get CarPlay rather than audio AUX controlling the music, and with voice turn-by-turn.

 

FINAL UPDATE ON VOICE TURN BY TURN: My dealership could see the changes that were advised to be made on DAS, but was not permitted by the DAS software to make them. The changes were blocked on DAS. Therefore I am going to continue to use the Tune2 Air, and get TBT instructions visually and via taptic notification over my Apple Watch (at least I get the tap when using the Apple Map app; so far not with Waze, Google Maps or TomTom Go; they briefly interrupt music instead, but still no voice TBT).

While I am happy to be able to use wireless CarPlay for navigation (and could use Android Auto if I wished) and can access all of the functions (except voice turn-by-turn), I believe that the SmartBox manufacturers need either to redesign the system, or else to provide explicit instruction for the changes that need to be made to Mercedes COMAND AUX setup. Sellers need to inform customers of the possible limitations regarding voice turn-by-turn. Selling a device that needs this much adaptation, leaving it to the owner to figure out, is a very poor marketing choice.

 

THE SIMPLEST WAY TO GET UP AND RUNNING:

After working with the system for a few weeks now, here are some more observations, including the simplest way I have found to get the system up and running with the fewest problems on startup. The steps discussed in post 11 above can sometimes result in a LOT of fiddling with COMAND controls, especially if the system doesn't get started up properly and you have to find out why. If this happens to you, and you are sure all of your initial setup was done properly, the first thing to go to your phone in the CarPlay "setup" screen, and reboot it; CarPlay will then usually start up. But to even avoid this happening, try the steps below.

I begin with the assumption that all of the proper system settings were made during initial setup. The downloadable instructions provided for that were OK. Second, I find it easiest to simply leave the SmartBox "on"so that it starts up when the car starts. Third, I have found that if anything is connected to the MMI input in the glove box, it will keep the system from starting properly - usually the CarPlay screen will display, and may tell you music is playing, when in fact there is no sound. One solution if that happens is to unplug whatever is plugged into the MMI, then plug it back in again. That usually clears the problem, but is an annoyance. Another way is to use the steering wheel controls to select Telephone or Navi on the instrument cluster, using the steering wheel button, then switch back to"Audio" and change the song selection on the cluster (I will usually change to the next song, then go back). That will usually get music playing while CarPlay is active. But there is a better way.

When using CarPlay I normally have four things connected to my iPhone via Bluetooth: My Apple watch, the MB Bluetooth (for cellular calls), the Tune2Air Bluetooth device I use for music (from the phone, connected via MMI), and the SmartBox IDCORE Bluetooth CarPlay channel (Since I was away from the car when the screen shot below was taken, several were obviously not connected). When the car is started, inevitably the Tune2Air connects first, and prevents the IDCORE channel from connecting. The solution: On the phone, in the Settings>Bluetooth menu, disconnect the Tune2Air Bluetooth channel for a moment. It serves the same purpose as physically disconnecting from MMI. IDCORE will then begin to connect, and you can reconnect the Tune2Air channel after a second or so. You will then have access to CarPlay apps as well as music. You can control the music selection either using the steering wheel controls or the rotary knob making selections on the CarPlay screen. Both work. Essentially, the problem boils down to a connection sequencing problem between the IDCORE (the 3rd party box) and the Tune2Air; if the IDCORE connects first, and the Tune2Air after, it all works well.

One does not have to use CarPlay to listen to music; you can leave CarPlay off entirely if you wish, and just use your COMAND and instrument cluster as usual. But if you want to display album art in our W221s, or use CarPlay maps or other apps together with music, you will want to use it.

Lastly, the Apple Watch and MB Bluetooth channels do not cause any problems with CarPlay. When you have it up and running as discussed here, all of the Bluetooth channels will show "Connected."

Hope that helps.

 

@Skylaw thanks for the great write-up and info! I have 3 questions if you don't mind.

Am I correct in understanding that you need to revert the display to Command in order to control, the seats, HVAC display, etc.?

How do you navigate the CarPlay display? Does the Command wheel function to select icons and give subsequent input when inside an app?

Does the Command display need to be "on" for the backup camera to work?

I wish their website had a video of the user interface actually being used. It's only shown for a very brief moment in the install video.

 

Responding to each -

Am I correct in understanding that you need to revert the display to Command in order to control, the seats, HVAC display, etc.?

Yes, that is correct, in order to get to the displays normally shown on COMAND; however, it is simple and usually uncomplicated. With CarPlay activated, I use the "back" button on the center console to revert to the normal COMAND screen; make the choices I want, and then use the "Back" button again to revert to CarPlay.

How do you navigate the CarPlay display? Does the Command wheel function to select icons and give subsequent input when inside an app?

Yes, the COMAND wheel is used to make CarPlay selections.

Does the Command display need to be "on" for the backup camera to work?

You need make no changes to the display. With CarPlay activated, simply shifting into reverse will bring up the backup camera; shifting back to a forward gear will restore the CarPlay screen. On occasion, I will have no music after doing that - all that is necessary is to shift the song selected (but not playing) to the next or preceding song, then back again, using the steering wheel buttons. In addition to being displayed on the CarPlay screen, the selected song continues to be displayed in the instrument cluster MFD.

I wish their website had a video of the user interface actually being used. It's only shown for a very brief moment in the install video.

I agree. After all the growing pains, I find most of the problems easy to work around. After starting the car I may not get the CarPlay screen when I want it. Usually that happens because I started making changes before my phone had fully synched up. The workaround, if the setup menu appears rather than CarPlay, is to scroll down and reboot the phone. If that doesn't work, the problem is usually that the IDCORE Bluetooth connection failed; I simply select it manually on the phone, allow it to synch in, and the CarPlay logo will appear on the COMAND screen; soon after, CarPlay synchs in, and everything works. These problems appear (occasionally) right after I start the car, so I have not started driving and applying the workarounds is simple.

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@Skylaw thanks for the info, I'll have to seriously consider doing this.

 

Great - if you do, consider JoyeAuto as your source. I have no business relationship with them, and even though I did not buy from them, their rep (BarronCarPlay, above) offered tremendous assistance. Mercedes Wireless Apple CarPlay Solution – Joyeauto Technology

While the solution is not as smooth as a car designed from the beginning for CarPlay, it is workable without too much difficulty, once you get used to it. I also note that the system provides options for screen mirroring (meaning you can watch whatever is happening on your iPhone), as well as both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

ONE MORE THING, as Steve Jobs used to say - Yesterday I had an opportunity to compare the accuracy and usability of the original MB COMAND 3.5 nav system to the TomTom Go app in Carplay. The 210 mile round trip route I drove was on roads that had existed for a long time, no recent construction (except widening), so the original 2013 vintage MB maps should still have been good. TomTom Go has downloadable (and updatable) maps, so it is not dependent on being within range of cell towers (as Apple Maps are). I ran the MB maps on COMAND, and TomTom Go in parallel on my cell phone (with my wife watching the phone). They matched perfectly in the route and turn info provided, though TomTom Go adapted more quickly when I overrode the maps' planned route at one point (to take a slightly longer route but one with much less traffic; the shortest route took me past all the huge Orlando entertainment complexes on New Years Eve, and they were jammed). The exercise built my confidence in using at least one map app available in CarPlay; I will try others soon enough.

 

Appena finito di montare oggi Joyeauto interfaccia sulla mia W205 C Class NTG5 anno 2015. Telefono Android + Retrocamera aftermarket. Funziona tutto...unica cosa fastidiosa è che quando voglio trasmettere video o musica da mirroring occorre fare 2 passaggi: 1) far partire il Video musicale da Telefono selezionando AUX 1 (aggiunta opzionalmente con interfaccia Joyeauto) 2) Una volta partito Video musicale devo andare a selezionare Uscita Interfaccia Bluetooth altrimenti non si sente l'Audio. Un pò laborioso ma funziona piuttosto bene. Per quanto riguarda la Retrocamera aftermarket, funziona bene ma occorre un filtro sull'alimentazione diretta della telecamera per stabilizzare la tensione in quanto una volta inserita la retromarcia la tensione è un po' ballerina. L'ho già ordinato con 12,49 Eur su amazon. Ora ho Navigatore Google Map che funziona bene vedo ed ascolto contenuti media, foto etc...

 

Here's an English translation - thanks for your comments, Ermans!

Just finished mounting Joyeauto interface today on my W205 C Class NTG5 year 2015. Android phone + Aftermarket rear view camera. Everything works ... the only annoying thing is that when I want to stream video or music from mirroring, 2 steps must be taken: 1) start the Music Video from the Phone by selecting AUX 1 (optionally added with Joyeauto interface) 2) Once I have started Music Video I have to go to select Bluetooth Interface Output otherwise no Audio is heard. A little laborious but it works pretty well. As for the aftermarket rear view camera, it works well but a filter is needed on the direct power supply of the camera to stabilize the voltage as once the reverse gear is engaged, the voltage is a bit 'ballerina. I have already ordered it with 12.49 Eur on amazon. Now I have Google Map Navigator that works well I see and listen to media content, photos etc ...