Android Auto for the 718 - via USB or wireless?

[moonigan]

I've just enabled this today on a 2021 Cayman by flashing the PCM with the latest firmware which automatically enabled Android Auto. I suspect this is what a previous poster paid £100 to complete. The biggest challenge was downloading the firmware which has download speeds that the 1990's would be disappointed with.

The only thing I had to purchase was a full size SD card and a reader to connect it to my PC. Then its just a case of copying the files to the SD card and then sticking it in the car. Process takes around 15 mins and is slightly hairy as a loss of power during the update would have almost certainly bricked the PCM.

[jeebsy]

Yorkshire VAG (via their man in Paisley) did mine too. Recommended. Sometimes it's worth the money to let a professional do these things, although the DIY does sound pretty simple.

[PetrolHeadPete]

moonigan said:

The biggest challenge was downloading the firmware

Where did you download from?

[moonigan]

PetrolHeadPete said:

Where did you download from?

Downloads here
https://mibsolution.one/

More info here
https://github.com/Mr-MIBonk/M.I.B._More-Incredibl...

I’ll put the version I used somewhere more accessible. All you need to do then is copy it to a FAT32 full size SD card. I didn’t bother with the updated grace note database or the most recent maps because all I wanted was Android Auto.

[PetrolHeadPete]

That would be great!
Looks like the downloads link needs a pwd and links from the main MIB page dont work...

Edited by PetrolHeadPete on Wednesday 20th March 09:18

[moonigan]

PetrolHeadPete said:

That would be great!
Looks like the downloads link needs a pwd and links from the main MIB page dont work...

Edited by PetrolHeadPete on Wednesday 20th March 09:18

This should work on any PCM 4.0 car pre 23 that doesn't already have Android Auto

Download - Expires in a week.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlOmQTM2WFSyk9V53cEBGzfJL4Im1Q...

This is the AIO update and these are the instructions for running the update:
https://github.com/harman-f/MHI2_MIB2_AIO_FW_Updat...

You need to use 7z to extract the files then simply copy the contents of the folder to the root of the SD card (needs to be a full size card not a micro in an adapter)
Turn on the ignition and let the system full initialise
Put the SD card into slot 1 (closest to passenger seat) and after a few seconds the screen will go blank.

There are no gracenote updates in the download so it will generate an error when it gets to this part. Just click through and it will continue. The last part it runs a final script. On my car it sat at 0% for what felt like an eternity and then completed without counting up to 100%.

I think Android Auto only works wired in the central console.
Good luck!

[PetrolHeadPete]

many thanks!

[jeebsy]

moonigan said:

This should work on any PCM 4.0 car pre 23 that doesn't already have Android Auto

Download - Expires in a week.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlOmQTM2WFSyk9V53cEBGzfJL4Im1Q...

This is the AIO update and these are the instructions for running the update:
https://github.com/harman-f/MHI2_MIB2_AIO_FW_Updat...

You need to use 7z to extract the files then simply copy the contents of the folder to the root of the SD card (needs to be a full size card not a micro in an adapter)
Turn on the ignition and let the system full initialise
Put the SD card into slot 1 (closest to passenger seat) and after a few seconds the screen will go blank.

There are no gracenote updates in the download so it will generate an error when it gets to this part. Just click through and it will continue. The last part it runs a final script. On my car it sat at 0% for what felt like an eternity and then completed without counting up to 100%.

I think Android Auto only works wired in the central console.
Good luck!

Does this show a dedicated button for Android Auto, or is it overlaid on top of an existing button like this?

[moonigan]

jeebsy said:

Does this show a dedicated button for Android Auto, or is it overlaid on top of an existing button like this?

That issue is fixed in this version. Its a dedicated button.

[Tony B2]

Any other updates/changes within the same file?

Did you mention something on Maps?

[moonigan]

Tony B2 said:

Any other updates/changes within the same file?

Did you mention something on Maps?

Map are updated separately by downloading the maps onto an SD card and then updating from within PCM. I'm not bothered about updated maps as I will use Android Auto all the time.

[chris.t]

• * WARNING NUMPTY ALERT ***

I have a 718 GT4 '21 plate. Will either the Carlink5 or the NM Automotive work with my car. Not sure what PCM is on it or if it is Android Auto compatible, which is what I want to use with it. All I know is I can answer my phone via the pcm! Any info/help will be gratefully received. C

[jay2000]

I have the carlink5 on my 718GT4 and it works well but just got to watch the power drain on the phone.

[chris.t]

jay2000 said:

I have the carlink5 on my 718GT4 and it works well but just got to watch the power drain on the phone.

So I guess the phone gets pretty hot. I'm going to wait til Prime day to make up my mind.

[jeebsy]

chris.t said:

*** WARNING NUMPTY ALERT ***

I have a 718 GT4 '21 plate. Will either the Carlink5 or the NM Automotive work with my car. Not sure what PCM is on it or if it is Android Auto compatible, which is what I want to use with it. All I know is I can answer my phone via the pcm! Any info/help will be gratefully received. C

plug your phone into the usb in the armrest and if android auto starts up, you've got that much at least. if not you'll need it activated. first time you might need to unlock your phone to begin using AA.

i've been using an AAWireless box for several years (in a couple of Audis and now my Cayman) and it works great.

[chris.t]

jeebsy said:

chris.t said:

*** WARNING NUMPTY ALERT ***

I have a 718 GT4 '21 plate. Will either the Carlink5 or the NM Automotive work with my car. Not sure what PCM is on it or if it is Android Auto compatible, which is what I want to use with it. All I know is I can answer my phone via the pcm! Any info/help will be gratefully received. C

plug your phone into the usb in the armrest and if android auto starts up, you've got that much at least. if not you'll need it activated. first time you might need to unlock your phone to begin using AA.

i've been using an AAWireless box for several years (in a couple of Audis and now my Cayman) and it works great.

Just plugged the phone in as you suggested, and nothing happened. Car on, phone on, and nothing. So will getting the Carlink dongle allow me to use my android phone with my car's PCM without any mods being done to the car? Thank you for your patience👍

[jeebsy]

the dongles only enable android auto to run wirelessly if the head unit (to speak in old money) supports android auto already. if android auto isn't enabled on your car then using a dongle won't do anything.

when you say nothing happened, a button didn't appear on the home screen for android auto? did you phone get a notification to allow android auto? if not, you'd need someone to update your PCM (or DIY) to enable android auto.

[mabosh]

jeebsy said:

the dongles only enable android auto to run wirelessly if the head unit (to speak in old money) supports android auto already. if android auto isn't enabled on your car then using a dongle won't do anything.

when you say nothing happened, a button didn't appear on the home screen for android auto? did you phone get a notification to allow android auto? if not, you'd need someone to update your PCM (or DIY) to enable android auto.

This is not quite correct. No 718s have AA enabled or usable straight from the factory but the PCM is capable of running it either via a dongle or coding/updating the PCM.

The dongles mentioned above will provide wireless AA as long as the car was built with wired Apple CarPlay (2017 model year onwards I think). You only need the dongle, no other kit or DIY work.

I have the NM Automotive dongle in my 2022 Cayman GTS. It essentially tricks the PCM into running AA wirelessly via the CarPlay icon on the PCM. It works very well and usually fires up quicker than AA in our Cupra Born.

[jeebsy]

Fair enough, I didn't know some of the dongles could do that. AAWireless (which I use) doesn't have that functionality and needs AA in the car already to run. Sounds like one of those will meet the other poster's needs.

[chris.t]

Thanks for your help with this, it is much appreciated. I've just plugged my phone into the armrest usb and connected to the car's wifi. See the attached photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WwGvopQaz2PmotUb7

What I'm going to do is get Amazon to send me the Carlinkit5. If it doesn't work, I'll send it back.

I had to pop into Cridfords (independent in Exhurst) yesterday. They have retrofitted AA to PCMs. Their quote for doing the work came to just shy of £1k!

Edited by chris.t on Friday 12th July 08:59