CarPlay Questions

iOS
#1

So I installed a shiny new headunit in my Wifes car yesterday. A Pioner AVH-Z3100DAB.

This this is waaaaay more responsive than the AVIC F20BT it replaces, although that’s not surprising given it’s 8 years newer. The interface and options for the unit itself are nice enough, DAB+ is very nice although we will see how it actually goes reception wise. In the one drive I went on today it cut out at one stage, but only for about 30 seconds. Most of the time we would be using streaming music anyway. Mostly I’m looking forward to iOS12 bringing Waze support (which is probably the driving factor in me pulling the pin on the new unit!).

But the questions.

It seems that Overcast and Google Play Music are both apps with current CarPlay support and I have seen them work, but most of the time they seem to drop to a black screen when you select them on the headunit. If you control them from the Phone they are working fine and if I switch to the iPod setting on the headunit I can see what’s playing along with controls for play/pause skip etc. But just no dice in CarPlay. Has anyone seen this sort of issue? I haven’t tried my Wifes 6S to see if that makes a difference, but this is using my 8+ if that makes a difference.

Interestingly the Pioneer “AppRadio” function seems to work passably and does allow Waze right now. It does bring it’s own little issues and doesn’t look like it’s been updated in any significant way in a long (long long) time. I’ll be happy not to use this once iOS12 is released.

CarPlay compatible head units in Australia?
#2

I tend to download podcasts to Overcast if I want to listen to them on CarPlay. Using factory fitted VW unit.

#3

I’ve just gone out and tested my Wifes 6S and hers seems to work flawlessly.

So, if I plug in the 8+ it initially starts up OK, Play Music is working fine and I can navigate and play music. If I tap Maps it switches to that then when I try to switch back to Play Music (or Overcast) I get a black screen. Music plays the fine in the background the whole time.

Disconnecting and reconnecting the phone doesn’t seem to help.

I can plug in my Wifes phone and hers continues to work without issue.
Switch back to mine, still dead.
Back to hers, works fine… and so on.

Both running iOS 11.4 too.

Seems this is an issue with the 8+ . :frowning:

#4

I’m using an X

I think CarPlay is the best reason to use apple music and siri

#5

I ditched Overcast a year or so ago in part because of flakey CarPlay at the time. PocketCasts is much better for me, but it does occasionally have a freak out. I think it’s more to do with CarPlay than the app - as CarPlay is an XML driven interface not something the app can dictate. I’ve seen weirdness where the play pause buttons get out of sync for example. But on the whole, it’s still a total game changer! :smiley:

#6

We used to be Apple Music people, but Ad free Youtube Red + Music for the same money was a better option for us.

If I ever get into outdoor running the whole Apple Music on the Watch will be tempting, for now it’s either walking places where I take my phone or indoor stuff where it’s with me too.

In the car I always have the phone so Google Music was great. Even now I get most of the functionality, I just have to not use the CarPlay integrations and kick it off form the phone itself after which I can play/pause/skip and get album art.

#7

Out of interest what did it cost you? I’m visiting my local car audio guy on Saturday to have the conversation about getting CarPlay installed in my older Mazda 3. But have no idea yet of possible $$.

#8

I think mine was around $1100 a couple of years ago (before there were many head unit options) including a reversing camera.

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#9

Mazda3 is very easy. Can almost DIY

#10

I am planning to put CarPlay into my 2011 Mazda 3 with the bose sound system and nav.
The Bluetooth in the head unit is abysmal.
I would really like to get the top end Kenwood and get two cameras at the same time*, but would like wireless CarPlay, which seems to really mean pioneer or alpine at the moment. The alpine seems too limited.

The pioneer though has an inferior screen to the Kenwood, the Kenwood being a capacitive HD screen compared to resistive 800*400 on the pioneer. On the other hand, maybe due to the angle of the dash, maybe it would be easier to see a resistive screen in daylight? Also wouldn’t the capacitive screen be more responsive?

  • I particularly like the idea of the Kenwood dashcam that works with the head unit to provide warnings you are getting too close to the car in front, that the car in front has moved on, and lane departure warnings. The little entropys will soon get their licences and a think this would be helpful.
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#11

So I go the AVH-Z3100DAB from Ryda.com and it was only $495 shipped thanks to a 20% off eBay coupon. It’s worth watching out for these coupons as they cam make some really great deals.

I installed the unit myself and I have to say that the touch screen while it’s still resistive is sooooo much better than the old AVIC F20BT it replaced, it rivals capacitive really. The unit is very responsive and works damn well (except for the issue with my iPhone 8+, although if I don’t switch to maps and back it works perfectly). I will say that while the screen is the same res on the new unit as the old one at 800 x 480, I think the old one looked a little cleaner, but strangely I only say that when using CarPlay, the native interface looks perfect.

DAB+ is nice to have, it does tend to drop out when driving around although I think that’s more about DAB+ than this particular unit. It’s probably not worth the extra $$ to get the DAB function. It does have FM as well so it’s all good.

The unit does have a small fan inside which is noisy enough that I noticed it, although that was stopped without the engine on. I’ve never noticed it in use while driving but it’s worth mentioning.

I would have liked getting the 7" version for it’s much cleaner look, but for literally twice the money I couldn’t justify the extra cost.

Bottom line, I’d probably buy this unit (or the non DAB version) again providing I can work out the CarPlay issue.

#12

Unfortunately my Fiesta S 2015 model seems like a very complicated install to get a CarPlay unit functioning. I specced the car with the Sony sound system when I bought it which sounds amazing, but is also pretty uncommon, so finding a proper dash kit for it is quite difficult. I would loooove to get a CarPlay stereo installed but I don’t think it’s very viable :disappointed:

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#13

AVC: looks like you can get a complete kit for your car, doesn’t look easy though.
https://aerpro.com/vehicles/ford/ford_fiesta_2008_ws_wt_wz

2 Likes
#14

This is one of those things I hate about modern vehicles, everything is built in making aftermarket head units that much harder to install, especially when they integrate all the AC controls into the screen.

That Fiesta one actually looks pretty straight forward, only one set of buttons which are available from a pretty accessible provider too. Hell, they even have all the wiring harnesses so it is almost 100% plug and play… that said I bet there are a few bucks worth of parts there to make it all happen making it a little harder to justify the cost of the upgrade.

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#15

The fascia kit is only $168 from Ryda. Might be worth investigating.

Thanks @Entropy!

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#16

And all the wiring bits?

#17

What’s the pioneer screen like in bright sunlight? That would be a key advantage of the pioneer resistive screen over the kenwood’s capacitive screen I would think
Also, see what you mean to get wireless CarPlay on pioneer. The money they are asking is unreasonable

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#18

Well yes, those will add up :unamused:

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#19

At this stage I can only really talk to the older model as I haven’t had enough experience with the new on yet. Ask me again in a few weeks after I travel interstate and back with the unit.

On the old AVIC. other than direct sunlight reflecting back at you it was very good even on the brightest of days. The VW Multivan it lives in is particularly bad with angle and placement of the head unit too.

The only complaint I had was when wearing sun glasses to cut glare at dusk/dawn when the headlights were on the unit would dim itself and be hard to see (because of the sun glasses). I kept thinking about putting in a hard toggle switch to disconnect the headlight sense wire for this limited use case… but I would assume the same issue applies to all units in this situation.

#20

Ooh, my sunnies are polarised. The resistive screen in the Santa Fe looks terrible. I hadn’t thought of that!