Hey everyone, I have a question… has anyone been dealing with random disconnects of Apple CarPlay over USB? It seems like my devices cell completely freezes when I try to reconnect.
My CarPlay connection is mostly stable, both wirelessly and through USB. I do experience random disconnects sometimes, but it usually reconnects within seconds.
smart1 said:
My CarPlay connection is mostly stable, both wirelessly and through USB. I do experience random disconnects sometimes, but it usually reconnects within seconds.
That’s good to hear. Honestly, it feels like my EQE is just full of problems at this point 
@Blaine
I can relate to that. I’ve had the same issue with no clear pattern or reason behind it. I’ve switched cables and tried different USB-C ports, but it hasn’t really helped. Sometimes, I just have to lock the car and wait about 10 minutes, and then everything works fine again. It’s annoying, but it could be worse.
@Mikel
I’ve had to do the same! It feels like it’s gotten worse. I’ve had to lock it and walk away a couple of times in one day. I’ve also used the onboard maps a few times since CarPlay doesn’t guide me anymore. It’s quite ridiculous.
Definitely reach out to Mercedes customer support and start a case. Ask them for 5GHz CarPlay support. The EQ models usually run on the 2.4GHz channel which can get crowded with wireless devices.
Joss said:
Definitely reach out to Mercedes customer support and start a case. Ask them for 5GHz CarPlay support. The EQ models usually run on the 2.4GHz channel which can get crowded with wireless devices.
By the way, do you know what MBUX version you have?
@Joss
I’m not sure! The car is at the repair shop right now. I think I’ll ask my rep about the 5GHz option.
Blaine said:
@Joss
I’m not sure! The car is at the repair shop right now. I think I’ll ask my rep about the 5GHz option.
That option isn’t available yet, but the hardware supports it. The MBUX software team needs to enable support for phone projection. I’ve been requesting this since February 2023, but every three months, my case gets closed due to lack of market interest. Your dealer rep probably won’t know much about 5GHz CarPlay.
@Joss
That’s interesting. I’ll keep that in mind. I really prefer USB just for the better audio quality. I just think it’s odd that it can disconnect over USB and freeze the MBUX system.
Blaine said:
@Joss
That’s interesting. I’ll keep that in mind. I really prefer USB just for the better audio quality. I just think it’s odd that it can disconnect over USB and freeze the MBUX system.
With 5GHz CarPlay, we would not only get a more reliable wireless connection but also buffered playback. That would eliminate the input latency with play and pause actions, and it might even support video playback and other features for the next generation of CarPlay. Wired CarPlay won’t see any of these improvements. I’m going to keep pushing for 5GHz CarPlay; if more of us ask, there’s a chance we might actually get it. If not, once the CLA electric launches, we’ll be left without updates.
Do you experience this issue over wireless as well?
Noel said:
Do you experience this issue over wireless as well?
Not too often, but I do have some dropouts.
This seems like a cable issue. Keep in mind that not all cables are the same, especially with USB-C.
Shan said:
This seems like a cable issue. Keep in mind that not all cables are the same, especially with USB-C.
I thought that might be the problem, but I’ve tested it with five different USB-C cables. Three from Apple and two from Mercedes. Sadly, all of them have the same issue. I went to my EQC, and the connection was stable. No dropouts during a one-hour drive. Plus, if it were just a cable problem, it shouldn’t freeze or mess up my MBUX.
I had a similar issue with my EQB, but it stopped after I cleaned my iPhone’s lightning port with isopropyl alcohol. You might want to clean your phone’s port, and if that doesn’t help, clean the car’s USB-C port as well.
@Jaden
That’s interesting. I’ll try that once my car is back. Did it cause your MBUX to freeze?
Blaine said:
@Jaden
That’s interesting. I’ll try that once my car is back. Did it cause your MBUX to freeze?
No, but I have the digital dash, not the hyper screen. If Apple CarPlay froze, I could still press home and access the regular UI.
@Jaden
Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t explain myself well. My Devices cell freezes, and when I try to access Devices through the home menu or vehicle settings, it just bugs out and can’t connect or show anything. It freezes on the Connect a new device screen. I don’t have the hyper screen!
@Blaine
That still might be a port issue. Have you tried using someone else’s phone?