CarPlay greyed out, but Android connection still available

Technical Area Electrics & ICE
1
  1. My model of MX-5 is: __ NC (3.5)
  2. I’m based near: __ Manchester
  3. I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __ CarPlay / Android head unit

Can I pick the hive mind? I had a CarPlay head unit fitted to my car a year ago (great bit of tech, I love it!)

Over the past week, I’ve lost CarPlay from my head unit (has been paired and working fine till then)

It still offers me an Android connection, still does DAB radio, and still lets me make phone calls (so bluetooth connection to my phone is working). But CarPlay has been greyed out for a week or so now.

Am I right in remembering something about CarPlay won’t work without the GPS aerial, whereas the Android equivalent will? (I suspect the GPS “puck” has got knocked)

** EDIT **: This is a Kenwood DMX7722 unit

Any insights or enlightenment gratefully received

Nick

2

Not sure what head unit you have but mine has a screen in the settings menu where I can see how many live satellites the puck can see.

It would tell you if the gps is functioning.

Also - a while back my Android auto stopped working - it needed an update to get it working again.

1 Like
3

Aha! Found it!

I knew I’d read something somewhere. It was lurking on page 11 of the Kenwood DMX7722 user manual - see screen clip here.

A seemingly innocent sentence:
" It is necessary to connect the GPS aerial in order to use wireless Apple CarPlay."

In other words: Android will connect just fine and dandy even if you’ve lost connection to the GPS puck - but CarPlay won’t!

1742370165627
1742370165627268×215 21.1 KB

1 Like
4

If you’re using it currently wirelessly try plugging the USB flylead in, it may re-establish the connection again.

5

Thanks Mick. I have tried the USB flylead connection (a couple of times), and that has also not given me a CarPlay connection (although it did before). So I am increasingly suspecting that the USB puck has got knocked (we’d located it on the back of the transmission tunnel, and I suspect it gets knocked when I slide back the cover on the central cubby-hole)

6

Where did the antenna get located Nick? Under the centre cover?

Just that you should still get very good satellite pickup if it’s up under the dash and there should be less chance of disturbance.

There’s a cross member up there that works well and can be reached up and round to the left, when you have the headunit out.

2 Likes
7

I’ve got a car electrician coming over on Monday to give me a hand in sorting this. He’s more experienced at dismantling car trim than I am! :grin: We’ll try relocating the GPS puck to that cross-member under the dashboard

At the moment, it is under the centre cover, behind the storage box (and getting knocked by the storage box lid, I think).

I’ll report back! And thank you to everyone for kind thoughts and suggestions

1 Like