- My model of MX-5 is: __2024 2.0 Exclusive Line RF
- I’m based near: __Crewe
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __getting android auto to work. I know android auto on this model only works in wired mode. I use android auto with the same phone and cable in my other car with no problems at all (not a Mazda). However, in this car, it doesn’t connect. I connect the phone to the lower of the 2 USB-C ports. Then it looks like it might work (the little android auto icon on the mazda connect opening screen changes colour to light blue) but then it says words to the effect of “cannot connect to android auto” and the icon then greys out. Is there a specific sequence to follow when connecting? Should I start the car, then connect the phone? Or connect the phone prior to starting? Wireless apple car play works just fine. Any hints would be very welcome - thanks in advance!
Are you using a decent quality lead? Have you got any others to try?
Yes. The same lead works fine in my other car, it’s the one that came with the phone. Other leads also work in the other car.
I might be mistaken, but I thought the phone connection was supposed to be in the upper usb port?
Not for the usb c version
That is a generic USB symbol. I’m positive I’ve seen previous images in other 2024 models which have a specific mobile phone icon beside the top USB port. No harm in trying the other slot 
So I seem to have figured this out. It’s not the phone, it’s not the cable, it’s not even which USB-C I plug the cable into. It’s all to do with what’s plugged into the other USB-C, and the order in which things are plugged in. None of this, of course, is explained in any of the manuals I have downloaded and searched…
If there is anything that reads data plugged into one of the USB-Cs, e.g. my 32GB pen drive with music on, then Android Auto (AA) will not connect.
If I plug the phone into the car before pressing the start button in the car, AA will not connect.
If however, the other USB port is empty, then I can use either USB port to plug the phone cable into, and provided that I plug the phone in AFTER I’ve started the car’s electrics, AA will connect.
If, once AA is connected, I want to use the pen drive as well, then that appears to work if it is plugged in last of all.
Interestingly, coming from an ND1 in which I used Mazda AIO Tweaks to hack the old infotainment system to use AA on that, the new infotainment system is just as laggy as the old one. Progress, hey?
What a faff. In my other car, a 2018 model, everything AA just works no matter what’s plugged in where and in whichever order I decide to connect things.
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What leads you to believe AA only works in wired mode? It should also work wirelessly - it’s usually necessary to connect via a wire the first time but you should then be able to enable wireless AA. You will need to enable bluetooth on your phone and most likely pair it to bluetooth on your car as well (bluetooth is used to initiate the connection, although wireless AA then transfers data via wifi). Once wireless AA is enabled you can plug whatever you like in your usb slots.
Bluetooth has to be active even when AA is being used in wired mode. There are 2 reasons why I know it works only in wired mode.
- I’ve tried to use it wirelessly and in the phone settings where is should be possible to enable it - if the infotainment system allows it, it greys out the “wireless AA” option so it cannot be initiated. So that’s the car telling the phone it’s wired AA only.
- I called the supplying dealer about this and they said, yes, it’s wired AA only with this model.
If it is the latest incarnation with the larger display the brochure states clearly 'wireless ’ so either you have the older model or more likely, the dealership is lying.
Build date: 30th August 2024. The infotainment system screen is a completely different shape and different graphics to the one I had in my ND1, so I think that means it’s the new one.
Doesn’t actually matter whether the dealer is lying or not, AA simply does not work in wireless mode, and - so far at least - it seems no one knows how to get it to work in wireless mode, if indeed it can
I am pretty certain you are missing a step somewhere. I would suggest completely unpairing your car and phone from each other, resetting your Mazda Connect and starting the process from scratch. Once all settings are cleared, enable bluetooth on your phone and go to the connectivity settings in the car and initiate pairing from there, during the pairing process be sure to accept any/all permissions prompted on your mobile device.
Sometimes if these things don’t correctly go through the full sequence certain permissions are not applied. The 2024 Exclusive line definitely has both wireless AA and Carplay.
It really does matter that they have lied to you. It is a new car and they should not only know the specifications but should be actively helping you to connect your phones. It is what they get paid to do.
This may or may not be relevant here but I purchased a wireless dongle for our ND2 that would not connect. I could see everything in the car on the phone, even on a laptop but it refused to work. Subsequently I learnt that there are two speeds for wi-fi and that the dongle and my phone were a miss match. Once I upgraded to a new phone they were then on the same frequency and have worked happily together ever since.
I can’t comment directly on the ND3, but is it not the case that the wired Android Auto connection needs to be established first, before wireless Android Auto capability becomes available?
I have certainly seen this with other vehicle manufacturers.
I think you def have the latest, as only that has the USB-C connectors. But do check if it’s supposed to have AA wireless capability and what the statement is. Something like “Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto” might be missleading and missing a comma or full stop (“Wireless Apple Carplay, and Android Auto” or “Wireless Apple Carplay. And Android Auto”)
I have a MY23 car with USB-A conections and that def doesn’t have wireless AA so I bit the bullet and got a wireless AA adaptor (Motorola). Works well enough, but takes a good few seconds to start up at the beginning of a journey. Phone is powered by a wireless (Qi) charger in my case to stop it draining too much when in the car.
I know you need to use a wired connection first when AA is app based, such as on an aftermarket head unit. But when it’s integrated I think it depends. I’ve certainly used cars in the past with integrated AA and they’ve successfully paired via Bluetooth from the get go.
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My friend has a ‘24 ND (USB C) and his works with wireless AA. He has Blue Tooth paired too.
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i had a similar problem with my ND2 - old phone (samsung) connected to Mazda and my other car fine. new phone (Pixel) with same cable connected to other car but not Mazda. i bought a new cable (nothing fancy just a Halfords one) and suddenly it connected to the Mazda. I still dont really know why !