MERCEDES C200 W203 | ANDROID HEADUNIT SYSTEM REVIEW
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 มิ.ย. 2021
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This is a short video to demonstrate the usability and features available to this #Android headunit. It is installed on a 2005 #Mercedes #C200K.
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🎥 RELATED VIDEO:
Mercedes C200 Android Headunit Upgrade Guide ( • MERCEDES C200 W203 | A... )
📖 RELATED ARTICLE
Common Android Headunit Firmware Settings (tinyurl.com/cxn9mbxn)
🔘 PRODUCTS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO:
⭐️ Android Headunit (tidd.ly/3yPeEjz)
⭐️ Number Plate Light Reverse Camera for C200K W203 (ebay.us/iw8OiI)
🔘 PRODUCT OPTIONS:
⭐️ Wireless Carplay USB Dongle for Android Systems (s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AO6M7g)
🛠 TOOLS OF THE TRADE:
⭐️ SmallRig Professional Phone Video Rig Kit (ebay.us/fpnulQ)
This is a step up from my old set which was made of poor quality plastic and it kinda needs replacing. This kit is more stable and has loads of attachments. I find the power bank holder very useful especially during those extended recording sessions. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
On a W209, the reverse camera guide lines follow the steering wheel angle (using this Kapud unit). Perhaps try changing the CAN Type (through the "secret menu": Car Settings - About Device - Settings icon) to "BENZ(Lz)".
Yeah good tip! Will make this as sticky
Great video. Thank you!
One question - do the buttons match the backlighting of the rest of the interior?
Hi Jordan,
Unfortunately, this headunit does not allow you to pick a different button illumination colour from what is provided as-built. The lights on the button will illuminate RED on the following scenarios:
1) The Park Light is ON
2) The light is on AUTO mode and its dark outside
I hope you find this information helpful 👍
Thanks for the video. Does the buttons on the side light up to be able to see them at night?
Hi Andre, yes it has an orange light behind the buttons so the words illuminate. The ring on the knob is also illuminated.
hi i loved your install vid and am definitely leaning towards this unit but i do have a few questions
what ram/rom is yours? and would there be any point going higher?. what tpms sensors are compatible with this unit as i cant find them on the store front
does it have more than 1 video input? (i ask as i would like to fit 2 cameras ideally)
and lastly the android sender you mentioned in the comments is no longer available do you know of another compatible one? thanks rob
Hi Rob, thanks for watching this video. You have a few questions so let me answer them one at a time:
1) CPU/Ram/Rom specs - This particular one is 8 core with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM. I wouldnt go any higher than this unless you plan on installing multiple apps directly on the headunit instead of using Carplay/Android Auto.
2) TPMS - From experience with other Android headunits, there is no particular TPMS brand/system required for this headunit. I remember buying one TPMS system for a Peugeot 308 Android headunit and connecting it with the W203 and it still worked. The key is connecting it to the TPMS receiver correct USB port.
3) Multiple video inputs - This I suggest reaching out to the seller directly as I have not connected multiple video inputs on any of the installs Ive done.
4) Headunit seller - The seller “Kapud” is still available. Ive linked the product page (Option 1) below. I also have a link for an alternative product which you can explore. It has a smaller screen though. I have not installed option 2 product so I cant offer any tips for you. However for both products, make sure to confirm with the seller if this is compatible with your car before committing to buying any of them.
Option 1
a.aliexpress.com/_mKwOTDs
Option 2
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOwPmKW
Cheers 😊
i haven't tried installing any of these but how did you get that mercedes looking theme? did you set it up somehow or it was like that? cause i don't want mine looking like a cheap aftermarket i want it to fit the style of the car just like this one if i get one like this. Is there a version of this kapud unit with wireless carplay?
Hi Zdeno, that Mercedes-looking theme came with this headunit. Like you, this is what sold me to this headunit 😊
@@AutosNGizmosThank you for your input! The pictures on aliexpress of this product in the link don't show this theme but a completely different one that's why i was asking about the theme 😅
@@zdeno9832 Oh no, sorry I wasnt aware of that. I bought this headunit over two years ago so they must have updated the default theme. But it might not be too for them install the old theme so perhaps ask them if you havent done so already
Can you make it show a Mercedes welcome screen in setting? Also can you match the car illumination color in this unit?
Hi Bobbyz,
Yes it can, but it only shows up during a fresh boot. A fresh boot normally takes about a minute - and the headunit will display the following logo/information in this sequence:
1) Mercedes Logo (or any logo of your choice)
2) Android Logo
3) The message “Android is starting…”
There is a setting within the headunit called “Sleep Mode” and I set this to ON. This makes the headunit skip the above boot sequence and go straight to the Home Screen - no waiting time which means I can play music or start navigation right away. As you can see in the video, the Home Screen displayed in less than 3 seconds.
If Sleep Mode is OFF, the headunit fully shuts down every time to remove the key from the ignition so the next time you put the key in (or turn on the car), it will go through the full boot up sequence.
I hope this is helpful and good luck on your project if you decide to DIY-install this headunit on your car 👍
Please don’t forget to like/subscribe if you haven’t done so already.
How about the sound quality when compared to the oem Harman Kardon unit?
Hi Tom, my car does not have Harman Kardon speakers but I can say the sound quality from this headunit is comparable to OEM unit. The system also comes with an equaliser app so you can adjust the sound quality to your liking.
Can I use the buttons in the steering wheel to change songs while on carplay
Hi Martin, if I remember correctly, if you select “Audio” mode on the centre LCD on the instrument cluster, you should be able to control skip/previous track while on carplay. Sorry my memory is a bit rusty on this one as I don’t have this car any longer.
Was your original head unit (radio) a Japanese one? I'm wondering whether the harness needs to be different for Japanese vs non-Japanese right-hand drive versions of the car.
Hi CoolCat, my car is an Australian model and I just checked the old headunit it says Made in Hungary. If you are unsure if this Android headunit is compatible with your car, it is probably best to contact the seller and confirm if you need to purchase a special or extra wiring harness.
@@AutosNGizmos Thanks a lot. You had a European COMAND unit then. Lucky you. :) Thanks again.
Is there anyway to make the CarPlay connect wirelessly? Such as purchasing a dongle?
Hi Sam, Yes there is. I previously bought a USB dongle that turns any Android System into wireless Carplay. It was for another car though which I no longer own. But since the Kapud Android headunit featured in this video has a built-in Carplay and is activated automatically when an iPhone is connected on one of its USB port, I’d avoid connecting any iPhone on that specific USB port so it wouldn’t automatically start both Carplay systems. For example, if you need to plug in your phone for charging.
I’ve added my affiliate link to the Wireless Carplay USB dongle in the description section of the video. Please feel free to use that link if you want to purchase the Wireless Carplay USB dongle. When you do so, you will also support this channel. Cheers!
Thanks for the video ! What about the FM reception is it any good? I mean the signal quality, ouside of town etc.
Radio signal quality is surprisingly good despite connecting the antenna wire only to one fakra connector. TBH, I don’t what the second fakra connector is for.
I’ve tried using the radio around town and reception is good as expected. Also tried it in basement parking and it performed the same way as other cars I’ve driven in basements - it just static the further down (or away from the entrance) you go. I haven’t tried going on long drives on rural areas and using the radio but I suspect it will also perform similarly as others.
@@AutosNGizmos thank you for the answer.. thinking about buy one for my car but I would like IPScreen
@@AutosNGizmos btw One Fakra is for short FM and second one for long FM.
Hi Jan, thanks for letting me know about the long and short FM signals 👍
And good luck on your project!
@@AutosNGizmos I have the same head unit. Now thinking about changing the launcher app. Did you try?
Can you show a video with the dialer and phonebook? I bought an Android head unit for one of my other cars and it was so bad I can't stand using the radio. Everything else on this unit look reasonable, just want to see what it looks like when someone calls you, and how the steering wheel controls work.
Hi Jason,
Unfortunately I can’t create new videos on this car at the moment. This car is with my daughter who now lives 6 hours away from me. I won’t be seeing this car until later in the year ☹️
But if I remember correctly, the bluetooth phone integration wasn’t that good either. Luckily I’m an iPhone user and this headunit comes pre-built (and activated) with a software called Phonelink which emulates Carplay. Since I use carplay most of the time, I never had the need to mess around with bluetooth.
If you are an Android user and if you get the higher spec model, you can get the Android Auto activation key from the seller - you just need to message them separately. I don’t know why they don’t provide the software (Autolink) pre-activated since they advertised it’s compatible with Android Auto. I think Autolink is the Android Auto equivalent of Phonelink.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Happy to provide you with info you need regarding this headunit.
Perhaps it is worth looking at the launcher configuration files whether there is an artificial limit of max. seven apps on the home screen. The unit comes with an editor installed, so with some careful editing, you might be able to use that spare spot on the second home screen after all.
Thanks CoolCat. I’m unfamiliar with Android configurations. If I were to search the web for some reference, what specific topic should I be searching for?
Also AFAIK, this headunit doesnt come with a full editor. The only thing you can do is assign/reassign icons on those icon place holders. I’m tempted to replace it with an entirely different launcher but havent found one that I like yet…
@@AutosNGizmos I'm not sure. There is a file browser installed on the head unit and I stumbled on something that looked like a launcher configuration pretty quickly. I didn't look into it straight away because I only had the unit wired up outside the car for testing and the connections weren't super stable. I'll look into that again once I properly installed the unit. I'll let you know if I find out anything. In the meantime you can search for the terms Android, launcher, and configuration. They are typically .xml files.
One question. Does the headunit display properly the information on the trip computer of your car, like whats playing on the radio, calls through Bluetooth, etc?
Hi Miguel, unfortunately no - it doesn’t display anything when you have Carplay running. Would be nice if it did. Actually, someone from youtube “hacked” his W203 which did just that. Have a look at this video demo from his channel -> th-cam.com/video/3uqHiSHuFkM/w-d-xo.html
It’s an interesting project though👍
@@AutosNGizmos well, that’s to be expected, from a product that is not original… but, thanks for the response!
And also thanks for the link to the other video, it really is interesting how he did it.
@@mapm1998 Sorry just clarify, if I’m playing Radio on the headunit, the station info shows up on the LCD screen in the instrument cluster (when you have it in Audio mode). It’s only when you use Carplay thats when the LCD screen on the instrument cluster will show “AUDIO OFF”.
@@AutosNGizmos oh, nice! And shows any information if you’re playing the music through the Bluetooth of the headunit (not from CarPlay)?
I tested these features again in the car to make sure I’m providing the correct information and this is what happens to the LCD screen on the instrument cluster (assuming Mode=Audio) when playing music from these different music sources:
1) Built-in Radio app
Top left corner =
Main display: Up arrow, Station frequency, Down arrow
2) Built-in Music app (SD Card)
Top left corner = SD
Main display = Up arrow, Track #, Track time, Down arrow
NOTE: Track # based on the position of the music file in relation to other music files in the SD card
3) Built-in Bluetooth app
If MODE = Audio
Top left corner = OTHER
Main display =
If MODE = TEL
Top left corner =
Main display = TEL followed by “- - - -“
4) Apply Carplay
Top left corner =
Main display = AUDIO OFF
I hope this information is helpful 👍
I've read that internal mic sucks. How can I connect external microphone to this device? USB or some special connector? Can you send a link to a microphone that will work with this headunit?
Hi termi05, yes internal mic is 💩. Fortunaltely, the headunit I purchased came with an external mic (TS plug) which seem to produce a good sound quality and pickup is good. I’ve posted a photo of the mic on my recent TH-cam post if you want to have a look.
If you are buying the headunit from the same seller as I did, it should already come with an external mic - but please confirm with the seller first as they might have changed the way they package this product since I bought it.
If you are buying a headunit from a different seller which doesn’t include an external mic, I would suggest that you contact the seller and ask how you can attach and external mic. Most Android headunits I’ve seen has a special harness for external mic input jacks so you need to make sure yours have that first.
I hope this is helpful.
@@AutosNGizmos Thank you very much
Where is the female jack for TS jack on headunit?
@@sss-mq7wt The female jack is part of one of the harnesses that are supplied with the unit.
Thanks for Great informative video, do you know who is manufacturing company in china of this head unit?
Hi Irfan, No, sorry I don’t have direct contact with the manufacturing company. I mainly deal with the resellers in Aliexpress.
May I ask some info regarding connectivity with reverse camera? What camera are you currently use? 720p or 1080p? On the menu of the device which resolution is it supporting? If you just take a photo and post it, it will be very convenient!!!
Thank you very much for all...keep up the good work!!!
Hi Giannis, The product information page of the reverse camera indicate it has a resolution of “1280x720 with 1000 TV lines”. I bought that camera from an ebay (link below).
With regards to your request to show you the resolution supported by the device, are you referring to the Android headunit?
www.ebay.com.au/itm/Reverse-Car-Camera-for-Mercedes-Benz-C-Klasse-W203-Nur-Kombi-T-Modell-Touring-/232659651382?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0)
@@AutosNGizmos thanks for your reply...Yes a picture from the headunit menu (if any) that can show me the support frequencies and resolution e.g 1920x1080 or 1280x720. I believe that only HD camera (720p) is compatible with the headunit, but i need a verify from someone that has it. I order a low resolution camera from ebay in order to be safe, but I believe that picture will be very poor. Maybe I go for a HD (720p) new camera....Thank a lot for your help
Hi Giannis, I went through all settings available in the headunit and unfortunately I’m unable to find a page to confirm the supplier’s claim of screen resolution. FYI, the product information page suggest this headunit has a screen resolution of 1024x600. I hope you will find this information helpful.
Hi, after seeing this video and the installation one, I ordered one for my w203, but most of the times (not always) when I am going to turn on the car (after several hours of being parked and locked) it takes longer to boot, I can see a dark gray screen with a horizontal lines going up and then after maybe 1 minute and a half, the Mercedes’ logo appears and it boots normally, I can use the reset button and it starts at the moment, but, is this normal? Do you have this issue?
Hi Ricardo, this doesn’t happen to me but it appears your headunit shuts down. Do you have the headunit set to Sleep Mode by the way?
If you do have Sleep Mode ON, it sounds like there is an issue with the constant 12v power being fed into the headunit. I would first check if the yellow wire is getting constant 12v from the car wiring harness and that it is flowing to the headunit. So check for any lose connections. I’m assuming your car battery is in good health?
If all the above checks out, probably best to contact the seller and describe to them this issue. It might be a problem with headunit itself.
As an extra thing you can do, try changing the CAN Type. One of my viewers suggested this and improved the system performance overall. Here are the steps:
- Go to Car Settings
- About Device
- Tap the Settings (gear) icon top right corner
- Enter password 8888 then OK
- Go to CAN Type
- Change to BENZ(Lz) - you might need to manually search this
- Save
- Reboot (NOTE: you will lose saved radio stations)
I hope that helps.
@@AutosNGizmos hi, thanks. Well I connected everything as you did in the other video, my head unit has the sleep mode on, but it does the same if I set it off. When I got the radio, a small connector between the quad (main) connector and the canbus interface disconnected (it’s a small two wire connector) but I saw in your installation video it was connected so I connected it, could it be the issue? Do I have to leave it as I got it? And yes, no problem with the the battery.
Yeah I think I know which connector you are referring to. That’s the 2-pin connector for the green/green-black wires. Yes I have it connected on mine too.
@@AutosNGizmos thank you, I’ll check the connections. Keep doing videos on your w203, I have a 2006 c-350.
Will sure do. I’ve got the dashcam install video currently in progress which hopefully I can finish soon.
Do you have octa core verison or quad core?
I got the octa core version
Hello, great video ! Ive bought same unit, everything works fine but the AA and CarPlay do not work :( I connect the phone and nothing happens...just charging Did yu change some settings to get it work or something? Thanks !
Hi Jan, I don’t remember changing any settings to make AA/ACP work on my headunit. But I did remember having a similar issue and seller said that only the black USB cable works with AA/ACP. If you have tried both USB cables and it still doesn’t work, I suggest to contact the seller. Btw, did you buy the 8-core 4GB+64GB or the lower spec’d model?
@@AutosNGizmos Ah thank you I will try the second one... I was thinking that the blue one is the correct one... btw are you sure that unit also supports AA? Ye Ive bought the 4GB+64GB option as you did.
Ok so black one is doing the same thing... Just charging .. :(
On the black one the iPhone carplay works but not the AA :(
Did you try AA on your unit please?
I have this HU. The trajectory lines will follow the angle of the steering wheel if you change CAN Type. Go to Car Settings - About Device - Tap the settngs icon at the right - Enter password "8888" then OK - CAN Type - Change CAN Type to BENZ(Lz) - Save - Reboot. You will lose your saved Radio stations so you'll have to config it all over.
Thanks for the tip Nuno 👍. I’ll try that one out.
@@AutosNGizmos Ok. Let me know how it went.
@@AutosNGizmos By the way, if you change CAN Type to BENZ(Lz) it will inform whenever a door is open with a car icon at the center of the screen. Pretty cool feature.
Hi Nuno, setting CAN Type = BENZ(Lz) worked perfectly. I tried using the Benz C200 option but that didn’t work so I’ll stick to BENZ(Lz) 👍 Thanks!
@@AutosNGizmos Good to know that. It's a good Head Unit. The only defect I point out is the RDS function. It's very incomplete. It only shows the station name. No information regarding singer name and song name as other Head Units show. Otherwise, nothing to point out.
Hey,
I'm getting my W203 tomorrow and want to order the radio right away.
Is the "2G RAM 32G ROM 4CORE" version enough for Google Maps, Spotify and TH-cam?
Doesn't have to run super smooth, but it shouldn't hang or anything like that.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Malaka, first of all thanks for visiting my channel. I really appreciate it.
With regards to your question about the performance of the “2G RAM 32G ROM 4CORE”, I don’t have personal experience with this spec but when I was making my purchasing decision back then, I also considered the lower-spec model. However, I eventually went for the higher spec 4G RAM 64GB ROM 8CORE (at the time they don’t have the 8G RAM 128G ROM 8CORE as an option) because of these extra features not available in the 2G option:
- Buillt-in Wired Carplay
- Built-in Mobile 4G capability
- Faster RAM (DDR3 vs DDR4)
If you go with the 2G model, it means you will be running Google Maps and Spotify (both apps will use up RAM and ROM) and plus you also need to hotspot your phone’s mobile network to your headunit in order to stream music. You may also need to download map data into the 32G ROM if the headunit is not connected to a mobile hotspot.
So to answer your question - Will it work? YES it will. I’ve seen other people who bought the 2G model provide positive feedback to the seller so that is always encouraging. But you probably may need to restart the headunit on a regular basis to help with memory management or delete files to fee up some disk space.
Having Carplay (if you are an iPhone user) just makes it really convenient IMO. And since all apps run on your phone, essentially there is only one app running on the headunit (the carplay app called Carlink)
I hope this information is helpful.
@@AutosNGizmos Thank you very much for detailed reply.
Since I am not an iPhone user, I would not benefit from the CarPlay feature.
I think I'll give the 2GB version a try, I've also read the positive reviews.
Thanks also for your super installation instructions!
No worries, Malaka. Just holler if you have questions and good luck on the install!
@@malaka5176 hello friend, how was your experience with the 2g 32gb ?